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May 23, 2020 - Vol. 14 No. 20
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Coalition starts campaign against Elections credibility See stories on page 3
- finds faults in box not yet opened for recount Covid-19 precautions: Body of man found in burnt Sanitizing the CJIA out home p. 13
Man dies after knife attack by mentallyp. ill brother 15 Farmer chopped with own cutlass for confronting p. trespasser 13 Norton claims Five charged with Republic Bank ignorance about manslaughter customers want coalition's false p.2 explanation for allegation against in Berbice River monies deducted p. p. boat mishap 15 from accounts 8 Berbice couple
Guyana needs to prepare for - Ex TT intense shore-base demand Minister p. 14
Saturday May 23, 2020
Kaieteur News
PAGE 02
Norton claims ignorance about coalition's false allegation against Berbice couple By Shikema Dey
P
eople's National Congress (PNC) Executive Aubrey Norton yesterday doubted that it was the APNU+AFC that presented 'evidence' to suggest that an East Berbice couple migrated from Guyana and did not vote at the March 2, 2020 elections despite definitive proof provided by the couple that countered the coalition's clams. Norton was at the time responding to questions during an interview at the National Recount Media Center based on the statement made by the Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Justice Claudette Singh that “he who asserts must prove.” S i n c e t h e commencement of the recount, the coalition has made claims of migrants and the dead voting at the March 2 polls. While the party says that they possess evidence to support their allegations,
PNC Executive Aubrey Norton
‘Evidence’ supplied by Coalition claiming these people were out of the country on E-day none verifiable has been presented at the National Recount, and at least two claims have been proven to be false. Earlier this week, APNU+AFC agent Yonette Obermuller had presented what she had claimed to be “Evidence from research” claiming that five persons had immigrated from Guyana at various points in time and did not return to vote. Among the five was Aubrey and Shirley Nicholson from Sisters
Village who were supposed to, according to Obermuller's 'proof', left Guyana on July 29, 2019 at 10 AM and would not have been able to vote in the 2020 elections. As Kaieteur News has exclusively reported, the couple has not only provided evidence that they were in the country and voted, but they both voted for the coalition. When this case was presented to Norton as a potential example of the
veracity of the coalition's allegations, he claimed ignorance. Norton responded “Could I ask you how did you arrive the party made that claim? How did you get the evidence that we did that?” When pressed that it was in fact the coalition that did provide the detailed document, Norton responded, “As far as I know, we give numbers. We give the numbers. Let me explain to you how this process occurs. When this process –
when you're in there, and you're going through it, all the serial numbers, say 99, and we will ask the persons there, did 99 vote? If they said 99 vote, we say 'according to our records, 99 is out the country'.” He then questioned whether evidence was presented that suggested that it was the party who made the claims about the couple. “Did you see any evidence that we called that number, that GECOM said the person was out the
country and then, it appeared?” Norton was then informed that a list was provided to Workstation 3 containing the names of the couple and others along with serial numbers departure dates, time and signed by Obermuller. To this he replied, “Which one, East Berbice? I have no knowledge of that, I will double-check it but as far as I know, the names of the people we gave were out (continued on page 16)
Kaieteur News
Saturday May 23, 2020
PAGE 03
Coalition starts campaign against elections credibility President David Granger
[from left] Table of purported irregularities posted by APNUAFC Facebook page, and Table of Purported irregularities posted by PNC Member, James Bond
T
he APNU+AFC coalition has now embarked on a campaign against the credibility of the March 2 General and Regional Elections, with tabulations of all of the irregularities it claims have been unearthed during the National Recount, with the clearest case so far being made so far by PNCR Executive Aubrey Norton while addressing the media yesterday.
“Now, what this is illustrating,” Norton said, “is that the process teems with irregularities. From the inception, I said it cannot be considered to be anomalies anymore. This is a clear case of electoral fraud and rigging.” Norton statement represents the most explicit argument against the credibility of an election that observers have labeled as free and fair, and until only recently the Coalition was
ready to swear in incumbent President David Granger on. For two weeks, the party has been asked by reporters to provide an accumulation of the irregularities it claimed it began noticing since late last year, during the claims and objections exercise. Though the party has now provided a purported breakdown such an accumulation, it has not provided any evidence to support the 1,602 claims it is making.
Coalition objects to ballot box not yet recounted
A screenshot of the post made on the Coalition's official Facebook page
T
he APNU+AFC y e s t e r d a y claimed that one of their agent discovered a number of “unstamped ballots” at a polling station in District Four. “Breaking news: Sophia Nursery School, at the lower level polling station L-Z 41333Ciii, our agent found 61 unstamped ballots ( I N VA L I D ) . P r e s i d i n g Officer failed to stamp” read a post on the official APNU+AFC Facebook page yesterday morning. However, at the time that the post was made the ballot box for that subdivision,
#4549, had not yet been opened to be recounted. Further evidence from the Guyana Election Commission's (GECOM) live feed of the confirms that they had at the time of the posting only recounted up to ballot box #4219, nowhere near the 4500 mark. The Citizenship Initiative party agent, Nyall Jodhan saw the post and was quick to point out that the ballot box being referred to in the post was not yet counted. “Did APNU's page really release a post about a ballot box not yet recounted?
What irresponsibility is this?” Jodhan posted to his Facebook. Justifying his calling the post “irresponsible”, Jodhan stated that the party is merely peddling “propaganda.” “We are 81 days into the election. APNU have declared a win at least 2 times comfortable with the SOP information. The recount for this box hasn't concluded yet, but they are ready to release a propaganda post about "evidence" of skullduggery.” Shortly after the post was made, it was taken removed from the party's page.
Speaking to reporters last evening at the National Recount Media Centre, Norton sought to draw a nexus between ballots more likely to be rejected and votes cast in favour of APNU+AFC. He also sought to draw a nexus between ballots likely to be rejected and APNU+AFC strongholds. The general claim is that the PPP/C has compromised GECOM's presiding officers and other E-Day staff, who in turn have made efforts to invalidate the votes of persons who were likely to have voted for the coalition by, for instance, handing them unstamped ballots. The party has published numbers using different media. One table was posted by the APNUAFC Facebook page, used widely to put out information and carry live feeds from the party. Another table was posted by PNC/R executive member, James Bond. The party claimed, in the table first posted by Bond that an examination of 627 boxes showed irregularities which amounted to 1,582. About the same time Norton was undertaking his presentation last night, another table was posted on the Coalition's Facebook page, claiming that an examination of 699 ballot boxes in five regions unearthed 1,602 irregularities. This appeared to be an update to the first table. But while some of the numbers on that table aligned with Norton's numbers, others differed. Pointed to a statement by GECOM Chair, Claudette Singh that “He who asserts, must prove,” Norton said that
he has no issue with such an expectation. “I understand it's a legal concept, and when is time for proof, it will be there,” he stated. After purporting that there is clear evidence of electoral fraud and rigging, Norton stated “An election cannot be credible if it is filled with illegalities, if it is filled with fraud.” Despite this claim, CARICOM, which has sent a scrutineering team to observe the national recount, is of the view that irregularities did not occur during the Election, only during the count. This is evidenced by a statement from Permanent Representative of Barbados to the OAS, Ambassador Noel Lynch on behalf of the CARICOM Group during a meeting of the OAS
Permanent Council. He stated "We are mindful, Mr. Chairman, that irregularities occurred not in the system by which the Guyanese electorate cast their votes on March 2nd, but in the presentation of the count afterwards." President David Granger, who briefly met with the press after visiting the site of the National Recount on Sunday, revered the role of CARICOM, in Lynch's words, as “the most legitimate interlocutor” on the Guyana situation. Granger had said that, as a reliable partner in Guyana's development, he is obliged to work with the CARICOM team. Granger said that he is not dismissive of CARICOM's efforts, and that he does not disparage the CARICOM team. “I would like to see that mission succeed, the President had said, “So that is where we stand.” Kaieteur News attempted to reach out to the President's spokesperson Ariana Gordon last night, via Whatsapp for an official comment. There was no response. Kaieteur News also attempted to call Gordon. One phone number rang out, and the other went to voicemail.
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Saturday May 23, 2020
Kaieteur News
Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Sharmain Grainger Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
EDITORIAL
ExxonMobil and our ‘partnership’ “Grave environmental damage looms - German NGO warns…” was the caption of a Front-Page article we carried on May 22. The subhead pointed to the damage done currently (9 billion cubic feet of gas) and that Guyana’s EPA issued clearance for such flaring to go on for the next two decades, speaking to potentially hundreds of billions of cubic feet of gas to be flared. All Guyana would be furious with this unending eyepass, and still another kind of pass once favored by irate Guyanese. We must manage our rage and be temperate, as we ask: What is going here? Who is counting the financial and environmental impacts to Guyana? That 9 billion cubic feet of gas already flared represents much seepage into the atmosphere, and much lost revenue to this country. Guyana cannot spare a single cent more, given that one-sided contract and the numerous costs that this country have to pay on Exxon’s behalf. What makes this still more outrageous is that Exxon has the technology to do better but does not give a damn, despite its pious talk, about concerns for the environment and about dealing fairly with its Guyanese partners. It has gotten by elsewhere, so what is happening in Guyana is standard Exxon playbook. Exxon is fully aware of what is involved and what it has to do as a global oil presence and a partner with many poor nations. It has been doing so, but only when enormous pressure is brought to bear on its operations and its chiefs. Consider this account of a former excutive: “His Hamlet-like performance on carbon taxation and climate change did him little credit, but he had led a determined drive to reduce the greenhouse gases emitted by the company’s own operations and had delivered real results. On his watch, ExxonMobil had reduced gas flaring…by more than half” (Coll, Steve; Private Empire ExxonMobil and American Power, Penguin Press, New York, 2012). The man referred to in the above extract is Rex Tillerson, who was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ExxonMobil from 2006 to 2017. Coll also wrote that, “In Nigeria and other countries with weak governments, the corporation had missed announced targets for the elimination of flaring; it blamed the failure of its partner regimes.” In the instance of its extraction of Guyana’s oil, it is now obvious that ExxonMobil has taken a backward and reckless approach, which provides further evidence of the low to zero regard that it has for this country, its leaders, and its peoples. Here it can and does get away with anything, inclusive of what has to be tantamount to corporate felonies. This is how the ExxonMobil(s) of the world take advantage of, what Mr. Coll calls, “weak governments”. To that, we could easily and safely add any divided and sharply polarized society. With such an illuminating track record, Guyana is tailor-made for ExxonMobil to have its way, which it does, and the latest example being costly and alarming gas flaring (the “Grave environmental damage” which the German NGO identified, and as was stated in our caption). As these draining actions are exposed by us in one story after another, it is now undeniable that ExxonMobil has taken us for a ride. Kaieteur News will continue to draw attention to the unfair and exploitative nature of this predatory partnership. We should not be doing it alone, however. It would be a great development, one that rings with the sturdiest patriotic fervor, if groups of citizens will make public manifestation of their anger and disgust and raise the bar on the volume of protests that is brought to bear. Continuing public expressions of dismay by citizens may move the company and those complicit in our political leadership to think twice on how it handles its partnership with Guyana going forward. Only continued pressure may make it yield some ground.
Quick takes on he who asserts must prove DEAR EDITOR, I think that this country needs to lighten up and try smiling a little. With no one else around capable, other than one cartoonist, I have assigned the heavy responsibility to myself. It has a lot to do with that statement from the esteemed chairlady of the accused, vilified, and battered beyond recognition national entity named GECOM. She is reported to have said, “he who asserts must prove.” The media outlets went to town and had a field day with that one, as that was the trumpeting page one caption of quite a few of the more respectable ones; those that are still so recognized and hailed. Like I said, we need something to introduce some humour and laughter in these brutalized parts. But make no mistake: the chair was dead serious. It was good to see her come out swinging and aiming for the chin. Or was it, may I say, a little below the belt buckle in the instance of the exuberant Mr. Gunraj, PPP lead vocalist? Before moving on, I have to take issue with the honourable chairwoman: prove? Since when has anybody in this country stepped forward with anything resembling proof on anything? Surely, she should know that this is why there are so many social felons, political self-enrichers, and public service professionals have made out like bandits.
Why does she think (Guyana too) that there are so many unsolved crimes and cold cases? I now understand why the dratted elections recount is taking so long. Proof! Sorry, ma’am, Not happening here, so don’t hold breath. After being pounded into near submission and made to cower on the ropes with defensive elbows held high, it is refreshing to see the embattled chairwoman come out of the shadows like a raging, ahem, spitfire. Discretion made me pass up on a particular creature of wild feline variety. Not me! I aint messin wid dah laydee and dem peeeple. Or as one of those long-ago calypsonians confessed, “I ain’t ridin pun dat.”. A man has got to know his limitations is the hard lesson I remember all too well from Clint Eastwood during his Dirty Harry Era of vigilantism. And political and electoral vigilantisms were exactly what the chair and her team had been subjected to first, and then battered into a near unrecognizable pulp first by the mighty PPP and its finely tuned and sweetly purring (depends on who is listening) machinery of attack dogs straining at the leash to please a demanding and unforgiving master. Then, it was the turn of the so-called civil society people, who laced into chair, chiefs, and the assembled bottlewashers with one uncivil
fusillade after another. According to the high caste penthouse people, those assembled bottle-washers were there for one purpose only, which was a word beginning with an ‘r’ and ending in ‘ING.’. The wiser in the midst could spend the rest of the year trying to figure that one out. I cannot recall (and I am not hedging) more pungent and barbaric attacks in all my years on anybody, including child molesters and serial murderers. And given the laps I have travelled, that is many multiples of the years compiled by the losers and assorted political lowlifes around here. One would think that families had been attacked and honour besmirched. This politics of ours does make men mad. As to the already mad, I do my best imitation of the chair when under siege: I am operating under a selfimposed gag order. It was expected that the opposition and its army of handpicked guerilla fighters (anybody who thinks that anything else is taught at Patrice L University is dafter than should be allowed) would be the only ones doing the dirty jobs, such as stooping low to: 1) attack women, who were not defending themselves; 2) send into early retirement a certain Returning Officer, whose name rhymes with dingo (that would be the Australian wild dog, for the untutored nearby); and 3) lambaste anonymous junior
staff people at GECOM trying to make an honest living. Honest living? At GECOM? Now, who is the one who should be certified and put away? Well, I was wrong, because abomination upon abomination, now the coalition has risen from out of the dark deep sea to deliver one foray after another at the barricaded and, for all intents and purposes, locked down GECOM. Talk about piling on! As Eddie Hooper would have moaned, or is it taunted, where are your friends now? From all appearances, GECOM does not have any friends anymore. It is on its own. Now to return to earth and the serious stuff, the president himself had said: Let GECOM do its work. Apparently, the memo did not reach his key people, who clenched upraised fists (looks like that old Black Power salute, if you ask me) and let the poor people over there have it smack in the kisser. The coalition people must have been too busily occupied with what the PPP people feared they were doing. That is, fixing things underground. Oh well, it is precisely this kind of country that I had in mind when I left the good ole USA. Now I get to celebrate Memorial Day on Monday, and Independence Day for the rest of May. Great country, this one is. Sincerely, GHK Lall
All of us who care about fairness owe Guyana that debt DEAR EDITOR Mr. Anil Nandlall has taken issue with my observation that he has said that the representatives of the ABCE countries are on the side of the PPP in its battle with the APNU+AFC Coalition over the March 2 election. The former Attorney General was at the time speaking on an online TV programme hosted by Globespan 24/7 on May 18, 2020. He has accused me of taking his words out of context and misquoting him. He quotes himself as saying this: “this is not a fight of the PPP or a fight for the PPP. This is a fight for democracy, a fight for righteousness, a fight for the rule of law, a fight for the future of Guyana. In this fight, all of the Opposition parties, every major local organization, including, the private sector, the religious organizations, the labour movement, the diplomatic community and the governments that they represent, CARICOM, the Commonwealth and the OAS, are all on the same side.”
I think I know something about context and so I was very sure that I had not committed that error. I also was almost sure that Mr. Nandlall quotation of what he said was inaccurate. However, I went back to the programme to see if Mr. Nandlall was correct. And to my surprise, I was spot on. Mr. Nandlall was waxing lyric about all the forces that were supporting the PPP or as he put it, is “on their side.” And worse I found that he had misquoted himself. Having been caught, he sought to rearrange his words to give another impression. I therefore reproduce here verbatim his remarks in response to a statement that the PPP must not share the corn when they are declared the winner. Here is Mr. Anil Nandlall in his own wordsjudge for yourselves and readers can go to the programme and listen for themselves to determine whose version of Nandlall’s comments is accurate. Here goes. “Let me assure you that
this fight is not only a PPP fight. And it is not a fight for the PPP either. I want to make that clear. This is a fight for democracy. This is a fight for righteousness. This is a fight for human rights. This is a fight for the future of Guyana. The PPP is simply a fighter in the fight. And we are pleased, pleased is putting it mildly. We are elated by the support we have gotten (from) the smaller political parties representing every class and ethnic grouping across the divide. We are very, very motivated by the organizations that have lent us their support and that have lent their support to the struggle. We have on our side all the major religious organizations. We have the Private Sector. We have largest united labour movement on our side. We have the farmers. We have Guyana on our side. And then if you look at the international community. We have all the major ambassadors representing the
powerful countries in the world. We have them on our side. We have CARICOM on our side. We have the Commonwealth on our side. We have the OAS on our side. We have all the stakeholder groups that have an interest in Guyana. Not one of them has stood on the side of the APNU+ AFC. Not one” (End of quote). Mr. Nandlall ended his letter by advising me to use my academic energies to explore why none of the forces he listed is not on the Coalition’s side. “All of the local and international forces engaged, including, the political parties, are currently aligned on one side and only the APNU+AFC, in solitude, is on the other side.” Even this statement gives away Mr. Nandlall’s real message. But let me assure him that I have already taken up his advice and would over time undertake that analysis. All of us who care about fairness owe Guyana that debt. David Hinds
Saturday May 23, 2020
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Kaieteur News
President Granger has the power and authority in his hands to release our country from agony and growing disaster DEAR EDITOR, On Sunday last, David Granger emerged from his home complete with massive security surrounded by a phalanx of former APNU+AFC Ministers and imposed his ‘Presidential’ presence on the GECOM Recount proceedings. Granger arrived at GECOM for no good reason other than to reassure his Party faithful that he is still in charge, rather than to reassure the country that he recognizes and supports the legitimacy of the Recount or that he will accept the results. What, in fact, did he do and say at GECOM? He deliberately confuses his status as to whether he has come as our ‘de facto’ President or as that of the APNU+AFC Presidential Candidate. Having held meetings with the GECOM Chairman and senior staff and the CARICOM Scrutineers, he then crosses the road to hold a Press Conference, whether as ‘de facto’ President or Party Leader, it never becomes clear, obliging the Chairman of GECOM to join him at his side. He then speaks both as APNU+AFC leader and as Leader of the Government, completely
compromising the presence of the GECOM Chair, who should have immediately excused herself. The Press Conference was carefully orchestrated and managed by none other than Cathy Hughes who has no governmental information role and clearly acting in her Party capacity. At the Press Conference, Ganger persistently refused to answer straight forward questions as to whether he would recognize and accept the result of the Recount, claiming only that “whatever declaration is made by the Chairman of the Elections Commission would be recognized as legitimate by the Coalition Government”. Pressed further by reporters, in spite of the effort by Hughes to manage them, on the fact that his Attorney General, the day before had challenged the legitimacy of the Recount, Granger repeats this time, “as President of Guyana and Leader of the Government, it is my policy that any declaration coming from the Chairman of GECOM will be accepted by the Government of Guyana”. But to what exactly had Granger committed himself?
To learn that, you had to hear what he says the next day at a Mark Benschop radio interview, where he declared that he is “confident” that his party has won the elections. So what, then, if the GECOM Chairman, faced with the overwhelming evidence of the recount, announces that it is the PPP/C that has won the elections, would Granger say to the APNU+AFC voters? He also used the Benschop interview to say that “the opposition stormed” the GECOM center to invade the office of the GECOM Chair. I was there. So were the International Observers. There was no invasion. It was when Mingo first attempted to declare a fraudulent result of the unfinished District 4 tabulation that he was shouted down to prevent him from doing so. The Chairman of GECOM remained perfectly secure in her office, inexplicably choosing to ignore Mingo’s performance. But Granger did not only refuse to acknowledge acceptance of the result of the Recount at his Press Conference, he also refused to reject the Mingo/
QUESTION FOR JUSTICE CLAUDETTE SINGH: IS GUYANA GOVERNED BY RULE OF LAW? DEAR EDITOR, There are several stories in the press on allegations about several “dead and emigrated” persons voting in the March 2nd elections. These are crimes against the state. These “allegations” should be fully investigated – if the persons who impersonated the “dead and emigrated” are found, they should be arrested and charged. There are election-related crimes that are far more serious than the “allegations” of fewer than a dozen “dead and emigrated” persons who might have voted. Editor, if you would put your censorship pen on hold for a minute, I would boldly assert (or allege) that Clairmont Mingo has committed a far more serious offense against the State. He used a Spreadsheet full of manufactured numbers of votes supposedly won by
parties. The Spreadsheet numbers did not correspond with the numbers on Statements of Polls. (An SOP is a legal document – it is Gecom-stamped, signed by Presiding Officer, Counting and party agents. Copies are given to party agents as well as a copy posted outside each polling station). There were numerous eyewitnesses – watching in real time as Mingo committed those crimes. Over a hundred International Observers and local Observers eyewitnessed Mingo’s crime. Local accredited Observer Kit Nascimento attested in letters to the press: I saw Mingo “with my own eyes” committing those crimes. Also, this matter went to the High Court. Chief Justice ordered Mingo to do over the tabulation – and make sure he used the numbers written on the SOPs. Mingo defied the ruling of the High Court.
Editor, why isn’t Mingo charged with committing electoral fraud? Editor, if you would permit me, I would assert that Mingo was just a conduit for that R4 tabulation fraud. He did not make up that Spreadsheet himself. It was made up by other individuals who still work for the Electoral Commission. Mingo was not a one-man crime force. Why isn’t Chairperson, Justice Claudette Singh asking Guyana’s celebrated police crime squad to investigate these electoral crimes? Why isn’t Claudette Singh doing her own inhouse investigation to ascertain who in the Electoral Commission is the real author of the Region-4 tabulation fraud? A more fundamental question: Is Guyana governed by a Rule of Law? Mike Persaud
Lowenfield declaration which remains in “abeyance”. Granger left that for Ms. Singh to consider when using her casting vote in the Commission. We know how Granger’s Commissioners will vote. Granger also refused at his Press Conference to recognize and accept the credibility of the election process on elections day. According to him, it was “premature”, leaving yet another decision wide open for Ms. Singh to decide upon by using her casting vote in the Commission. All those decisions carefully placed upon the shoulders of Ms. Singh by David Granger could, of course, lead to Ms. Singh swearing in David Granger as President of another APNU+AFC Government, regardless of the results of the number of ballots counted in favour of the PPP/C. To sum it up: * Granger has refused to recognize the fraud committed by Mingo as the
immediate beneficiary of that fraud. * Granger has refused to recognize that the Recount of the ballots currently taking place must deliver the results of the elections. * Granger has refused to recognize the credibility of the election process on elections day which was recognized by all of the Observers and signed onto by all of the APNU+AFC party agents. * Granger has refused to recognize that the declaration by Lowenfield, based on the tabulation of Mingo, is fraudulent and must be rejected without exception. * Granger has refused to recognize the evidence of the Statements of Poll in his party’s possession which were publicly displayed on election day for the world to see as irrefutable evidence that the PPP/C has won the election by a substantial majority. David Granger has still said to the world that it is not
me, that this has nothing to do with me, that I am innocent of all of this, that it is all the responsibility of the Chairman of GECOM. Not really! Granger hangs on to power from a fraud committed and embraced in GECOM by the very people that he appointed to the Commission. A fraud that his candidate went to the Court to keep alive and defended by the lawyers hired and paid for by his Government. David Granger has stopped the Carter Center from observing the Recount. David Granger is not innocent of this attempt to force a rigged election on our country. David Granger has the power and authority in his hands, to, tomorrow, release our country from the agony and growing disaster in which he and his party has placed us, by simply accepting the actual result of the elections and conceding that he has lost the elections. Yours sincerely, Kit Nascimento
On the election and GECOM DEAR EDITOR, Were I in any way connected to GECOM I would now be employing my own lawyer. The APNU/AFC coalition has stressed the independence of GECOM; it is now claiming that the election is fatally flawed and will blame GECOM and GECOM alone for this. Doubtless criminal charges will follow the announcement that the serious
flaws mean that there must be a new election with a proper voters’ list and proper counting. That some of us thought proper counting and scrutiny had occurred at each of the polling stations is irrelevant. Yours faithfully, Peter D Fraser London
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GECOM has every right to reject unsubstantiated claims DEAR EDITOR, Certain elements involved in the ongoing Recount being held at the Arthur Chung Conference Center continue to make unsubstantiated declarations in an attempt to frustrate and delay the process. The March 02, 2020 elections were completed within GECOM’s systematic procedural and regulatory guidelines designed to guarantee a fair, transparent electoral process which ensures that among other things, persons do not vote more than once, and
‘deceased persons’ and other fictitious individuals cannot vote. This systematic procedure was collectively managed by GECOM staff at all polling stations on elections day, and the election process was completed without all of the ongoing objections. While procedures may occasionally fail, in light of the systems in place to prevent such failures, any claims and objections now MUST be substantiated by evidence to this effect. It is therefore
disingenuous of individuals to make unsubstantiated claims. All unsubstantiated objections are thus without merit, and cannot receive further attention by GECOM. Complicit individuals are reminded that it is a chargeable offence to utter false declarations and statements under GECOM guidelines, this being punishable by incarceration of six months for persons who are not election officers. Regards, Craig Sylvester
CARICOM is Guyana’s last hope DEAR EDITOR, The International Center for Democracy (ICD) along with all Guyanese is reaching out to CARICOM once again to seek assistance as it relates to the recount of the ballots that is currently in progress at the Arthur Chung Conference Center (ACCC) in Guyana. The ICD and Guyana are thankful and appreciate CARICOM for providing three observers to overlook the recount. CARICOM is aware that the recount process was initially scheduled to be completed within twenty-five days. On day fifteen only 31% of the ballot boxes were completed. On May 19, 2020, the Guyana Elections Commission added two more workstations bringing the total number of workstations to twelve. With twelve workstations at an average of seventy boxes being completed daily, this recount process will not be completed until the second week of June at the earliest. More troubling for the ICD and Guyanese is the fact that Region 4 which was the most contentious in
Saturday May 23, 2020
Kaieteur News
the fraudulent tabulation is deliberately being drawn out by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), leaving the majority of Region 4 boxes to be counted towards the end of the process. The ICD is formally requesting that CARICOM do not withdraw the observers from their mission to Guyana. In addition, the ICD is requesting that CARICOM assign additional observers to oversee the recount. It will be virtually impossible for the three observers that are currently in Guyana to cover twelve workstations and more importantly provide the oversight needed to ensure that the Region 4 recount is not interrupted or tampered with. The ICD shares the same sentiments of most Guyanese and competing political parties that GECOM and its staff will not be impartial in completing the Region 4 recount in a free, fair and transparent manner and most important that GECOM, as a whole, is being compromised
and being significantly influenced by current APNU representatives. This notion has been further supported and reinforced by the fact that President Granger has twice refused to grant permission for the Carter Center to return to Guyana as Observers to complete their mission. Very simply – Guyanese have lost trust in GECOM to do the right thing which is to ensure that the recount is free, fair and transparent. Honourable Chairwoman for CARICOM Mia Mottley – CARICOM is Guyana’s last hope. The ICD along with all concerned Guyanese is confident and believe that with additional CARICOM observers in the final weeks of the recount, the recount process will be completed in a free, fair and transparent manner and that the will and wishes of all Guyanese will come through which is to have a democratically elected President and Government of their choice. Respectfully yours, The International Center for Democracy
What’s really productive in these times? DEAR EDITOR, At the start of this COVID-19 Lockdown adventure, I absolutely thought I was going to make the most out of all this extra time. It’s not that the stay-athome order has changed that much for me (I already have pretty flexible working hours and can work from home).... but it has kept me from leaving the house for more than a quick grocery run, no sporting events, no nights out, no family visits, no brunch (well, we are still having brunch at home — I’m not a complete savage). All this staying home was supposed to give me several extra hours a week and I almost immediately started rattling off everything I want to get done with the extra time and started a ‘To-Do List” including things such as finally sorting out my closet and starting to write my memoirs. Well, here we are ….. two months into my stay-athome order and my closet is still looking the same.... What’s the deal? Why am I not getting anything extra done even though I
(supposedly) have more time? Well, I am not feeling any more inspired to write than I did when I didn’t have extra time, nor do I have any more energy to sort through my clothes. However, what I am feeling, is the stress of the uncertainly.... the build-up, emotional overwhelmingness of trying to work from home with a toddler, husband and three dogs quarantined. Anxiety about my family members and friends who are deemed essential workers. Worry about what all this is going to really mean for the economy when it’s over. So, instead of doing super productive things when I am not working (you know, aside from the normal cooking, baking, laundry, and cleaning), I’ve mostly been: - Enjoying the hell out of a fiery group chat (nonstop hilarity and support). - Having WhatsApp visits with family, especially grandparents (they get antsy when they haven’t seen their grandchildren in a while!). - Actually experimenting with various recipes.
Don’t get me wrong! I still want to do the other things on my extensive to-do List and I’ve made small strides toward getting them accomplished (like moving the journal from the box to the desk in the study), but I’m just not going to put as much emphasis on them as I did in the beginning. I am simply not going to tell myself that I should be doing all of these things with my extra time, and I’m certainly not going to feel guilty about not having done them all when this Covid-19 nightmare is over. I’m going to let myself feel the stress, anxiety, overwhelmingness and worry because they are indeed very real, very valid feelings and deserve attention, and I’m going to do what works to cope with them. Right now, what works isn’t poetry, writing, yoga or spring cleaning; what works is talking with friends, family and comfort cooking……and maybe that’s productivity after all..... Sincerely, Mommy V
May 22nd the day of the Declaration of the Bab DEAR EDITOR, Several millions of Baha’is around the world would celebrate the 22nd of May, 1844 as the day of the Declaration of the Bab, who was the forerunner of Baha’u’llah, the founder of the Baha’i Faith. (The date to commemorate this joyous historic occasion shifts within the Gregorian calendar from year to year but according to the Baha’i calendar, it is always honoured on the 8th of Azamat.) Baha’is view the Bab as a Messenger of God, who had a role that can be likened to John the Baptist (who told of the coming of Christ) in heralding the coming of the latest Manifestation of God: Baha’u’llah. The events surrounding the Declaration of the Bab have been told in many ways, but perhaps the most widely read is the account in The Dawn-Breakers: Nabil’s Narrative of the Early Days of the Baha’i Revelation. This book was written by Nabil, and chronicles the early
days of the Revelations of the Bab and Baha’u’llah. The story begins in 1783, when a learned man named Shaykh Ahmad-i-Ahsa’i (1743-1826) began, at the age of 40, to travel through Persia teaching that the advent of a great day was drawing near, the day that would see the advent of the Qa’im, the Promised One of Islam. During this time, there was great discontent in the East as certain prominent clerics practiced disunity and behaved in a way that was damaging Islam. As he spread this message, his knowledge and wisdom impressed many, who were eager to learn from him. Among these was a gifted young man named Siyyid Kazim-i-Rashti (1793-1843), who became Shaykh Ahmad’s favoured pupil and eventual successor. After his teacher’s death in 1826, Siyyid Kazim continued to spread the word of the advent of the Promised One, but opposition to the message was rising. In an
effort to enlist the voices of some well-respected authorities, he therefore sent one of his pupils, Mulla Husayn, to relate these teachings to the authorities and answer their questions. In this task, Mulla Husayn was successful. Yet opposition to his message grew and caused him considerable hardship as his enemies used every means at their disposal to discredit him and if possible put his life in jeopardy. Throughout this time, however, he continued to steadfastly announce the coming revelation, although when pressed to reveal the identity of the Promised One, he always refused, often adding that even if he did reveal this secret, none would be able to accept it. Shortly before his death in 1843, he instructed his students to go out and search for the Promised One, saying He was about to be revealed. Yours, Rooplall Dudhnath
Kaieteur News
Saturday May 23, 2020
PAGE 07
Unauthorized access Aubrey Norton makes false to death certificates, claim about Bush Lot ballot box illegal - Nandlall - ANUG's Jonas says coalition's allegations “farcical”
The Statement of Recount for Bush Lot ballot box ANUG Chairman, Timothy Jonas
F
ormer AttorneyGeneral and executive of the People's Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), Anil Nandlall yesterday highlighted to the press that if an individual has unapproved to access to an exempt document, specifically a death certificate, then that person
PPP/C executive, Anil Nandlall would be committing an illegal act. Nandlall was at the time referring to the claims made by the A Partnership For National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC), wherein they stated that they were in possession of “thousands” of death (continued on page 16)
D
uring a press briefing last evening PNC Executive Aubrey Norton claimed that a Bush Lot, Berbice ballot box Official List of Electors (OLE) contained 58 less electors than existed on the actual OLE for that box. “I want to point out,” Norton told the media, “that in Box #5083 at Bush Lot,
Teen admits to killing of handyman at Zeeburg foreshore
A
17-year-old of Tucshen Village We s t C o a s t Demerara has admitted to the killing of a handyman whose body was found lying in a pool of blood on the Zeeburg Foreshore on Monday. The body was identified to be that of 25-year-old Andrew McCurchin of Zeelugt (WCD). McCurchin, who earned his livelihood by offloading and cleaning the boats of fishermen, was last seen
alive by his girlfriend on Sunday night heading to the Zeeburg Foreshore Area to ply his trade. According to the teenager, he met the victim at the foreshore and confronted him about an unpaid debt. The teen told police that an argument erupted over the sum of money owed and McCurchin allegedly dealt him several cuffs to the face causing him to fall. He then located a piece of wood nearby and retaliated by lashing the handyman to the
head, leaving him unconscious. McCurchin's body was later discovered by a resident of the area at 06:30 HRS. Ranks were immediately contacted and crime scene experts identified the man's body had received several lacerations to head. Also found nearby were two pieces of wood with blood stains. The teen is currently in police custody awaiting charges.
Businessman charged with murder of 17-year-old-miner via Skype
F
orty-two-year-old businessman, Junior France of 210 Tabatinga, Lethem, Rupununi was yesterday charged with the murder of 17-year-old miner, Dane Jerrick of Lot 1 'A', Ann's Grove East Coast Demerara. France appeared before Magistrate Crystal Lambert via Skype at the Bartica Magistrate Court where he was not required to plea to the indictable charge. On Sunday May 17, 2020 it is alleged that France shot and killed Jerrick at Puruni Landing, Mazaruni River, Region Seven.
According to previous reports carried by this newspaper, France had claimed that he was alerted by his son about an intruder and went out to investigate. Seeing the victim on his property he discharged two or three rounds at the fleeing youth. But eyewitnesses said that the victim was never in the man's property. They claimed that the businessman allegedly discharged several rounds at the teen while he was walking on the road nearby. The two men were reportedly engaged in a confrontation just before the teen was killed.
Region Five, the official list of electors had 199 persons.” The ballot box in question came from Bush Lot Nursery School. In seeking to illustrate an example of what he claimed to be numerous anomalies, Norton then stated that in that box the PPP/C got 199 votes, while APNU+AFC got four votes. This was evidence, asserted, of an
irregularity wherein the total number of voters, 203, exceeded the total number of eligible voters – the 199 he claimed – attached to the OLE for that box. Kaieteur News examined the OLE for the sub-division number associated with that ballot box, 52213C (ii), which lists voters with last names N-W. This subdivision
accounted for electors with serial numbers 262 (Nabby, C) to 518 (Williams, P), a total of 257 eligible voters, not the 199 Norton had claimed. “We have identified 28 people,” Norton went, “that would have migrated.” But the observation report for that box noted, “No evidence was provided to support the claims.”
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Saturday May 23, 2020
Republic Bank customers want explanation for monies deducted from accounts By Shervin Belgrave
S
ome clients of Republic Bank are at a loss after significant amount of monies have been deducted from their accounts recently and are not satisfied with the explanations given them Kaieteur News spoke yesterday with customs broker, Jonathan Dwarka, who claimed that he had been making a number of deposits since October last year. He said that the last deposit he made in February totaled to a sum GYD$1,100,000. During this period, Dwarka said he did no online transaction or wire transfers. However, last Wednesday he was called by the bank and told that it will be deducting a sum of $270,000 because of a mistake made. Startled he enquired of the attendant via telephone to explain a little more on that mistake. He was told that back in October, he deposited a sum of money which was automatically tripled mistakenly by the ATM machine. Not satisfied with the answer given he decided to visit the Republic Bank branch the following day to query the matter. He met the manager and asked for a detailed explanation.
The manager told him that the ATM machine malfunctions sometimes and registers higher figures than was actually deposited. Still not convinced, Dwarka told the manager that he has been keeping note of each deposit made and the total deposits corresponds with the $1.1M displayed in his available balance back in February. He also highlighted to the manager that since February he has not made any further deposits or withdrawals. Dwarka claimed that the manger was unable to explain further and forwarded him to the technical staff that was responsible for the investigation of the alleged error. “He too was unable to explain clearly why the money had to be deducted” said Dwarka. He told Kaieteur News that the man gave a contradictory response to that of the manager and the attendant who had called him. The technical staff told Dwarka that the day he made the transaction in October, the envelope turned up empty. This response confused Dwarka even more, because to his knowledge he had deposited an envelope with cash and the sum he
deposited was not $270,000. Confused and clueless Dwarka is now seeking a definitive explanation from the bank as to why such a significant deduction would be made from his account yesterday. Latrice Collymore, another account holder, told Kaieteur News yesterday that she was being doubled charged for online purchases she made a few months ago. The woman said that on the day she made the purchases her account balance showed that the amount spent was deducted. However, recently
when she checked her account she noticed an overdraft of the same amount she had spent. Baffled she queried and was told that when an online purchase is made the money goes on hold and the bank uses its own money to make the purchases. She was also advised that at some point in time the amount “goes back in to the client's account and will later be deducted when the bank is ready”. Collymore said such a system is hard to understand and she cannot recall seeing (continued on page 15)
Dwarka's Bank statement dating back from October to February
Dwarka's recent transaction receipt
Kaieteur News
Saturday May 23, 2020
PAGE 09
Security firms should have a retirement age
T
his past week, a 68-year-old woman was brutally murdered and her body dumped in a city burial ground. The woman had worked in a private security firm and her death has cast the spotlight on the large number of elderly persons who are employed in the private security sector. The private security sector expanded exponentially during the 1980's when the economy contracted and thieving intensified. Many businesses, which prior did not bother to have security guards, found themselves victims of break-ins. Given the need for more 'watchmen', security firms mushroomed. One of the biggest security firms in the country was started by a man who, at the time, only had a few hundred dollars and a motorcycle. The private security sector is now more modern than the primordial services
provided then. Private security firms are now offering a more diversified portfolio of security services. Many of them are better equipped and better managed. And many provide technology-based services, including electronic business monitoring. But not everyone can afford such services. And some businessmen are too damn cheap to upgrade their security services. As such, there remains a need to recruit watchmen and watchwomen to keep guard over businesses, homes and their assets. Too often many of those employed are old. A great many elderly men and women are employed within the sector. This raises a need for greater regulation of employment within the sector as to ensure that the elderly and infirm are not exploited. A 68-year-old person should be home enjoying
time with his or her grandchildren. Not having go to work in security firms. However, the reality is that many persons, including the elderly are still finding it hard to make ends meet. They are forced to go out and find jobs. The problem is that companies are not keen to employ them and so they end up with the easiest but lowest paying profession at the moment – security guards. The pay which some of these guards receive and the difficulties which some of them have in receiving their wages is shocking. There are lots of old people working within security firms because, in most instances, they are the only persons who are willing to take such jobs. People being elderly and desperate means that they are susceptible to being underpaid and overworked. The easiest work to obtain in the economy is security jobs. Once you have two feet and
Dem boys seh...
It gat more objections than votes
D
e Japanese good at mekkin robots. Dem design a robot wha does ketch thief. Dem decide fuh test it out in anodda country since crime low in Japan. Dem carry it to Uncle Sam and it catch 20 thieves in 30 minutes. Dem carry it to England and it catch 500 thieves in 30 minutes. Dem decide fuh bring it to Guyana. After 30 minutes, somebody thief de robot. Dem boys seh is big thieving did go on when dem tabulating District 4 votes. So dem guvment party wha been benefitting from de
jukkin of de numbers had to change dem tune when de recount start. Dem start to object. Dem object so much dat dem even object to dem own voters at Belladrum. Dem mek more objections dan dem gat vote. De HAP-New +Hay-EffSee seh how dead people get up from de cemetery, went out and vote and den went back to rest. Dem boys know that the biggest cemetery in the country is La-Pentear. Dem boys expect dat when de recount start fuh Georgetown dem would hear plenty objection. But dem boy get surprise
when dem hear that dem nah had no objections. Dem boys want know whether is because de cemetery tun like wan jungle and dem voter get lost. All dis con-funk-shun mek dem boys feel fuh tek a drink. It also bring back nuff memory. Dem boys rememba when dem ask a man: “You drink regularly or occasionally?” De man answer: “I does drink occasionally but the occasion does arises regularly”. Talk half and hope somebody left a quarter for dem boys.
two arms, you can be assured that you will find a security job. It does not matter if you are an alcoholic or enfeebled. In fact, some companies like these sort of employees because they can exploit more than ablebodied persons. Young people are not drawn to the sector. Many young persons who are not working do not wish to be seen in a security uniform. Some of them have too much pride. On the other hand, there are some middle-aged guards who wear their uniforms as if it is badge of honour. And they can abuse their authority. Anyone who
has been to some of those utilities companies where you have to line up, will confirm that some of these guards can be real nuisances. Some of them would put one of their friends in front of you in the line. And if you protest, you may find yourself having to wait a little longer. It is sad what happened to that woman who was murdered. The police should leave no stone unturned in finding her killers. But equally troubling is the question of the country's social assistance programme. A woman that age should not be working. She should have been home
enjoying her retirement rather than having to go out to work. Security firms should have a retirement age. No one above the age 65 should be working in the sector. It is not good for the persons and it is not ideal for the security firms. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
Woman kills husband during dispute
C
ollin Campbell, 49 years of age a n d a businessman of Mabaruma, Region One North West District was stabbed to death by his reputed wife during a h eated arg u men t. Th e incident occurred at around 17:45HRS yesterday at the couple's home. Police said that the man and his wife were reportedly drinking with their handy man when a quarrel erupted between the two. While Campbell was “cussing”, the woman armed
Deceased: Colin Campbell
herself with a brown handled knife and allegedly dealt Campbell a single stab to his left side. The man immediately collapsed and eyewitnesses summoned the Mabaruma police right away. When officers arrived, Campbell was found lying motionless on his back in a pool of blood. He was quickly rushed to the Mabaruma Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The woman has since been apprehended by police and admitted to committing the act.
Kaieteur News
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Saturday May 23, 2020
THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN
Amna Ally is going to crucify Granger over Nagamootoo and Ramjattan O
n M o n d a y, March 30, the AFC issued a press release which it is asking Guyana to embrace a national government. Here is part of the statement. “In light of the current tense political environment the AFC believes that regardless of the final declarations of GECOM and the rulings of
the Courts to come, it is incumbent on our national leaders , on both sides of the political divide, to take bold and decisive action in the interest of achieving national u n i t y, h e a l i n g a n d reconciliation.” The AFC also stated that the party has authorized the leaders of the AFC to participate in the exercise.
Now pay attention to the words, “… it is incumbent on our national leaders on both sides of the political divide.” There is no tradition in journalism that warns its practitioners that the word, “jackass” is unsafe to use. I have been in journalism for 31 years. I will take the liberty of using the word, “jackasses”
to describe the leadership of the AFC that issued that statement. The AFC said; “both sides.” The AFC never said; “the political divide in general” but “both sides of the political divide.” Any school boy will tell you that when you say leaders of both sides in Guyana must sit down and talk about national reconciliation, you mean
PPP and PNC. Which stupid leader in a dialogue between PNC and PPP on forming a government of national unity is going to have the AFC sitting at the table? What or who they represent. You are simply bringing together leaders that Indians and Africans in Guyana want to see rule Guyana. Which Indian village wants the AFC to be part of a confabulation to arrive at a model of national government? Which African village wants the AFC in discussion the PNC will be having with the PPP to represent them. Is the PNC so short of leaders that it will have three Africans – Raphael Trotman, Cathy Hughes and David Patterson – sit at a table with the PPP representing the interests of AfricanGuyanese? Why would the PNC leave out its stalwarts and invite the AFC to discuss with the PPP the shape of a national government? From the time the PNC leaders walk in with Nagamootoo and Ramjattan, the PPP bosses will cuss down, throw protocol out the window and leave. You have to be a jackass when you look at the 2020 statement of polls for districts where Indian predominate to think that AFC speaks for the East Indians of Guyana. Imagine the look on Jagdeo's face when at the neutral venue (maybe Umana Yana), up come Granger, Basil, Volda, Lil Joe, Corbin and Nagamooto and Ramjattan are behind them. So we hear that the AFC has authorized its leaders to participate in a government of national unity. Lenox Shuman is going to run into the conference and ask that if Ramjattan and Nagamootoo are representing Indians in the confabulation why not him because he got more votes from Indians in 2020 than Nagamootoo and Ramjattan. Then my friend who used to threaten me with libel
Frederick Kissoon suits, good, old Ralph, of ANUG, is going to walk into the Umana Yana with his two sons and demand to sit at the table because the truth is Ralph got more votes from Indians than Nagamootoo and Ramjattan did. Robert Badal is not going to drive up to the building, because he works right across the road from the Umana Yana. He owns the Pegasus. Badal will calmly ask (he speaks calmly) Jagdeo and Granger; “Messrs Jagdeo and Granger, with due respect, why are Nagamootoo and Ramjattan here and I was not invited because after all, gentleman, Change Guyana picked up the votes that would have normally gone to the AFC and if the AFC is here why not Change Guyana?” I like Amna Ally. Amna is the only Cabinet Minister that sent her driver at my home on Christmas Day, 2018 with a big bottle of Johnny Walker (this is not satire or joke; it happened). I was heart-broken. Amna knows nothing about me. Ask my wife; our marriage almost broke up millions of times because she cannot get me to stop eating chocolates. I never drank any type of alcohol in my entire life even Bank DIH shandy. Amna could have bought a colossal box of chocolate. Amna is Guyana's most humorous politician. Imagine the look on Amna's face when Granger tells her that Nagamootoo and Ramjattan will be representing Indian people at the talks on national reconciliation. With her unique voice pattern, Amna is going to ask Granger, “David wuh rass is dis, wuh race you think I am? (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
Saturday May 23, 2020
Kaieteur News
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Saturday May 23, 2020
Kaieteur News
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CDC receives $20M in supplies from Church of Jesus Christ - Tullow Oil Guyana donates $2M in supplies; School
Y
esterday, the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) received $20Million worth of food and hygienic supplies from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to assist those affected by COVID-19. During a simple handing over ceremony held at the CDC's headquarter, Director-General Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig thanked the church for its support. He noted that the church has been a longstanding supporter for the agency in its effort to assist vulnerable individuals. “Today's aid which is mainly for our (CDC) response to COVID-19 is timely and would be given to those people who most need it and are most impacted by COVID-19,” the CDC head said. President of the local branch of the church, Wayne Barrow, said that this initiative is an opportunity to extend a helping hand. “COVID-19 is an event that was never planned for or expected. We have never seen anything compared to this, it has impacted the economy of the whole world and even our people in ways
of Nations assists Palms
Tullow Oil Guyana's Country Manager Joachim Vogt and Director-General of the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig inspect the donated supplies we cannot imagine...hence our decision to help in every way that we can,” he added. He disclosed that the church will be making another $20Million donation worth of medical supplies to assist the frontline workers. The CDC also received a donation of supplies from the School of Nations to assist the senior citizens residing at the Palms Geriatric Home. Meanwhile, on Friday afternoon the agency also received an additional $2 Million worth of supplies
from Tullow Oil Guyana. This donation included food and sanitisation products to benefit 100 households across the country as well as includes 200 safety reflective vests to help protect the agency's officers who are conducting fieldwork during this time. “We thought that this ought to be a quick and fast response in a simple manner and we believe that this would be in the reach of the company today. We wish CDC success during this difficult task and hopefully, these products will have a great impact of the selected households,” Tu l l o w O i l G u y a n a ' s Country Manager Joachim
The food and hygienic supplies donated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Vogt said. Craig thanked the company for its contribution and noted “that the relationship we have built
over the years particularly as it relates to the oil and gas sector and the development of the National Oil Spill Plan is what brought us here today
so that we can come together to distribute to the most vulnerable people in Guyana,” the DirectorGeneral said. (DPI)
$100,000 bail for teen charged with armed robbery of tractor operator A 19-year-old of Rose Hall Town appeared at the
Whim Magistrate Court before Magistrate Renita
Singh and was charged with robbery under arms committed on Isaac Mohamed, a tractor operator of Port Mourant Berbice. Roopchand Thomas called "Lil Shawn" was arrested on the 18th May and was charged yesterday. The charge was laid under section 222 (c) of the Criminal Law offences act chapter 8:01. He was not required to plea to the said charge and bail was granted in the sum of $60,000.00. Thomas was also charged with simple larceny
Charged: Roopchand Thomas committed on Lachmanind Ramdat, a fisherman/ poultry farmer, of Lot 461 Train Line, Corentyne Berbice. Bail was granted in the sum of $40,000 for this offence. Both matters were postponed to July 9 for report.
Kaieteur News
Saturday May 23, 2020
PAGE 13
Body of man found in burnt out home
Dead: Abdul Shameer Rasheed
T
he body of a 49year-old truck driver from the West Coast of Demerara. Abdul Shameer Rasheed, is suspected to have died when flames engulfed his Lot 5 Seaview, Anna Catherina r e s i d e n c e . H i s s i s t e r, Sheleeza Rasheed, who lives near the one bedroom wooden cottage, said that she learnt of the fire when she was alerted by neighbours at about 1:00 am on Thursday. “By the time we hear the noise and run out,” she told Kaieteur News, “the place was already up in flames. We couldn't do anything except call the fire station. When
the fire [truck] came and put out the fire and then they discover his body. The police came after and take the body away.” The woman noted that her brother would usually consume alcohol. She said however that he was not known to drink himself to a point of unconsciousness. “He would drink,” she said, “but he does usually be aware of his surroundings. The last time I see him was Wednesday and he look fine to me.” The woman said that her brother was living alone since his wife passed away last year.
The one bedroom wooden which was destroyed by an early morning blaze
“So, he was just alone there. He got six children but everybody big and move out on them own,” she said. Rasheed said that though grieved, the family is glad that the fire was contained before it spread to nearby houses. “We all live close by and we could have lost everything,” she said
Farmer chopped with own cutlass for confronting trespasser
A
Friendship, East Bank Demerara farmer, Komal Persaud Sugrim was chopped to the face on Friday May 8th, after he confronted a trespasser on his farm. According to Persaud, he had received a phone call from a relative notifying him that someone was stealing coconuts from his farm. He then decided to leave his home that afternoon with a cutlass in hand to inspect his coconut trees. As he arrived at his farm, he noticed a man sitting under a mango tree. Persaud said that he confronted the man and asked “What you doing hay, eh? What you doing hay?” The man did not answer but as he was about to leave the man called out for him to return. “The man told me come back I have something to tell you” said Persaud. Thinking that it was something important, the farmer, returned to meet the stranger. When he drew close, the
Friendship Farmer Komal Persaud Sugrim the day he was chopped man pulled out a handgun and told him to put his hands up. The man then came up to him, relieved him of his cutlass and then dealt him one chop to his face. Persaud then turned and ran for his life all the way home. A report was later lodged at the Grove Police Station but no arrests have been made. Kaieteur News understands that the
Komal Persaud Sugrim as of yesterday trespasser is relatively new to the Friendship Area and is known as “Gaza”. He is also said to be employed as a watchman by a resident of the Friendship Housing scheme.
Saturday May 23, 2020
Kaieteur News
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Guyana needs to prepare for intense shorebase demand - Former TT Energy Minister
W
hen Guyana overcomes its electoral issues, one of the biggest challenges the new government will face relates to addressing the demands that will intensify for shorebase services, according to former Energy Minister for Trinidad and Tobago, Kevin Ramnarine. During his first appearance on Kaieteur Radio's 'Guyana's Oil and You', Ramnarine noted that Guyana is expected to have five floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels in the next five years. Ramnarine said that the shorebase demands that these oil ships will need is expected to be significant. Expounding further, the former Minister said that Guyana has the Liza Destiny FPSO offshore and another, the Liza Unity, is under
The Guyana Shore Base Incorporated (GYBSI) which was established by Muneshwers Limited to service the needs of offshore vessels TT's Former Energy Minister, Kevin Ramnarine construction. Along with the Liza Destiny, there are four drill ships and about 25 support vessels. “So there is quite an armada out there. Support is being provided by the
Muneshwers shorebase at Houston but there will be a need for more shorebase services by 2025,” Ramnarine expressed. The former minister said that Guyana has to lend serious thought to getting shorebase infrastructure in place. Further to this, Ramnarine said that Guyana is expected to reach its production peak which
would be sometime in the later part of this decade. In this regard, he recalled that international consultancy firm and trusted d a t a p r o v i d e r, Wo o d Mackenzie, had said that Guyana would become the 11th nation in the history of the world to produce over one million barrels of oil per day. Ta k i n g t h i s i n t o consideration, he said that
Guyana has to prepare its industry to be equipped with robust institutional capacity and legislation. He acknowledged that the Energy Department has made some moves in this direction but noted at the same time that it should have been in place since 2015. “The country is therefore a bit behind the curve at this time,” the now business studies lecturer said.
Ramnarine also said that it is critical that Guyana does not find itself in a place where the industry grows exponentially but the capacity to manage it does not. He said this was one of the blunders made by his home country while adding that Guyana has the good fortune of having borrowed e x p e r i e n c e a n d endeavouring to do better.
Region 2 REO Jaikaran charged for assault of Vice-Chairwoman
T
he Regional Executive Officer of Region Two [Pomeroon/Supenaam], Denis Jaikaran, was yesterday charged with assault after it was alleged that he attacked the Regional Vice-Chair last year.
Jaikaran appeared in the Suddie Magistrates Court yesterday before Magistrate Esther Sam, answering to the charge that, on September 10th 2019, he allegedly assaulted Regional ViceChairwoman, Juliet Coonjah.
Charged: Denis Jaikaran The REO, who was represented by attorney-atlaw, Latchmin Dindiyal, pleaded not guilty. Jaikaran was subsequently released on bail after his attorney's request to the magistrate. The matter has since been adjourned until July 8th 2020. Based on information reaching this publication, on the day in question, the incident occurred in the boardroom of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC), during the RDC's statutory
meeting. It is claimed that the REO and some APNU+AFC councilors orchestrated a walkout of the meeting. Since some coalition councilors did not exit the boardroom, Jaikaran allegedly try to reenter the boardroom when Coonjah attempted to prevent him by closing the doors. At this point, a confrontation erupted between the two and Jaikaran allegedly hit Coonjah on the shoulder.
Kaieteur News
Saturday May 23, 2020
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Five charged with manslaughter 17-yr-old charged with murder of female guard in cemetery in Berbice River boat mishap - other teen, taxi driver released
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Marvin Kissoon
Carl Williams
Ramnarine Punwasi
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ive men made an appearance at the L i n d e n Magistrate's Court before Magistrate Wanda Fortune to answer to the joint charge of manslaughter. Marvin Kissoon, 39, a fisherman of Lot 8 Sheet Anchor Village, East Canje Berbice; Kevin Archer,20, a labourer of Maria Emrita Village, Upper Berbice River; Ramnarine Punwasie, 23, a labourer of Lot 12 Palmyra Village, East Canje, Berbice; Carl Williams, 51, a fisherman of Lot 6 Adelphi Settlement, East Canje Berbice; and Netram Punwasie, 38, a carpenter of Lot 12 Palmyra Village, East Canje Berbice, were all arrested on May 19th 2020 and charged with manslaughter contrary to Section 94 of the Criminal Law Offences Act Chapter 8:01. A s t h is p a p e r h a s previously reported, the four men were in a boat in the vicinity of Friendship Village, some 50 miles up the Berbice River, when another vessel with five men crashed into theirs. The collision reportedly caused both boats to capsize with all the occupants inside. Those occupants of the other boat were Romario Denhart, his father Godfrey Denhart, Julian Mckenzie and
Netram Punwasi
Kevin Archer
Kidman Lindie. The five defendants managed to reenter their vessel and left the location without assisting or searching for the other men. The bodies of Lindie, McKenzie and the Denharts were eventually found floating a few miles away from where the incident took place in the waters. Police had soon after arrested the captain of the defendants' vessel, Marvin Kissoon, who led investigators to the other men who were with him in the boat. They were arrested at a location on the East Bank Berbice where a quantity of cannabis was found in their possession. They were all
charged with possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking at the New Amsterdam Magistrate Court shortly after. Autopsies conducted on the bodies of the dead men detailed that Lindie died from drowning compounded by multiple injuries, while Julian Mckenzie and Godfrey Denhart died from multiple injuries as well. Romario Denhart died from a fractured spine. The charge was read to them via Zoom and they were not required to plead. All five were remanded to prison and the matter was postponed to June 19th for the Kwakawani Magistrate's Court for report.
Man dies after knife attack by mentally ill brother
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3 9 - y e a r- o l d Craig, East Bank Demerara man succumbed at the Georgetown Public Hospital a day after he was badly slashed by his mentally ill brother. Police said that at around 13.30 hrs on Thursday, Cleveland Hodge, the victim, saw his 42-year-old
sibling, who is a psychiatric patient, brandishing a knife. Hodge attempted to relieve his brother of the knife, but the elder sibling slashed him on his arms and left shoulder. Residents took the wounded man to the Diamond Hospital, while police later arrested the suspect.
Hodge was released from hospital at around 19.00 hrs on Thursday. However, he later complained of feeling unwell and was re-admitted to the Diamond Hospital before being transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation. He succumbed at around 13.39 hrs yesterday.
he 17-year-old boy who claimed he was present when 68-year-old security guard, Margaret Dawson, was attacked in Le Repentir Cemetery has been charged with her murder. The teen, who was unrepresented, appeared yesterday before Magistrate Dylon Bess in the Georgetown Magistrates' Court. Because of his age, he is being kept at the Kitty Police Station with other juveniles until he returns to court on June 25. Another 17-year-old who was arrested in connection with Mrs. Dawson's murder has been released. Police have also released the taxi driver whose car was found in the cemetery on the same day that Dawson's body was found. Meanwhile, investigators are questioning another youth, known as 'Lil Grumbs', who has been implicated in the elderly guard's murder – the young suspect shot in the leg during a confrontation with police on Thursday. Kaieteur News understands that police picked up another teen yesterday after receiving reports that he had one of the murdered woman's rings.
Murdered: Margaret Dawson
The teen who has been charged reportedly stated that he accompanied 'Lil Grumbs' into Le Repentir Cemetery on a CG motorcycle last Sunday evening. They allegedly saw Mrs. Dawson walking and he claimed 'Lil Grumbs' attacked and robbed her of
jewellery and other valuables. The teen claimed that he fled on the motorcycle after 'Lil Grumbs' began to drag the woman further into the cemetery. Dawson's body was discovered battered, half-naked and sprawled in a clump of bushes in the cemetery the following day.
Republic Bank customers want explanation for monies ... From page 8 any amount of cash deposited back into her account at any given time. She also said that if the amount was redeposited then there would be no overdraft. Wayne Ford, yet another account holder, said that he was also given the same explanation a few days ago after he discovered an overdraft in his account for an online purchase he made back in February. Ford made four purchases in the month of February and his receipts showed that the cash had been deducted that said day. At no time did he see a re-deposit into his account but he now owes an overdraft for something he had already paid for back in February.
He claimed that the staff who attended his query told him that it was some kind of new system. Ford said the staff also said that a public advisory will be issued to the public via Facebook but to date he has not seen no advisory explaining what this new system is about. Account holder, Antonio Wazowski is thinking about going into Republic Bank today to withdraw all of his money and close his account. He does not owe an overdraft but has seen money deducted twice for an online purchase he made in January of this year. He told this Kaieteur News yesterday that he made a purchase valuing GYD$50,000 at Amazon online. Both his ereceipt and account balance
showed that the money was deducted. However, yesterday when he decided to review his account balance he noticed that the same amount had been deducted again for an online Amazon purchase. “I only shop one time at Amazon not two times”, related a furious Wazowski. Another woman who asked for her name not to be mentioned said that she had faced the same problem but got it rectified and her money refunded. She said that the bank told her that it was a simple connection issue with online bank servers. Kaieteur News tried to contact with Republic Bank to clarify the issue but all telephone lines rang out.
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FBI director orders internal review of Flynn investigation
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Saturday May 23, 2020
Kaieteur News
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WASHINGTON (AP) — FBI Director Christopher Wray has ordered an internal review into possible misconduct in the investigation of former Trump administration national security adviser Michael Flynn, the bureau said yesterday. The after-action review will examine whether any current employees engaged in misconduct during the course of the investigation and evaluate whether any improvements in FBI policies and procedures need to be made. In announcing the review, the FBI, a frequent target of President Donald Trump’s wrath, is stepping into a case that has become a rallying cry for Trump supporters — and doing so right as the Justice Department pushes back against criticism that its recent decision to dismiss the prosection was a politically motivated effort to do Trump’s bidding.
The announcement adds to the internal scrutiny over one of special counsel Robert Mueller’s signature prosecutions during his investigation into ties between Russia and Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. It underscores how a case that was seemingly resolved by Flynn’s 2017 guilty plea has instead given way to a protracted, politically charged debate about FBI and Justice Department tactics during that investigation and the Russia probe more broadly. The unusual review will be led by the bureau’s Inspection Division, which conducts internal investigations into potential employee misconduct. Trump has recently been sharply critical of the FBI, and suggested earlier this month that Wray’s fate as director could be in limbo. An FBI official said Friday that the review had been contemplated for some time and that
Norton claims ignorance about coalition's false... From page 2 of the country.” While Sisters Village is in fact in East Berbice, there was no specific mention of “East Berbice” from the reporter before Mr. Norton mentioned it. “The names of the people we gave were out of the country,” Norton insisted, “ I will be a little cautious. I can be a little cautious about Berbice. I'll tell you why, another time,
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but as far as I know, all the names we have given so far, of people who have migrated.” Norton after being told that the couple publicly refuted the claims, maintained that no evidence was provided to suggest that it was his party that made the allegations. “I'm not saying that they didn't say that. What I'm saying, I don't know that any evidence was provided that inside there we asked for that. Call that number, they said the person voted, and we then said they're out of the country.” Norton is the second senior Coalition executive to have disputed the veracity of the Nicholson's, despite the evidence presented. On Tuesday, AFC executive member Leonard Craig had questioned the couple's account of their experience on voting day.
the FBI has cooperated with multiple Russia-related internal inquiries. Although the FBI does not have authority on its own to bring a criminal prosecution, the after-action review will look at whether any current employees engaged in misconduct deserving of discipline. The division cannot take disciplinary action against former employees. It is not clear how many officials involved in the Flynn investigation remain with the FBI. Several prominent officials — including former Director James Comey, former Deputy Director Andrew McCabe and former agent Peter Strzok, who interviewed Flynn — have either been fired or have otherwise left
the bureau. The FBI did not say what sort of potential misconduct it was looking for in the investigation of Flynn, who pleaded guilty to lying to agents about conversations with the Russian ambassador during the presidential transition period. But the case has long been a subject of outrage for Trump and his allies, who have alleged that Flynn was effectively set up to lie when the FBI questioned him at the White House in January 2017. Those concerns were given new life earlier this month when the Justice Department moved to dismiss the case and identified a series of what it says were problems in the way Flynn was investigated.
Unauthorized access to death certificates, illegal - Nandlall From page 7 certificates for persons who they claimed voted on March 2 for the General and Regional Elections. The lawyer was keen to point out Section 33 (3) of the Access to Information Act 2011 of Guyana, which explicitly reads that, “A document referred to in subsection (1) shall not be released without the notarized consent of the person who is the subject of the information in the document. Pursuant to subsection (6), in the case of a deceased person, only his next of kin can give consent to access.” The PPP/C executive said to the media outside of the National Recount site that, “People whose family members have died have great difficulty in receiving those certificates. These people are coming here and telling you that they have thousands.” He went on to further highlight that Section 50 (4) of the Act which stipulates the penalty one would face should they be in contempt of such; “A person who knowingly is in unlawful possession of an exempt document commits an
offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of three hundred thousand dollars and to imprisonment for six months.” Meanwhile, Chairman of the A New United Guyana (ANUG), Timothy Jonas, who also spoke to the press yesterday, labeled the APNU+AFC's allegations of dead and migrant voters as “farcical”, while noting that it would take a perfectly devised system for the PPP/C to rig the elections and win by 15,000 votes. He continued, “If PPP/C accomplished that, when you have APNU+AFC, PPP/C agents, local and international, as well as GECOM agents observers in the polling places, and every time wipe off their fingers and do it four more times, and 5,000 people accomplished this four times in one day without a whisper so that the next day Patterson, King David, Ramjattan, Basil as well as the international community all saying that we had a good elections, then vote PPP/C because they really, really good… And that is what is being sold to you.”
Saturday May 23, 2020
Kaieteur News
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Kaieteur News
Saturday May 23, 2020
Saturday May 23, 2020
Evander Holyfield assisted by Wladimir Klitschko in training for heavyweight comeback
Evander Holyfield assisted by Wladimir Klitschko in training for heavyweight comeback.
Omnisport - Evander Holyfield has called on Wladimir Klitschko’s help for his comeback to the heavyweight boxing ranks. Four-time heavyweight world champion Holyfield is planning to return to the ring at 57 for exhibition bouts, with a mooted third fight against Mike Tyson in the works. Tyson, who lost twice to Holyfield in the 1990s, the second time due to disqualification when he bit his opponent’s ear, has been showcasing his skills in social media videos ahead of his own comeback. Now, Holyfield, four years Tyson’s senior, has uploaded a similar training clip with the caption ”Team Holyfield preparing for battle”.
Saturday May 23, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Attend to your duties today, Aries. There's the loud ticking of the clock and a pronounced feeling that the days are slipping by. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Two different sides could be tugging at you, Taurus. The worst part is that neither one is making a strong enough case to pull you one way or the other.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Take a look at what's going on around you today, Libra. Do some internal processing before you reach a conclusion about the best way to proceed. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Watch out for a little jolt in the action, as someone close to you puts on the brakes in your relationship. Conflicts could arise based on a need for more structure.
GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Tension may be a bit high in just about everyone and everything you encounter today, Gemini. Some people will feel a strong need for stability and discipline.
SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Just when you thought you had everything planned out and working smoothly, Sagittarius, love comes in and clogs up the works.
CANCER(June21–July22) Remember that you were put here to have fun, Cancer, and that happiness is your true destiny. Keep this truth in mind today as forces try to pull you away from whatever fun you've been having.
CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) Your heart is going pitty-pat, and you're tempted to escape to a romantic fantasyland in which you play the starring role. The bad news is that something could be trying to hold you back.
LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You, of all people, will appreciate the need for structure and stability on a day like today, Leo. This practical energy takes some of the fun out of the equation.
AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) You may feel a stressed today as you try to figure out the best way of getting to where you need to be, Aquarius. On one hand, the happy approach calls for you to let loose.
VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Tension is apt to build to a high level if you use your words carelessly, Virgo. The tricky thing is that forces will push you and pull you in different ways. You may encourage a focus on the collective good, while others worry only about themselves.
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Kaieteur News
PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Your romantic side is powerfully charged today. The more you tune into this side of your nature, the happier you'll be. One thing to watch out for, however, is keeping at least one foot on the ground at all times.
In it, Holyfield can be seen skipping in front of Klitschko before shaking hands with the Ukrainian, who was a two-time world champion before retiring in 2017 having been beaten by Anthony Joshua earlier in the year. At one point in the video, Holyfield can be seen executing triceps dips while a weight hangs from a chain around his neck. Antonio Tarver, himself a former world champion at light-heavyweight, can also be seen putting Holyfield through his paces before turning to the camera and saying: “The Real Deal is back, baby!”
The Head... From page 21 score, and negative thoughts in your mind. As soon as you recognize these distractions you should immediately bring your attention back to the present and focus on the process.” Laxman’s colleague, Rahul Dravid, reinforced his message: “Concentration in batting is the ability to play one ball at a time and not get too far ahead of yourself or get caught up in the past.” Attention control is best achieved when the mind and body are calm, relaxed and alert; it is most inadequate when the mind and body are tense and tight. This is why the practice of meditation is so important. Players and coaches must now rethink their methods and try to understand that they will inhibit potential and diminish performance if they continue to ignore the most important game in sport, the head game. That advice is equally important to sports administrators.
Osaka becomes world’s highestearning female athlete
Naomi Osaka at the Australian Open - Women’s Singles photo shoot. LONDON (Reuters) Japan’s Naomi Osaka has surpassed Serena Williams as the world’s highest-paid female athlete, raking in $37.4 million in prize money and endorsements over the last year, according to Forbes. The 22-year-old twice Grand Slam champion’s total is the most ever earned by a female athlete in a 12-month period. She earned $1.4 million more than American great Williams who had topped the list for the last four years. Maria Sharapova had held the record for 12-month earnings for a female athlete, having made $29.7 million in 2015. Female tennis players have always occupied top spot on Forbes’s women’s list since 1990 with either Williams or Russian Sharapova leading the way from 2004. Osaka burst into the
limelight by beating Williams in the 2018 U.S. Open final — a highly-controversial match in which Williams was given three code violations by the umpire. The Japanese then won the next Grand Slam, the 2019 Australian Open, although her form has dipped since and she has fallen from world number one to 10th on the WTA rankings. Florida-based Osaka’s mixed heritage — she has a Japanese mother and HaitianAmerican father — her engaging personality and attacking style of play have combined to make her one of the world’s most marketable athletes. Part of the stable of management group IMG, Osaka currently has 15 sponsorship deals, including with global brands such as Nike, Nissan Motors, Shiseido and Yonex.
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Cricket South Africa refuses to back Smith’s support of Ganguly Johannesburg (AFP) The divisions in South African cricket were exposed again when Cricket South Africa (CSA) president Chris Nenzani said Graeme Smith’s call for Sourav Ganguly to become International Cricket Council chairman did not have official approval. “We must respect both the ICC protocol and our own protocol in deciding which candidate to back,” Nenzani, a controversial figure who has stayed in office despite several calls for his resignation, said on Thursday night. “There have been no candidates nominated as yet and once such nominations have been made the Board of CSA will take its decision in terms of its own protocol.” Smith, CSA’s director of cricket, said at a press conference on Thursday that he believed India’s Ganguly, a fellow former Test captain, was the best man to succeed another Indian Shashank Manohar, whose term as ICC chairman is about to expire. “We have the highest regard for the opinions of our director of cricket, Graeme Smith, who is a well-respected figure in world cricket and has already made an immense contribution in fulfilling his mandate to make our cricket teams world leaders again,” said Nenzani. “At the moment we don’t want to anticipate any candidates who may be nominated for this important position to lead the game we all love.” The administration of
Saturday May 23, 2020
Kaieteur News
Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith wants former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly to head world cricket (AFP Photo/Jewel Samad) cricket in South Africa has been in turmoil since the constitution of CSA was changed at the annual meeting last September to allow Nenzani an extra year in office after he had already served the maximum two three-year terms. The extension was ostensibly to guide the organisation through a new system headed by then-chief executive Thabang Moroe. But Moroe proved a divisive figure and was suspended in December on charges of misconduct. Before his suspension he had alienated the country’s players’ association and created a storm when he withdrew the accreditation of five journalists who had been critical of him.
A major sponsor ended its relationship with CSA and another sponsor called for the resignation of the board, headed by Nenzani. This call was echoed by the players’ association. Two of CSA’s five independent directors and one non-independent director resigned. Jacques Faul, chief executive of the successful Titans franchise, was appointed as interim chief executive and Smith took the director of cricket role after initially expressing misgivings. Since then Faul and Smith have effectively taken charge of running the game in the country, while the board have largely remained in the background – until Nenzani’s statement on Thursday night.
BCCI won’t push for World Cup postponement to open IPL window NEW DELHI (Reuters) India’s cricket board will not push for the Twenty20 World Cup in Australia to be postponed but would consider staging the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the October/November slot if it becomes available, a senior BCCI official has told Reuters. This year’s IPL, which is worth almost $530 million to the BCCI, has been indefinitely postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic while the World Cup, which is scheduled to begin on Oct. 18, is also in jeopardy. Reports in Australian media have suggested India’s influential board may look to push for the World Cup to be postponed to open up a window for the IPL. World Cup contingency plans are on the agenda at next week’s International Cricket Council (ICC) board meeting but BCCI treasurer Arun Singh Dhumal said India would not be recommending it be pushed back. “Why should the BCCI suggest postponing the Twenty20 World Cup?” Dhumal told Reuters by telephone. “We’ll discuss it in the meeting and whatever is appropriate, (the ICC) will take a call. “If the Australia government announces that the tournament will happen and Cricket Australia is confident they can handle it, it will be their call. BCCI would not suggest anything.” While Australia has seen new infections of the novel coronavirus slow to a trickle and is gradually easing travel
The shadow of a man falls on a backdrop with the logo of the India’s cricket board BCCI before the start of a news conference to announce its cricket team’s coach, in Mumbai, India, August 16, 2019. (REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas) curbs and social distancing restrictions, hosting a 16-team World Cup would be a Herculean task for Cricket Australia. Dhumal questioned whether the tournament should go ahead if it had to be played without spectators and said the Australian government would play a key role in any decision. “It all depends on what the Australian government says on this - whether they’d allow so may teams to come and play the tournament,” he added. “Will it make sense to play games without spectators? Will it make sense for CA to stage such a tournament like that? It’s their call.” Cricket Australia chief executive Kevin Roberts was guarded about the prospects of staging the tournament as scheduled yesterday. “We don’t have clarity on
that one, yet. But as the situation continues to improve, you never know what might be possible,” he said. “It’s ultimately a decision for the ICC.” The ICC has said it was unlikely to make a final call on the fate of the World Cup until August but some boards are in the process of making contingency plans in the event of a postponement. While the BCCI recognised an open OctoberNovember window would suit the IPL, Dhumal said there was no point in making plans until there was some certainty about the World Cup. “If we have the window available, and depending on what all can be organised, we’ll decide accordingly,” he added. “We can’t presume that it’s not happening and go on planning.”
CWI search for head coach to turn around ailing side ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Cricket West Indies has begun its search for a permanent head coach to oversee the embattled senior women side and halt a troubling run of results. Former Test player Gus Logie was named interim coach last October, replacing Barbadian Henderson Springer but suffered series losses to India in both whiteball formats last November, before watching the side tumble out of last February’s T20 World Cup at the
preliminary stage. CWI’s director of cricket, Jimmy Adams, said yesterday the new head coach would be expected to improve results. “Following the recently concluded Women’s T20 World Cup, we have now begun the recruitment process for finding a permanent women’s team head coach,” Adams said. “The successful candidate will be expected to drive our women’s program forward and improve our results across both formats. “We are grateful for the efforts of interim head coach, Gus Logie, who has led the squad during this transition period and will continue in his interim role until the process has concluded.” According to CWI, the new head coach would be tasked with ensuring consistent performances in
both formats and achieving “superior match results and top placement in all ICC competitions”. Further, the successful candidate will be expected to employ “well-structured and progressive coaching programs” along with “implementing tactical initiatives” in order to get “maximum output” from the players. Applicants will require an accredited Level Three coaching certification and must be West Indian, in keeping with CWI’s recent ‘West Indies First’ policy. West Indies Women have struggled badly ever since winning the T20 World Cup in India four years ago, winning just four of 10 T20 series. Last year they managed only five wins in 17 matches. They reached the semi-
finals of the 2018 T20 World Cup staged in the Caribbean before bowing out. Their One-Day International form has also waned considerably. They won just two of seven matches at the 2017 World Cup in England to miss out on the semi-finals and since then, have won only three of 17 outings. In the vital Women’s Championship, a qualifier for next year’s World Cup in New Zealand, West Indies ended seventh of eight teams to miss out on an automatic spot at the showpiece. Full details of the application available at h t t p s : / / www.windiescricket.com/ cricket-west-indies/jobvacancy-west-indieswomens-head-coach/ The deadline for applications in May 26, 2020.
West Indies Women have endured a poor run of results in both formats.
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ICC sets bowlers’ workload guidelines for resumption of cricket ESPNcricinfo - The ICC has suggested teams would need to exercise caution over bowlers’ workloads to avoid a serious injury like stress fracture of the spine as players get ready to resume training after nearly 10 weeks in lockdown due to the Covid19 pandemic. With international teams set to return to play in a “condensed schedule”, the ICC has recommended bowlers would need minimum training periods ranging from 5 to 12 weeks - based on the format - to build the workload necessary for peak performance. Following are the minimum preparation periods the ICC has recommended for bowlers returning to the three formats: · Test cricket: 8-12 weeks · ODIs: 6 weeks
England will need to monitor workloads of fast bowlers such as Jofra Archer and Stuart Broad when cricket resumes. (Getty Images) · T20Is: 5-6 weeks On Thursday, England became the first major nation to restart training with 18 bowlers returning to individual training. England
have approximately seven weeks to prepare for the threeTest series against West Indies, which is likely to start on July 8. The three Tests are
Jason Holder and his team-mates will have only a month to prepare for their series against England, as per the current schedule. (CWI Media/Philip Spooner) scheduled to be played back-to-back with a threeday break between matches in bio-secure venues, and the ECB has said they may have to
The Head Game By Rudi V. Webster I have often wondered why some athletes with great potential often disappoint, and why others with less physical ability and potential often exceed expectations and play really well. In the Sixties, when I was a medical student playing county cricket for Warwickshire, I spent a lot of time listening to the wise words of a former England player Tiger Smith who represented his country from 1911 to 1914. He often told me that there are two games of cricket. One is played on a large outfield and is visible to everyone and a second that is more important but less visible is played on a small area inside the head. Harmony is important and both games must be played well in order to get success on the field. He also said that in the Sixties, most of the players focused exclusively on the outer game. Consequently, little or no attention was paid to the more important head game. Six decades later, that observation still stands. In the late Seventies and early Eighties, I was asked to work with Australian Rules football players and I got an opportunity to examine Tiger ’s hypothesis. Australian Rules football is a rough, tough and extremely physical game that encompasses certain aspects of rugby, basketball and boxing. I informed the coaches that I knew absolutely nothing about the physical aspects, technical
skills or the tactical and strategic requirements of the game, and that I had no desire to learn about them. My main aim was to see how improving the players’ mental game would impact their performance on the field. The request from the football clubs came soon after the West Indies team’s outstanding performance in World Series Cricket. Then, many of my friends referred to me as the “witch doctor” because they believed that I could get into people’s heads and influence their thinking and behaviour. I never attempted to correct that belief. Instead, I used it to my advantage in my dealings with the footballers. To make my case about the importance of the head games I quoted basketball player Bill Russell who said: “The main difference between great teams and good teams is not physical skill, but mental toughness. That is, how well a team can keep its collective wits under pressure. Teams that can do this under the maximum pressure will win most of the time. Heart in champions has to do with the depth of their motivation and persistence, how well their minds and bodies react to pressure. It is concentration – that is being able to do the best under maximum stress, pain and fatigue.” That is a general outline of what the inner game is about. It is a game that is constantly played in our heads but most of the time we are not aware of it. It is an interaction between our thoughts and feelings, our
goals and fears. Without a good inner game it is very difficult to play a good outer game. Improving the footballers’ head game by enhancing self-image and self-belief worked wonders on the football field. Getting rid of negative forces like selfdoubts, mental and physical tension, lapses in concentration, anxiety, fear, indiscipline, low motivation, limiting beliefs and poor management of pressure also produced great results. Every aspect of the teams’ performance improved. In fact, during the last seven years that I spent in Australia the football teams with whom I worked won five of seven grand finals, the equivalent of the American Superbowls. The footballers soon learned that they played many different head games depending on the challenges they faced. They also found out that those games were controlled by diverse motives and stimuli. Peter Thompson, five-time winner of the British Open golf championship often referred to the different head games that golfers play and the diverse motives that initiate and control them. He once told me: “High achievers in sport are sometimes desperate people crying out for love, recognition and public acclamation and it is at times sad to see them doing anything and everything to succeed. However, there are other motives such as winning or trying to make a living. I suppose the purest motive is to win for yourself and experience that quiet inner feeling of satisfaction and sense of achievement.
That is the noble end. This motive seems to be the most powerful and keeps you going longer but there comes a time when that too loses its power.” Good concentration is one of the most important components of the head game. Although coaches and players talk a lot about the importance of concentration they hardly ever teach or control it adequately. During the execution of a task, concentration is most productive when it is focused in the present on the right cues, for example the batsman watching the ball out of the bowler’s hand and judging its line and length. In competition, most mistakes in concentration are made when attention is focused in the past on previous mistakes and failures or in the future on the result or imaginary disappointments and failures. The present is the point of power. Most good players will tell you that they play best when they stay in the present and focus on the basics. In truth and in fact, we become what we concentrate on, and in a real sense we are where our concentration is. VVS Laxman the former Indian Test batsman summed up his understanding of concentration when he said: “In any sport you will at times lose concentration and be distracted by the opposition, the crowd, the way you are batting, the (Continued on page 19)
rotate their fast bowlers to get through a “pretty brutal” schedule. Stuart Broad has already trained t w i c e a t T r e nt Bridge, bowling five overs at a set of stumps on the outfield on Thursday and another six on Friday, when he said he was bowling at 70% intensity. The ICC said “age and physical preparedness” are two key elements as players built their bowling loads. “Bowlers are at a particularly high risk of injury upon returning to play after a period of enforced time-out,” the ICC said on Monday while releasing a document titled ‘Guidelines for resumption of cricket’ which listed various dos and don’ts for cricket at the international, domestic and community level. “When looking at timescales, consideration needs to be given to the age and physical preparedness as this will influence the risk and length of time required to develop appropriate bowling loads that will allow a safe and effective return to international cricket.” According to its research the ICC has said the bowler can see a “2% bone loss” in the spine if the player has been seven weeks in shutdown. “Evidence suggests long-term workloads over 1200 overs, older bowlers, > 24yrs and reducing spikes in load have some protective elements in relation to stress fractures, the most significant injury in relation to time-loss. However, these figures have not been seen in conditions where such an enforced period of lock down has been noted. Research suggests a seven-week period of shut down can see 2% bone loss in the spine that takes up to 24 weeks to replace.” The ICC has advised team to travel with “larger” squads to not only compensate for the absence of net bowlers
provided by the host country, but also to offset any injuries to the first-choice bowlers. “With the likelihood of a return to international cricket potentially resulting in a condensed schedule it will be necessary for countries to utilise larger squads to safely meet the performance demands imposed.” As per the ICC’s suggestions, a bowler returning to T20Is would need a minimum of five to six weeks preparation with bowling at match intensity in the last three weeks. For ODIs, the preparation period recommended is a minimum six weeks, with the last three weeks involving bowling at match intensity. The Tests need the longest preparation period, with the ICC suggesting eight to 12 weeks, with the final four or five weeks devoted to bowling at match intensity. As it happens, England’s bowling group comprising 13 fast bowlers, have just about seven weeks to get ready for the West Indies Test series. Jason Holder’s men will have even lesser time as they are expected to land a month before the first Test. The ECB are confident their plans, put together by their own team of medical professionals, are “more than sufficient”. The ICC pointed out those periods “would be dependent on the bowler having been able to undertake regular running and some bowling drills whilst in lockdown. “These are dependent on a multifactorial assessment with age of bowlers, injury history, bowling technique and speed and lifetime overs, amongst others. Bowling loads therefore need to be developed progressively, with adequate rest built into a return programme and based on match intensity overs per week.”
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Saturday May 23, 2020
Kaieteur News
Social distancing, ‘safe’ ball management among ICC’s dos and don’ts
Ball management will be a key part of cricket in the post Covid-19 era, but umpires may be wearing gloves to do it. (Getty Images) ESPNcricinfo - Players and umpires will need to keep to “social distancing” norms on and off the field. Players will not hand over personal items such as caps, sunglasses and sweaters to the umpires any more. Players should use a hand sanitiser regularly once they have had contact with the ball. Umpires should consider wearing gloves to handle the ball. These are some of important dos listed by the ICC as guidelines for when international cricket resumes after being forced to halt in March due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Yesterday, the ICC issued a document titled ‘Guidelines on return to cricket’ that encompasses international, domestic and
community cricket. The ICC emphasised that these guidelines would need to work in synergy with government directives in individual countries on resumption of the sport. Players and umpires social distance at all times “Players and umpires should maintain social distancing on the cricket field and that includes no handing over of player items (cap, towels, sunglasses, jumpers) to the umpire or teammates,” the ICC said. “Consider adopting a process that will assist the bowler in managing his/her items. Umpires may also be encouraged to use gloves when handling the ball.” Social distancing, the
ICC said would need to be followed even during training where players will need to keep a 1.5 metre (or what the government in the country recommends) distance between each other. Players have also been asked to come in training gear and told to use change rooms sparingly. The ICC also said “celebrations with body contact” along with sharing drinks or drink bottles, towels and equipment could “pose a risk” and hence should be “strongly discouraged”. Ball, a ‘potential’ carrier of virus The ICC also reiterated the recommendation of the ICC Cricket Committee
Players will need to maintain social distance even longer than what umpire Marais Erasmus’ outstretched hands indicate. (Action Foto Sport/NurPhoto via Getty Images) that no saliva should be applied on the ball. The Committee this week recommended that only sweat should be applied to shine the ball and not saliva or any artificial substance. Despite cricket not being a contact sport, the ICC said there were “several risks”. The ball, the ICC said, “is a potential transmission medium” and there had to be “rules” governing the “management” of the ball. “Provide players with clear guidance on the safe management of the ball. This will include regular hand sanitising when in contact with the ball; do not touch eyes, nose, and mouth after making contact with the ball;
saliva should not be used on the ball.” What if a player tests positive? Although it did not expand on what would happen to an ongoing match in case a player, match official or support staff member was infected by the coronavirus, the ICC said everyone in the environment would need to be tested. “Cricket requires players to be in close proximity at times and involves the use of shared facilities. Therefore, should a team member or opponent develop any CV-19 symptoms or be found to develop an infection, participants will require isolation and testing as they are most likely to have been in close contact.” Match officials “vulnerable” Saying that those over 60
years old were the most “vulnerable” to suffer due to the pandemic, the ICC singled out match officials umpires and match referees along with support staff members in that category. “Participants, in particular umpires, match referees and support staff may be considered vulnerable individuals that are at higher risk of severe illness due to CV-19. This includes older individuals (approx. 60+) and people of any age with underlying medical conditions such as cardiac, kidney, diabetes, obesity, weak innate immunity, etc. Cricket is officiated by umpires on the field of play and their health and well-being needs to be taken into full consideration as they spend the greatest amount of time in close proximity to players.
FA Cup could be played after league wrapped up: Carragher Archer and McCurdy (Reuters) - The final three rounds of the FA Cup could be played after the Premier League season is wrapped up, with the remaining seven matches staged over eight days, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has said. Eight Premier League teams have made it to the quarter-finals, which were scheduled to be played on March 21-22 before the season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “I would love to see this season’s FA Cup rescheduled to resemble the final stages of a World Cup, all the remaining games played after the conclusion of the Premier League,” Carragher wrote in his column in the Telegraph. “Quarter-finals could be played on the Friday and Saturday after the last Premier League weekend. Midweek semi-finals could then be immediately followed by the final, the competition concluded in eight days.” Carragher said he was not
Jr. finalise moves to NCAA schools
Premier League All Stars XI’s Jamie Carragher before the Vincent Kompany’s Testimonial match at Etihad Stadium, Manchester. (Action Images via Reuters/Carl Recine) convinced clubs would agree to play FA Cup games between league matches when the season resumes due to the financial implications of another stoppage.
“The Premier League must finish and to start the competition in the midst of a health scare, only to stop it again, would be a nightmare for everyone,” Carragher
added. “It is preferable to prioritise the Premier League games and ensure they are completed as quickly as possible.”
U.S. based Guyanese student-athletes Joanna Archer and Lloyd McCurdy Jr. both of Munroe College in New York, will now be the newest Guyanese that will be competing in the NCAA division after finalising moves to the Texas Tech and Auburn University, respectively. Archer, who was selected as the 2020 Atlantic Region Women’s Track Athlete by the U.S. Track and Field Cross Country Coaches’ Association (USTFCCCA), shared with Kaieteur Sport that she is happy to see her hard work pay off and she will continue to do her best both academically and athletically so she can be a good role model for the hard working athletes in Guyana. Meanwhile, former
Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Long Jumper McCurdy, who was awarded the 2020 Atlantic Region Men’s Field Athlete of the Year by USTFCCCA, in an invited comment with Kaieteur Sport, revealed that he has much more to do in his pet event if he is to achieve his dreams of representing the Golden Arrowhead at the Olympics one day but he is committed to working hard. McCurdy, who ranks no. 1 in the Triple Jump in the Atlantic region and majors in Computer Information Systems, posited that he will also use this opportunity to educate himself so he will be equipped following his athletics career.
Kaieteur News
Saturday May 23, 2020
PAGE 23
Annalisa Vincent aims to remain a permanent fixture on Lady Jags’ team Annalisa Vincent in national colours.
By Zaheer Mohamed
A
nnalisa Vincent is undoubtedly one of the finest female football players in Region one. The 20-year old striker hails from the village of Waramuri in Moruca and plays for Silver Sand FC. Vincent is a multitalented athlete- she also plays volleyball and cricket. But football is her first love and following a string of
decent performances in the Heritage games, she landed a place on Guyana’s Lady Jags team. She represented her country in the 2018 CFU tournament and wants to remain a permanent member on the national team. Vincent naturally talented and she knows maintaining her place on the team will be challenging, but she relishes the task. Vincent told Kaieteur Sport that while it is a challenge for any athlete to
perform consistently at higher levels, she sees it as an opportunity to keep improving her game. “I place a lot of emphasis on my training because fitness and proper technique are important, and this can only help me to improve. I want to score goals for my country so I have to put in the hard work,” she added. Playing for Guyana in an honour and Vincent said her first appearance in national colours was a wonderful learning experience which she is building on. “I learnt a lot in my debut season for Guyana, that is a higher level and I am looking forward to keep improving.” Vincent still continues to train despite the lockdown due to Covid-19 and is eagerly awaiting the resumption of the season in region one. Her last appearance in a tournament was in December last where she led her team, Silver Sand FC to victory in the Atkinson Brothers 5-a-side competition. She netted a
Annalisa Vincent double in the first half as her team beat Kire Flame 2-0 in the final. She ended the tournament with six goals. Vincent began playing the game at a tender age of seven. She explained that she started out by training with her uncle’s who are former players, and she made her debut for Silver Sand FC at the age of 10. From the club level she went on to represent region one at the heritage games where she
was scouted and hence her national team call up. Silver Sand is among the best clubs in region one and Vincent, who attended the Wara Muri School in Moruca, indicated that she never had the opportunity to being exposed to coaching prior to her inclusion in the national team. “I would use the drills that are available on the internet in my training, and I would also help the younger players at the club since we have no coach there.” “There are talented players here and I would like to see more coaching being done which will help us to develop further. The clubs need to implement programmes to assist the younger players. There is need for more tournaments as well which will give us more exposure,” she posited. Obtaining sponsorship remains a challenge and Vincent said the clubs would usually host fund raising activities, while the players would have to purchase gears with little or no
assistance from businesses. She would like to see more assistance for the sport there from the Government. Vincent is one of the few athletes who represented Guyana at more than one discipline as she would have don national colours at volleyball in 2015. That was her last appearance at volleyball for Guyana since she had to choose between volleyball and football after being called to national duties for both sports simultaneously. “I choose football because I am more attracted to this sport, but I would still like to represent my country at volleyball once available.” Vincent won the Most Valuable Player prize in volleyball at the Heritage games for the past five consecutive years representing Silver Sand, the current champion. She has expressed gratitude to her mother Marcel Vincent and her father Gregory Vincent as well as other relatives for providing early guidance.
Windies cricketers paid but franchise players still waiting
B
RIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – West Indies cricketers should receive all of their outstanding match fees by the end of this week, but players in the domestic fourday competition will have to wait a bit longer, Cricket West Indies (CWI) chief executive office Johnny Grave has disclosed. He said CWI has started processing payments for the international male and female cricketers and efforts would be made to do the same for the domestic players in the eight-franchise West Indies Championship earlier this year. The men had not been paid their match fees for the home series – three ODIs and three T20Is – against Ireland in January or the FebruaryMarch Sri Lanka tour which included three ODIs and two T20Is. The women were owed for the four matches they played in the T20 World Cup in Australia between February and March. “As of the start of this week, we were able to email and contact the international w o m e n ’s p l a y e r s a n d
confirm that their T20 World Cup match fees will be paid in full this week. We’d already paid the prize money, as I confirmed a few weeks ago, back in March,” Grave said on the Mason and Guest radio show on Tuesday night. “We’ve also confirmed to the men’s international players that their outstanding match fees from both the Ireland series and Sri Lanka series will be paid this week as well. So the international players are being brought up to speed.” However, Grave added: “We’re not yet in a position to do that with the franchise players. We’re working hard to try and resolve that and as I’ve assured all the players and the franchises, it is our number priority from a financial point of view, for us to clear that, and I hope to do so sooner rather than later.” In March, after eight rounds of the 10-round competition, CWI ended the competition and declared point leaders Barbados Tridents the winner of the 2020 tournament. A large percentage of those match fees – for January to March –
West Indies cricketers should receive all of their outstanding match fees by the end of this week. are outstanding. The delay in paying players has been blamed on CWI’s cash crunch that has been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic which has curtailed cricket and other sports globally.
The Head Game
rt Spo
Annalisa Vincent accepting her volleyball MVP prize at the 2019 Heritage games.
Dr Rudi Webster with Adrian Barath.
Annalisa Vincent aims to remain a permanent fixture on Lady Jags’ team Guyana’s Lloyd McCurdy Jr. has finalised his move to Auburn University next semester.
Archer and McCurdy Jr. finalise moves to NCAA schools Windies cricketers paid but franchise players still waiting Joanna Archer (leading) is off to Texas Tech.
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