Kaieteur News

Kaieteur News

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Sunday November 15, 2020

Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL - Tel: 624-6456 Editor: Sharmain Grainger Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

Trumps refusal to concede At this point, the parallels between a certain former Guyanese head of states post-elections actions and a certain current de facto American head of states post-elections actions are so absurdly numerous that they could not have been scripted better. We have had baseless allegations of voter fraud, claims of dead people voting that have been viciously debunked, pointless legal cases, and of course paranoid claims of some grand conspiracy against the incumbent. Earlier this year, we Guyanese were treated first with the arrogant, “Concede for what? Concede to who?” and then later, the petulant, “I did not concede, I accepted the declaration of GECOM.” It is therefore no surprise, the trend taken into account, which the US media is currently buzzing with speculation of whether or not Donald Trump is going to concede after a decisive win by his opponent, Joe Biden. Currently, there is no confusion or tension about the distribution of votes, at least not among sane people every major news organization has called a decisive win for Biden, who has not only a healthy six million vote lead with 99 percent of votes counted as of last night, but also a stupendous electoral college lead of 290 votes to Trumps 232, a full 20 votes beyond the 270 needed. At the individual level, the refusal to concede to a clear loss is in itself unpresidential it shows an absence of ethics, of dignity, of grace and of moral fibre. It is the perpetuation of a lie, not to one person, a family, or a community, but to an entire country. In Guyana, massive external pressure, including ironically from the Trump administration, eventually rendered the refusal to concede here a moot point, the paltry, impotent Parthian shot of a sore loser. In the United States however, the implications are much greater. According to an article published on Thursday in the Washington Post, Trumps refusal to concede and the Republican Partys embrace of that refusal showed a disturbing trend towards authoritarianism in a country that prides itself on being the brightest global beacon of liberal democracy. Out of 53 Republican senators, a majority in the Senate, only four had congratulated Biden on becoming President-elect. This is not a situation that should be taken lightly. While we can perhaps opt to dismiss political caution by the GOP leadership as hedging their bets until 100% vote count is completed, it should be cause for concern that American business is not taking the situation lightly. According to an Associated Press report published on Friday, “On Nov. 6, more than two dozen CEOs of major U.S. corporations took part in a video conference to discuss what to do if Trump refuses to leave office or takes other steps to stay in power beyond the scheduled Jan. 20 inauguration of former Vice President Joe Biden. On Saturday Biden was declared the election winner by The Associated Press and other news organizations. But if Trump tries to undo the legal process or disrupts a peaceful transition to Biden, the CEOs discussed making public statements and pressuring GOP legislators in their states, who may try to redirect Electoral College votes from Biden to Trump, said Yale Management Professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, who convened the meeting.” The irony here of course is that those are the very sort of persons that would have benefitted from Trumps economic policies, which overwhelming favoured the corporate elite and not his massive voting base, and yet who are now saying that his failure, his outright refusal to concede, is so far beyond the pale, beyond what can be considered normal, that they are ready to make a rare, perhaps historic, intervention. One gets the sense that Americas institutions political, democratic, economic and moral will eventually see to it that, concession or not, the ship of state rights itself in the near term. Until then, however, as long as he does not concede, it will continue to take what may very well amount to irreparable damage going forward.

The slippery slope of oil Dear Editor, Recent details and damning revelations by Mr. Glenn Lall on what transpired on the giveaway of the Kaieteur and Canje oil blocks and the private resale thereafter for billions of dollars, should shock Guyanese. It speaks of what our leaders have done to our nation. Something is awfully fishy. I will leave the Stabroek block and Exxon out of current discourse…this is beyond Exxon. As a remigrant, I have a one-year-old Pitbull female dog for a few months, bred from foreign stock, very peaceful, family-friendly but very protective of its owner…me. I brought another dog (male) from Bagotstown- a local breed. What an error in judgment on my part- the

local dog has a habit of stealing and burying shoes of mine and my visitors. The foreign-bred dog soon copied the same habit and now does the same. My cameras don’t lie; shoes have become an endangered item here. Some may ask what my dog’s behavior of secretly stealing and hiding shoes have to do with oil. Well, the Kaieteur and Canje blocks were stolen from us by our leaders, given away and buried in alternate ownership. Guyanese must wake-up – we just got choked and robbed. We need a day of peaceful rage throughout our country. Again, this is not against Exxon, Hess, Total, Repsol, e t c . I t ’s a b o u t o u r Government’s behavior. Exxon is a partner drilling wells 18 thousand feet in

extreme pressure. We still struggle as a nation to drill for water 1500 feet, so they are not our target. We demand Parliament to claw back ownership of the Kaieteur and Canje blocks, solicit international help to identify beneficial ownership, prosecute those that committed crimes. As a signatory to AML, partners must assist in t r a c k i n g ownership…Government must do its homework. My fellow Guyanese, we have been bamboozled, ripped-off and pickpocketed. Parliament must act to correct else we the people must consider taking back our country if our politicians can’t act on our behalf. Glenn said it best when he noted we could have already received billons for these blocks (Kaieteur and

Canje). Sugar workers will not have to wait on reopening of estates for a livelihood, youths throughout this nation with over 20% unemployment and under-employment can be put to work. We can build 50,000 homes without borrowing; we can build a new Demerara River bridge without borrowing a cent, with these funds. Remember the Panama papers- the culprits will be found, with their secret ownership and bank accounts. Remember financial disclosure and ministers who did not comply timely? Going forward, all oil blocks should be capitalized into a Guyanese oil company like Saudi Aramco. External partners can be engaged contractually to drill for oil with a structured revenuesharing agreement. In the (Continued on page 6)

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Sunday November 15, 2020

Kaieteur News

Will Guyana see the light? Dear Editor, Paris’ Mayor, Annie Hidalgo, had tweeted a “Welcome back America,” that said it all as congratulations poured in from around the world to embrace Presidential-elect, Joe Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris, on their victory at the election. A winner remains undeclared and the incumbent Donald Trump has not conceded to date. Leaders are hoping for a US return to global cooperation from a turbulent period with Trump’s “America First” approach to foreign policy. His sharp criticisms, his tariff ’s restructure, his fall out with the World Health Organization (WHO), his uncomfortably, close relationship with Saudi Arabia and Turkey, his unpredictable behavior, his refusal to acknowledge global climate change, his racial embracement, his lies, his anti-immigrant stance,

embarrassing Americans to the outside world and his curt and impolite attitude. A patient but wary China only came on board Friday as a message of support, not from Chinese President, Xi Jinping, but from Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin. He said: “We respect the choice of the American people. We congratulate Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris.” Some wondered if Beijing was waiting to see if Trump would concede, not wanting to offend him and be in his political crosshairs since he still has a couple more months in office and he can still hurt China. There will be a need for some ironing out between Beijing and Washington due to Presidential-elect, Joe Biden’s July 2019 campaign speech when he said: “We do need to get tough with China. If China has its way, it will keep robbing the US of our technology and intellectual property, or forcing American

East Bank ‘short drop’ drivers being targetted Dear Editor, We, the short-drop hire car drivers, who used to operate in the East Bank ‘Short Drop’ car park are facing another challenging situation. Two years ago, 49 cars that used to operate in the park, were removed by the then Town Clerk, Royston King. We were replaced by stands but unto this day, the vendors have failed to occupy them. Since then, we operated on the roads which were provided to us by the Council. Our park used to be from Brickdam to Lombard Streets, capable of accommodating 12 cars. We o p e r a t e i n a t u r n system. On Friday, the drivers returned to work, only to be greeted by another bad news…the area could only accommodate five cars…more than 75 percent

of the cars had nowhere to park. No stopping markings were placed on the road. This is so unfair to us. Where can we go now to operate for our daily living especially with the current COVID-19 crisis? We , t h e d r i v e r s , a r e pleading with the minister, the mayor, the Town Clerk and those responsible for the reduction of the car park, to review the decisions taken. We are elderly persons who cannot be employed elsewhere at this time of the year. We have bills to pay; installments and even rent to meet. We believe that it is a deliberate attempt to create problems for us and for us to become targets. We ask the relevant authorities to look into the matter urgently. Oppressed Drivers

...The slippery slope From page 4 meantime, we can trade this company publicly via an IPO and raise billions of dollars that go directly into our treasury for Guyanese. President Ali, we would like you to succeed, but if this issue lingers, it’s likely your government will fail before five years. APNU… don’t get your

hopes high, you are a spent shell on the floor, tried and failed. It will be a people’s revolution against the tyranny of two parties over the years keeping us poor and in poverty while pockets were filled. Everton Morris Technology Management Executive

companies to give it away in order to do business in China. The most effective way to meet that challenge is to build a united front of friends and partners to challenge China’s abusive behavior- even as we seek to deepen cooperation on issues where our interests converge, like climate change and preventing nuclear proliferation.” Donald Trump had also accused China for originating the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan, being silent and failing to inform the world. He also wanted China to take accountability and provide financial reimbursement. With the free world on the precipice of encountering a new leader, is this the beginning of expected changes and anticipation for a reformation and restructuring towards a dramatic shift in attitude for foreign relationships? Is there hope for some sense of regained normalcy, remorse reactions, lessening tensions and more bridge building?

America remains wary with China, Russia, North Korea, Turkey and Israel, to name a few big wigs. Joe Biden will have to calibrate how far and how fast he needs to reverse to bring enough allies behind him to set the world on the path he desires. By the time he takes office next year, the road toward greater isolation will already be well traveled. The new President will have to calibrate how far and how fast he needs to reverse to bring enough allies behind him to set the world on the path he desires. Foreign policy success won’t just be about winning the trust of friends and acquiescence of enemies again; it will be about building international confidence in America’s unity of purpose, a tall order for such a divided nation. Biden may well find that the world order can no longer be reset the way he wants. After a few weeks in office, the road to White House may

appear in retrospect to have been the easiest part of his journey as president. Guyanese would clearly recall that former caretaker President, David Granger, and the APNU/AFC coalition, were isolated from the rest of the world after they failed to concede to the PPP/C which was declared the legitimate winner of the regional and general elections held in March. The world had accepted CARICOM’s recount result except Granger and his cabal. Even after losing APNU/ AFC’s litigations at the CCJ, Granger still refused to demit office to allow President Dr. Irfaan Ali to occupy the rightful seat. The local, national, regional and international communities were aghast, shocked and embarrassed at this truant, traumatic and bullish behavior from David Granger and the APNU/AFC. Not a single country in the entire world had supported Granger’s

squatting in office. He and his party members were undermining democracy and had ignored the free will of the people. Not until sanctions were instituted by the very US government by way of visa restrictions on the thwarters did, they step aside so that the PPP/ C could be sworn in to govern. Donald Trump was fired by America but which power house will tell him to step aside and/or warn or threaten him with sanctions? As Diwali is being celebrated and the diyas brighten the world, will good triumph evil, will darkness dissipate, will knowledge overcome ignorance so that Guyana will see the light that illuminates the way of truth, honesty, integrity, peace, progress and prosperity for all Guyanese and not only a few? Shubh Diwali. Jai Lall

Major legal hurdles in postponement of LGE Dear President Ali, Congratulations as the newly-elected President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. GECOM and CARICOM had declared that you had won the presidential election for the 12th Parliament, and I will respect you as the President of Guyana, unless the court decides otherwise. I notice from what I am reading and seeing so far, that since sworn in as president, regarding local government elections (LGE), that you may have started to go down the wrong road. You may have to be careful with your advisers, who are telling you to postpone the LGE. Local government elections are due on the first Monday of December every three years, in accordance with Section 7 of Act 10 of 1990. This means it is due on the first Monday of December 2021, unless you use your members of Parliament to violate the people’s right to vote on a timely manner every three years, by causing an amendment to the Act to postpone the local government elections. Since the establishment of Act 10 of 1990, Mr President, the Central Government minister in Parliament has been using the Parliament to postpones the LGE, thus violating local democracy While any member of Parliament hold the authority to table any bill to amend the laws, they do not hold the power to table a bill to

postpone the local government elections, without consultations with the Regional Democratic Councils of each region and its lower-tiered local governments authorities, which will be affected by the postponement. Tabling a bill, Mr President, to postpone LGE without consultation with local government authorities, will be a violation to Article 13 of the Constitution, which states that the principal objective of the political system of the state is to establish an inclusionary democracy by providing increasing opportunities for the participation of citizens, and their organisations in the management and decisionmaking process of the state, with particular emphasis on those areas of decisionmaking that directly affect their well-being. While I fully understand that the Minister of Local Government is the provider for Local Democratic Organs under Section 5 of Act 12 of 1980, that does not give him the dictatorship authority over Local Democratic Organs telling them when elections should be held, especially with the elections date already fixed by law. Mr President, with due respect, GECOM need to get itself in order, and make sure the elections are held in time, as stated in the Act. We must remember that the power is vested in the people who voted for their 25 regional representative in parliament- the RDC

councillors and their lowertiered Local Democratic Organs councilors- these are the people with the consultation authority to decide on the way forward for LGE for their respective areas. That is, if there is a problem in holding the elections on time. Central Government cannot use what has taken place after the 2020 national and regional election to postpone the LGE in 2021. They have to work with GECOM to repair the damaged image, created by selfish persons who are paid staffers of the state. Concerning the appointments of REOs for the Regional Democratic Councils, it is the duty of the RDC and the Local Government Commission, through consultation, who hold the authority, to make the decisions who should be the REO for a region- not the President or the local government minister. Otherwise, democracy is dead. Article 78 A of the Constitution of Guyana did not give the President or the Local Government Minister the power to appoint REOsany laws in the past which did give such power is now inconsistent with the Constitution which was amended. Also, Mr President, the REO cannot also be the Chief Accounting Officer- this practice is wrong. This violates as the statutes are set out in 28:01 Section 74 and 75 for separate officers to be

REO and Chief Accounting Officer. While Section 10 of Act No. 20 of 2003, the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act, give the Finance Secretary the authority to designate someone as the head of Budget Agency, such person has to be the head of the financial department of the RDC, not the REO- it will be a conflict of interest. Let us fix the local government authorities, not degrade them. Let us give them financial authority, by allowing them to licence all businesses and vehicles in their local government authority areas. A percentage of the Environmental Tax should go to them along with a percentage of the ValueAdded Tax which is collected from their areas. Let us make the LGE financially independent so they can pay their councillors something instead of a stipend. You should know that since 2006, the RDC councillors have been receiving $10,000 per month with the NDCs’ even less. The present taxes for local government authorities cannot make them financial independent to do their workwe need better systems in place. You are elected as President to govern Guyana in a just manner, not to be unjust. Let us work to fix the broken image of our country. Michael Carrington, Former MP

Sunday November 15, 2020

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Sunday November 15, 2020

EPA halts Peter’s Hall chemical storage facility construction amid environmental concerns T

he Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has put a halt on the construction of a chemical storage and warehouse facility at Peter’s Hall on the East Bank Demerara after residents there objected to the project citing concerns on the impact it would have on the environment. In September, the EPA published a notice listing projects that were submitted for environmental authorization. Among those was the construction and operation of a “Chemical Storage and Warehouse Facility and Laydown Yard, A3 & A4, Plantation Peter’s Hall, East Bank Demerara” being undertaken by Glass Holdings Inc. Mapped images have shown that the facility would be housed in close proximity to residential housing schemes, including Eccles and Windsor Estate. On that notice, the EPA had said: “In accordance with Section 11 (2) of the Environmental Protection Act, Cap 20:05, Laws of Guyana, the application for each project listed above, has been

screened by the agency to assess its potential environmental impacts and it has been determined that these projects will not significantly affect the environment or human health and therefore are exempt from the requirement for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).” That did not sit well with residents in those communities and a subsequent report was lodged with the agency leading to the project being brought to a halt. Head of the EPA, Sharifa Razack, explained to Kaieteur News that GLASS Holdings is now considering an alternative location for the facility. It should be noted too, that GLASS Holdings is also embroiled in the land scandal involving the National Industrial & Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) and People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) member James Bond. With an investigation ongoing into that incident, it is unclear whether the company will be scrapping the project. Managing Director of GLASS, Glenn Low-A-Chee,

Map showing the distance being the intended site of the chemical plant to the nearest residential area, at the Peter’s Hall, East Bank Demerara area.

when contacted to provide a comment on the matter had stated that a subsequent release would be issued from the company. To date, no release has been issued. GLASS Holdings Inc. had

stated that they planned to store chemicals such as “Asphaltene Inhibitor, Corrosion Inhibitor, Biocide, Hydrate Inhibitor, Demulsifier, Chlorine Scavenger, Defoamer and Hydrate Inhibitor.”

Those chemicals, it said, would be stored in ISO Tanks constructed from 316 stainless steel meant to hold 5,000 gallons, plastic tanks constructed of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) meant to hold 275 gallons and steel

drums constructed from carbon steel - lined meant to hold 55 gallons. All of the chemicals listed are meant to treat the harmful solids and waste oil produced by Guyana’s expanding oil and gas industry.

Sunday November 15, 2020

Kaieteur News

Oil waste treatment plant moved to remote Little Diamond location …after concerns raised by EBD residents Amid concerns from residents at Peter’s Hall, East Bank Demerara, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had announced that the company changed the location for a proposed oil waste treatment plant to Little Diamond. In a statement, the EPA explained that it received an application from Oil Waste Management Service (OWMS) for the construction and operation of the waste treatment plant at Plot “A21” Plantation Peter’s Hall, EBD. Subsequently after, the EPA said, the project was screened to assess its potential impacts on the environment. It was later determined that an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) would not be required to inform its decision on whether or not to authorize the project. “The EPA published its decision on the project in a Public Notice on September 27, 2020. The Notice also informed the public that any person who may be affected by the

project may lodge an appeal against the EPA’s decision (EIA not required) within thirty (30) days of the date the Notice,” the statement outlined. During the 30-day period of the Notice, several objections and concerns from members of the public were received regarding the project’s suitability at the proposed location. “As a result,” the EPA explained in its statement “placed the project on hold and engaged the project proponent, OWMS on the concerns raised. This led to the developer opting to propose a new location for the project.” That new location is more remote, it added, and is at Little Diamond, EBD. The EPA is set to publish a Public Notice indicating the new location of the proposed project and informing any member of the public who may be affected by the project to lodge an appeal against its decision not to require an EIA for the project.

However, it was said that the EPA will only proceed to authorize the project if there are no objections from the public and upon receipt of the location’s suitability approval from the Central Housing and Planning Authority. Oilfield Waste Management Services (OWMS) said that they planned to construct “a thermal desorption waste treatment plant.” It said the plant is based on a thermal desorption separator (hammer mill) which uses friction to heat wastes so that oil residue are evaporated. The evaporated oil and water contents are then condensed and recaptured or separated. The remaining solids can then be safely disposed or reused. Further, OWMS plans to recycle the recaptured oil so that it can be used in the Liquid Mud Plant manufacturing process. The solid wastes will be used in the bitumen (asphalt) manufacturing process and in addition, no solids are expected to be sent to landfills.

Dem boys seh...

Politics good fuh yuh bank book Dem boys thought dem eyes bin playing tricks pun dem. But now dem boys sure that dem eyes is not the problem. Since some of dem APNU+AFC politician lose power dem looking ‘pull down’. Dem boys bin see wan of dem protesting outside a police station and dem boys bin wan know how he lose so much weight and looking so magga. But dem boys seh perhaps is because dem boys accustomed to seeing he in suit. Now that he nah deh so much in suit, he now looking magga. But den yesterday dem boys see another one who lose power. He was from de AFC. He was a big one in de party. Dem boys had to look twice. De man look like he aged 20

years over de past 100 days. Is suh when yuh good life leff yuh. It does show pun yuh face and yuh body. One man did pray fuh get a fat bank account and a slim body. He went in to politics and when he lose power he get his wish. His bank book did fat and he body thin. But is not only them wah lose power does pine away. Dem had a man wah did tek a big brick and pelt Janet Jagan car. De City Constabulary did mek he breakdance pun Regent Street. He was always magga. But if yuh see he now you would not recognize him. And he quiet like a door mouse. Talk half and nah go into politics unless yuh want lose weight.

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US$17.5M works on three regional hospitals to commence next year The Suddie Hospital

The government is set to commence works estimated at US$17.5 million on three regional hospitals next year. The regional hospitals to be upgraded are the Suddie Hospital in Region Two, the West Demerara Regional Hospital in Region Three and the Bartica Regional Hospital in Region Seven. This was disclosed by the Ministry of Health’s spokesman, Daniel Singh, on Friday, who said that the US$17.5 million was given to Guyana through a line of credit by the Export-Import (EXIM) Bank of India. The line of credit was inked by former Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan and an EXIM Bank representative Sailesh Prashad in July 2017. Guyana was given 20 years

to repay the loan at an interest rate of 1.75 per cent per annum. A five-year moratorium period was also given, which means that for the fiveyear period, Guyana will not be required to make any payments. Despite receiving the line of credit, the previous government did not commence works on the hospitals, however, the new administration decided to revamp the project upon taking office in August. Kaieteur News understands that the upgrades on each hospital will feature the restructuring and construction of theatres, the implementation of modernized medical equipment, additional beds being provided, as well as stations for nurses. Under the previous gov-

ernment, it was also stated that the upgrades at each hospital would have taken the pressure off the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). This is because persons from these regions would have access to the same level of health care as those persons at the GPHC, one of the country’s centralized medical facilities. Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, recently announced that the Suddie Hospital will cost approximately US$6 million. The Minister shared that he would have engaged with several regional health officials about possible solutions for a number of challenges they are currently facing and the hospital would be (Continued on page 64)

The Bartica Regional Hospital

The West Demerara Regional Hospital

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Sunday November 15, 2020

Peter’s Hall land giveaway… Businessman arrested as probe gets underway

B

usinessman, Eddie Doolal was taken into police custody Friday as investigations continue into the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited’s (NICIL) giveaway of prime state lands situated at Peter’s Hall, East Bank Demerara (EBD). Doolal and another businessman, Avalon Jagnandan of Life 1 Pharms Inc. had both received a total of 30 acres of land from NICIL and later transferred it into the hands of one individual, Chinese National, Jianfen Yu on the

same day for merely G$200, with both deals carrying glaring similarities. Doolal, who was listed as the Director and Secretary of A-Z Pharmaceuticals, had leased from NICIL three plots of land; ‘A7’, ‘A8’ and ‘A20’, a total of 15 acres situated at Plantation Peter’s Hall, EBD. He, on May 17, 2018 agreed to lea se the lands

annually for US$11,700 plus taxes for a 20-year period but then transferred the three plots to Chinese national, Jianfen Yu on January 28, 2020 for G$100.

Avalon Jagnandan also did the same. Police are now attempting to locate Yu, whose address was listed as 43 Wellington Street, Georgetown. This paper however, understands that the man is currently in China. Kaieteur News had discovered that both companies were registered on the same day – March 1, 2017. In addition, the lease agreement details for both companies are also identical – both agreed to pay US$11,700 plus tax in lease fees annually for a 20Arrested: A-Z Pharmaceutical Medical Supplies and Equipment Inc. Director Listed as Life 1 Pharms Inc. and Secretary, Eddie Doolal Managing Director, Avalon Jagnandan year period, both received 15 acres in total and both agreements were signed on the same day, May 17, 2018. It should be noted too that both companies transferred its lands to the same individual, on the same day – January 28, 2020 and for the same price of G$100. Further, both Deeds of Assignment of Lease Agreements are also identical. Guyana’s State Lands Act clearly stipulates that whenever State lands are leased,

the lease agreement must indicate that the lessee “SHALL NOT” part with lands (possession) or “SHALL NOT” assign the interest in the said agreement without the consent of the State. It states too, that in the event that there is going to be a transfer to a third party, the State reserves the right to step in and repossess the lands, reverting ownership back to the State. However, that very clause was altered in the lease agree-

ments currently at the center of investigations. Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Anil Nandlall, had pointed out that the lease was altered

to say that “the lessee may divest the land, may part with possession, may assign it to a third-party interest” – an insertion that saw hundreds of prime lands being resold and transferred with the State acquiring zero revenue from the transactions.

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FRONT PAGE COMMENTS RECAP

500 largest US companies express investment interests No laws broken, but dreams were in Guyana- US Ambassador As we continue our mission to enlighten the nation about issues of importance to this nation, we at Kaieteur News have published a series of front page comments in hopes of having our leaders take the necessary actions in order to realize the desired outcomes. Today we recap the front page comments of the past week to bring you up to speed.

Sunday After months of deafening silence, Vice President Jagdeo went public to claim that “no laws were broken” in the Canje and Kaieteur Oil Block giveaways. This statement confirms that a moronic mindset rules this land. At a time when Guyanese hearts are broken, Jagdeo’s specious defence of the oil giveaway flies in the face of all that is considered right. The Canje and Kaieteur Blocks were not his or former President Ramotar’s or former Minister Persaud’s to give away. These blocks belong to Guyanese. The country’s leaders are only stewards entrusted to obtaining the maximum return from these

blocks. Instead, the nation got nothing. And yet, this financial guru says no laws were broken. Obviously, the VP inhabits a different universe from the rest of us. For there, he was being disingenuous, which is not breaking the law; but it should be. There he was like an ostrich burying his head in the sand to evade responsibility and accountability. Men, especially national leaders, are not supposed to be mindless ostriches without morals and principles. Clearly, the Vice President takes Guyanese for jackasses and believes he can shovel any filth at them and get away with it. How long will rightthinking Guyanese allow him

and his clique to get away with these treachery? Secretly giving away the oil blocks, which he says is not breaking the law. Breaking the dreams and shattering the hopes of poor Guyanese are also legal? Don’t they amount to breaking the law? Would Jagdeo sign away his mansion, pension, and savings to corporate paupers, to comrades without a pin to their name? No! He wouldn’t do that! But that is what Ramotar and Persaud did. And now Mr. Jagdeo steps up to defend this revolting act. Since it is not illegal, they might as well give away everything for free, and while they are it, they may want to also throw in Jagdeo as part of the giveaway.

No more deception, no more trickery Tuesday Vice President Jagdeo thinks he is a real ‘smart-man’, that Guyanese are dumbos, and that they cannot see through his cleverness. Suddenly, he is serious about block owners paying taxes. This man thinks that only he has sense, and that we are all jackasses. Our promise is this: Canje and Kaieteur represent only the beginning. There is much more, and much worse, to come and this nation will get to see what

other foolishness (and distractions) will be delivered then. Now that the revelations and pressure from Kaieteur News keep intensifying, Jagdeo blundered with that idiotic position about “no laws were broken” on the Canje and Kaieteur Blocks. When that collapsed, he distracts, like some cunning Santa Claus, with the ‘gifts’ of taxes. That is small change in the bigger picture. We want back the Canje and Kaieteur plots. The nation wants its

rightful share and information with those two blocks – it doesn’t want to hear about taxes, or any such belated damage control. Mr. Jagdeo: STOP TRYING TO DEFLECT ATTENTION FROM WHAT WAS WRONG, VULGAR AND DECEPTIVE. Come clean with the big story about the big Canje and Kaieteur giveaways. Stop practising tricks. Own up and tell the truth about Canje and Kaieteur. Promise the people that that there will not be any new deceptions.

How Your Assets Are Being Hijacked! Wednesday Starting this evening, Kaieteur Radio will continue the bombshell expose of the hijacking of our natural resources. The details will feature on ‘The Glenn Lall Show’ which launched last Sunday on our radio stations

(99.1/99.5fm). The Publisher, Glenn Lall, will, in a no-holds barred production, will be exposing many of the hidden details which our political leaders, past and present, were/are silent about and about which they do not want you to know/talk about. This is a show which you should not miss. It will be hosted thrice weekly and aims

at informing and educating you, the public, about some of the greatest con jobs in the Caribbean. It will reveal those who have hijacked the country’s oil blocks and our natural resources and the masterminds behind these barefaced actions.‘The Glenn Lall Show’ starts at 7:20 pm. Do not miss it!

FROM BLESSINGS TO BURDEN Friday Our oil which should have been a blessing is becoming a burden. The numbers tell the story of shady dealings, covetous politicians and cunning middlemen. From ExxonMobil Guyana would get approximately US$200M in 2020. But the bill from CGX for preliminary work on one dry well in the Corentyne block is US$155M. CGX must really think

that Guyanese are illiterates and idiots. They must be required to provide the evidence that they actually drilled a well. That US$155M must be fully scrutinized for possible overstated costs. It is the equivalent of renting an apartment for GY$50,000 per month, but the tenant presents a bill for imaginary repairs for nonexistent damages (that he himself caused) totaling GY$60,000. As can be seen, on a net basis, the landlord is paying

the tenant for living in the apartment. Now think of the landlord as Guyana and the tenant/ operator as CGX. CGX is the kind of tenant/operator that PPPC leaders saw fit to conduct our oil business. It is the same CGX that the APNU coalition was so impressed with, that it gave it a 3-year extension. The way we look at it is that both the PPPC and the Coalition are in bed with CGX. That US$155M confirms our suspicions

Companies from the Fortune 500, a ranked list of the largest companies of the United States (US), have expressed their interest in investing Guyana’s lucrative and diverse sectors. These and other details were shared by US Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch, during the annual general meeting of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) Guyana. The top 10 of the 500 companies include Walmart, Amazon, ExxonMobil, Apple, CVS Health, Berkshire Hathaway, United Health Group, McKesson, AT&T, and Amerisource Bergen. According to Fortune’s site,

the 500 that made this year’s list represent two-thirds of the U.S. economy, with $14.2 trillion in revenue. “I get calls from US companies regularly. Just last week, I met with the Business Council for International Understanding, a US-based organisation founded under President [Dwight] Eisenhower, whose members include Fortune 500 companies interested in what Guyana has to offer,” the Ambassador said. She went on to indicate that US company representatives have enquired about a broad range of investment opportunities, including investment in the oil and gas

US Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch sector, housing and urban development, environmental resiliency, satellite imagery (Continued on page 70)

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Kaieteur News

Hire purchase bill to protect consumers back on table - President Ali

During the Annual General Meeting of the American Chambers of CommerceGuyana on Friday, President Irfaan Ali announced that the government has placed the Hire Purchase Bill back on the table in an effort to protect consumers. “The proposed hire purchase bill will provide muchneeded protection for consumers who procure items on credit or through the hire purchase arrangement,” President Ali said. The President expressed that he disagreed with the ex-

isting legislation on hire purchase, stating that, “this can hardly be fair to the consumer. The Bill will reform this unconscionable practice.” This comes after the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall highlighted that the bill is an important piece of legislation necessary for the reform of the hire purchase sector in Guyana. According to Nandlall, the bill is to protect consumers purchasing items from businesses on credit. It was explained that the

current law states that an item can be repossessed and all other payments forfeited once a consumer misses a single payment on the item, something that can bring “catastrophic hardship on people”. He further added that the Hire Purchase Act will prevent that from happening because it will mandate that once a consumer passes a certain number of payments, the hirer will not be able to repossess the item. The Attorney General had said that hire purchase in

Attorney General and Minister of LegalAffairs, Anil Nandlall Guyana is governed by a common law, which states that when you pay a sum of money monthly, it is techni-

His Excellency President Irfaan

cally counted as rent towards the purchase price and only when the final installments is paid then the customer be-

comes the owner of the item. For a number of years, the Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission (CCAC) had been calling for the bill to be presented in the National Assembly. Director of the CCAC recently disclosed to another section of the media that the Commission has received the commitment from the Attorney General and it is expected that the bill will be presented in the National Assembly soon. It was highlighted that many persons would have gone through difficult unforeseen circumstances which saw them missing their installments. Many of these persons had already paid most of their installments yet their items were repossessed, resulting in millions being

Sunday November 15, 2020

Kaieteur News

BLUNTNESS ON INDECENCY! In case you haven’t heard, please be informed that as part of our continued effort to channel positive changes in our country, our publisher, Mr. Glenn Lall, has dedicated our page seven to be blunt on ongoing indecency in our land that should matter, not only to us at this publication, but the entire nation. Sunday November 8, 2020 PPP leaders secretly gave away our US billion$ oil blocks free to persons who had no cash or experience in the oil sector. And on top of this, Guyana owed hundreds of millions to these owners. Can somebody, anybody answer that question? Monday November 9, 2020 So it is ok for government officials to forfeit billions of US Dollars simply because no laws were broken? No it is not, since the duty of government is not to maximize value to the country and its people. It is not the duty of government to minimize value to the country and its people? It appears as if our leaders and the public cannot grasp this simple principle. But we know better! Tuesday November 10, 2020 Be very HANEST … No laws broken with Canje; We hearing right Mr. VP? No laws broken with Canje; Yuh mussy think we stupidee No laws broken Mr. VP? Yuh mussy think we bassidee; No laws broken with Canje, Mr. VP! Tell de people, the real dutty story. Wednesday November 11, 2020 None of the political players have been honest with us on oil. The focus has been on throwing profit sharing and royalty before us while hiding the massive debt we owe to even oil companies that have not drilled an oil well as yet. CGX, for example, has not shown a drop of oil as yet, and benefitted from governments bending over backward

to accommodate them failing, yet we owe them more money than we’ve gotten so far from Exxon. We need to demand honest answers from political leadership in this country. Thursday November 12, 2020 Guyanese politicians like to claim everything, except responsibility for the oil deals. When it comes to that, they pull the Shaggy defence – “It wasn’t me.” The more Kaieteur News skin up the oil block giveaway , the more officials with responsibility for the oil sector from Robert to Raphael – suddenly have memory loss. Men who were puffed up with power when the wealth was being signed away are telling us that they were just bridges between the real players.Guyanese deserve more than those insults for answers—if you can’t tell the truth, then the truth must be a terrible thing. Friday November 13, 2020

Hey, hey BJ! Stap mekking ah mockery ah we; You say no laws were broken; You gat fuh be mistaken; No laws were broken; Somebody must be drunken; No laws broken; Is suh de plot thicken! Saturday November 14, 2020 Global Witness said that Raphael Trotman ignored sound advice when it came to the Exxon deal, saddling the people of Guyana with an unfair arrangement signed by the Granger government. Now we are hearing that the Ramotar government was given advice on Block C and part of Kaieteur, advice that would have been given to Robert Persaud, but that was also ignored. What would make two different governments ignore sound advice when it comes to our oil wealth? These are answers that we deserve!

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Sunday November 15, 2020

Sunday November 15, 2020

Kaieteur News

Canje Block may be more valuable than Stabroek Block - Estimated at 10 billion barrels in over a dozen wells The Canje Oil Block is estimated to hold 10 billion barrels of oil in just over a dozen prospects to be drilled, with drilling expected to begin in the next six to nine months. With these prospects, the Canje Block may turn out to be more lucrative than the Stabroek Block. The revelation was made in the Annual Report and Audited Financial Statements (as of 30 June 2020) of Westmount Energy Limited,

an investment firm with indirect interests in several of Guyana’s offshore blocks. Westmount’s interest in Canje is through its 6.9 percent of issued shares in JHI Associates. JHI is a Canadian-led company that has a 17.5 percent stake in the Canje block. “The block is reported by JHI,” Westmount stated, “to contain more than a dozen prospects in the Canje portion of the Liza play fairway,

representing more than 10 billion barrels of prospective recoverable oil resources, with a number of the prospects exhibiting the same DHI (Direct Hydrocarbon Indicator) characteristics as the neighbouring Stabroek discoveries.” ExxonMobil has, over the last six years, made 18 discoveries amounting to nine billion oil equivalent barrels, less than what is expected to come (Continued on page 70)

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Credit: JHI Associates

Sunday November 15, 2020

SUNDAY CANJE BLOCK OWNERS EXTEND TENTACLES DEEPER INTO OIL INDUSTRY In a series of articles, Kaieteur News has been exposing how Guyana lost billions in revenue after former President Donald Ramotar gave away the Canje Block oil concession to MidAtlantic Oil & Gas, a company with zero experience, wherewithal or track record in the industry. In this three-part series, Kaieteur News now reveals how Mid-Atlantic has strategically maneuvered its way into other aspects of Guyana’s oil industry through its association with a local logistics company, GLASS Holdings Inc, revealing a larger web of financial interconnection linking oil majors, concession holders, government agencies and local politicians. As this paper had reported two weeks ago, it was through a land deal involving senior People’s National Congress Reform (PNRC) member James Bond that the previously unknown Guyana Logistics and Support Services Inc. or “GLASS Holdings Inc” became known to Guyana. Bond who had acquired 20 acres of land at Peter’s Hall, East Bank Demerara from the National Industrial & Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), and flipped 10 acres to GLASS Holdings Inc. through his company, ARKEN Group Inc for US $1 million. GLASS’s website speaks to a range of services being offered by the company; equipment rental, procurement, recruitment services, customs brokerage services, relocation and domestic support, along with office and residential rentals and other additional services. On their website GLASS Holdings Inc., claims that it is “the only full-service, onestop logistics company, that has been successfully servicing the emerging oil and gas sector in Guyana since 2011.” However, Kaieteur News is in receipt of documents revealing that the company has only been legally registered since July 29, 2019. In support of the fact that the company is much younger than it claims it is, the presence on the website of three PDF documents, an environmental policy, a quality policy along with a safety policy dated October 15, 2020, February 28, 2020 and September 13, 2019 respectively.

The legal registration documents also included several Directors – Management Consultant, Storm Jackson; Canadian Insurance Actuary, Daniel John Patton; and Trinidadians attorney Stefan Adrian Haresh Mungalsingh, accountant Glenn Sherman Sobransingh and businessman Wayne Anthony Lennox Persaud. GLASS’s website also indicated a list of clientele which included big names in the oil and gas industry such as Schlumberger, Tullow Oil, Diamond Offshore, and Seacor. More importantly, among the companies listed were two key associated players in the Canje Block deal, JHI Associates and Mid Atlantic Oil & Gas. As previously covered in the story on the Bond land deal, when GLASS Holdings wrote to NICIL in relation to a hold on lease payment for the Peter’s Hall land, the letter bore the name and signature of the company’s Managing Director Glenn Low-A-Chee. This was confirmed when Kaieteur News called the number on the letter and LowA-Chee answered our questions in relation to that story. But this is not the only position Low-A-Chee enjoys – in company documents related to Mid-Atlantic Oil and Gas, seen by Kaieteur News, a “Notice of Secretary” filing shows that the oil block owner removed original Company Secretary, Nicholas Chuck-A-Sang on October 1, 2015 and replaced him with a Glenn Low-A-Chee. Further documentation shows that in 2017, Low-AChee not only still held the post but was also promoted. Documents speaking to a “Resolution of the Board of Directors” stated that Low-AChee was “authorized and instructed to do all the acts, deeds and things which are necessary to give effect to the appointment of the aforesaid person as an additional Director of the Company.” Kaieteur News is also in receipt of a document bearing Low-A-Chee’s signature in which he consented to act as the Corporate Secretary of Mid-Atlantic on November 27, 2017. This publication contacted Low-A-Chee to field questions about his involvement with both companies. When initially contacted his response was, “Nah, I can’t comment nothing on that.” He suggested that questions be sent via email, which was done, specifically on if he could confirm whether he held the position as Secretary and Director of

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Kaieteur News

unanswered. Part two of the three-part series will be published tomorrow. EXXONMOBIL CONTINUES TO PROVIDE NO EVIDENCE ON BILLIONS CLAIMED TO BE SPENT ON LOCAL CONTENT

Director at both GLASS Holdings Inc. and Mid-Atlantic Oil & Gas, Glenn Low-A-Chee. Mid-Atlantic. To this, LowA-Chee replied, “I have been the Corporate Secretary of Mid-Atlantic Oil & Gas since October 2015,” an answer in keeping with documents seen by this paper. Kaieteur News also asked Low-A-Chee whether GLASS Holdings Inc. was employed by Mid-Atlantic Oil & Gas to which he said “GLASS Holdings Inc. does NO work for Mid-Atlantic Oil and Gas Inc. nor has never done any work for the company.” When it was pointed out that Mid-Atlantic is listed as a client of GLASS Holdings Inc. on its website, Low-AChee claimed that the company has no website. “GLASS Holdings doesn’t have a website,” Low-A-Chee said on a call with this paper, “hold on, that’s a different company, Guyana Logistics Services Inc. GLASS Holdings doesn’t do anything for Mid-Atlantic, Guyana Logistics does.” It should be noted that on the GLASS Holdings letter, a 110 2nd Floor, Duke and Barrack Streets, Kingston address was listed and that address is identical as the one listed on GLASS’s website. The same landline number, 226-4090, listed for GLASS on the company’s website is also listed as the landline in LowA-Chee’s letter to NICIL as his company’s contact number. In further commenting on his claim that they were two different companies with the same address, he appeared to blur the lines even further. “We rent them an office space and we look after transportation when they are in the country, pick them up, bring them home, that kinda thing,” Low-A-Chee told Kaieteur

News. Conflict/s of Interest In the second part of this series, we will explore how the relationship between GLASS and Mid Atlantic Oil and Gas not only establishes an intrinsic conflict of interest, with Low-A-Chee operating in executive/administrative positions in both companies, but how the incestuous arrangement extends in several directions with repercussions for everything from local content to the government’s ability to monitor recoverable expenditure. In an interesting late development in the production of this story, after a Kaieteur News reporter had asked Vice-President Bharrat Jagdeo at a Friday press conference whether the relationship between Mid Atlantic and Glass constituted a conflict of interest, not one but two public relation agencies contacted this paper with a very basic press release. It reads simply: “Mid Atlantic Oil & Gas Inc. hereby advises the general public that it has not acquired any property at Eccles/Peter’s Hall, East Bank Demerara from NICIL or any other Company/Agency/ Individual is not associated with Glass Holdings Inc.” The notice is unsigned by lists a cellular number along with e-mail address that include the names of Mid Atlantic directors, Hewley Nelson and Dr. Edris Dookie. Calls to the number, to clarify the fact that both Low-AChee’s admission and existing documentation contradicts the claim of no association between the two companies, went

American oil giant, ExxonMobil, has claimed that from 2015 to the first half of 2020, it has spent roughly GY$60B on local suppliers for the procurement of goods and services, with more than 700 unique Guyanese suppliers. Specifically revealing this was ExxonMobil’s Local Content Advisor, Devon Seeram, during the oil company’s launch of their Virtual Energy Tunnel, on Friday. Even while the Local Content Advisor touts ExxonMobil’s utilization of some 600 Guyanese vendors, with over GY$14B spent in the first half of 2020, the oil giant continues to fail to provide the evidence to support the claims. Concerningly, since ExxonMobil began operations in 2015, the company has kept away from scrutiny, its local content reports, which would expose just how seriously it takes local capacity building. What is notable is that at the end of the day, it is Guyanese who will have to foot this $14 billion dollar bill along with the unaudited $60 billion, which the company has said it spent from 2015 to date. The company has also said more than 2,000 Guyanese are supporting its operations, representing 55% of the total workforce. What ExxonMobil failed to show, however, was a breakdown of the job description, salaries, and even the plans in place to increase this workforce by more than 55%. In fact, no data was provided for the public to analyze if there was any progression in the employment of Guyanese to senior positions from 2015 to now. With regards to capacity building, ExxonMobil said that this is an ongoing process for its own operations as well as for its direct contractors, with more than 100,000 hours of training provided to Guyanese staff as of the first half of 2020. As for the local businesses, which it has used for the first half of the year, ExxonMobil said more than 600 Guyanese suppliers were used for services. These “services” included the

procurement of “food stuff” and “engineering” works. Again, the company provided no breakdown of the names of companies it used for the first half of 2020. The only time ExxonMobil ever released the list of companies it claimed to have used for its local content efforts was back in June 2018. The company had claimed that it had used over 300 Guyanese registered companies to supply services. In response to calls for evidence of same, a list was provided. Upon examination, however, it was founded that ExxonMobil padded its list with the names of places like Bourda Market, Haags Bosch Dumpsite, Royal Castle, Bounty Supermarket, Metro Office and Computer Supplies, Star Party Rentals, and Shanta’s Roti Shop. It listed utility companies such as the Guyana Power and Light and the Guyana Revenue Authority as part of its local content efforts too. Persons were also listed as registered companies, which Sonia Noel, Chontelle Sewett, Andron Alphonso and Mokesh Daby. As part of one of their August statements, ExxonMobil claimed that the Centre for Local Business Development, which is located on South Road, has remained supportive of local businesses with a transition to virtual courses. No evidence or report of any kind was provided to confirm this. Additionally, ExxonMobil said that the centre continued mentorship of 10 Guyanese companies in the process to be compliant in the ISO 9001 quality management system. Those names were not released. NO MORE GIVEAWAYS CGX GOT COALITION TO WATER DOWN WORK PROGRAMME FOR CORENTYNE BLOCK – COMPANY STILL FAILED TO HONOUR NEW OBLIGATIONS Since 2012, CGX Resources Inc., a subsidiary of Canada-based exploration company, CGX Energy Inc., has been in possession of a licence for the Corentyne Block. According to the agreement signed with the then government on November 12, 2012 for the offshore concession, CGX was supposed to drill at least four wells on the block by 2019. But this did not occur. Instead of fully meeting its obligations, CGX drilled two wells in 2012, both of which (Continued on page 26)

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From page 25 were abandoned — Eagle-1 as a dry hole and Jaguar-1 for safety concerns.Since then, it has made promises to drill more wells in search of oil but never did. Upon examining its 2012 agreement, Kaieteur News found that the initial period of CGX having the licence, lasts for a period for four years (2012 to 2016). Within that time, the company was expected to drill two wells, one within 30 months… another within 18 months. As noted earlier, two wells were drilled during that time. Following this, CGX got the first renewal of the licence. This lasted for three years (2016 to 2019). During this time it was expected to drill two more wells. The contract states that CGX must drill one well within 18 months and at the end of this period; elect to give up the entire contract area except in those parts where it found oil or gas. If it does not want to give up the whole block, then it has to commit to doing more work before the three-year period is up. Before the first renewal period comes to an end, CGX was expected to drill another well. At the end of it, the company can once again choose to give up 25 percent of the block or simply hand over everything. Instead of honouring all terms of the contract it signed with Guyana back in 2012, CGX was able to get the APNU+AFC administration to water down its work programme from having to drill two wells, to only drilling one well. According to the company’s quarterly highlights for the period ended June 30, 2020, CGX disclosed that the APNU+AFC regime had approved an addendum to its work programme on December 15, 2017. On December 19, 2017, Kaieteur News would have reported the company’s promises to drill an exploration well by November 27, 2019; acquire additional seismic or conduct seismic reprocessing by November 27, 2020 with another exploratory well in the Corentyne block by 2022. The well which was called “Utakwaaka” and scheduled to be drilled in November 2019, was never drilled. During the year ended December 31, 2019, CGX in its financial statements said that it received another modification to the addendum. Kaieteur News understands that is resulted

Kaieteur News

Sunday November 15, 2020

Dhoray’s Fashion on fire last night

CGX Resources Inc. Chairman, Professor Suresh Narine in the order of the work programme being changed. The company was then expected to complete additional seismic acquisition or seismic processing first and then drill one well. Again, no well was ever drilled. It therefore means that even with the watered down work programme, CGX still did not honour all of its obligations. (See link for company’s financial reports and its contract with Guyana: h t t p s : / / c g x e n e rg y. c o m / financial-reports/, https:// gyeiti.org/contracts/cgxcontract/) In spite of this poor performance, the company is now asking the Energy Department to grant it approval to hold the block for another three years.

explosions could be heard as the fire consumed the building at a fast rate and began spreading to the Harvey’s Variety Store next door. A call was also placed to the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Company to assist in disconnecting the main power lines to the building. Fire fighters were seen using what looked like electric saws and angle grinders to cut through heavy duty padlocks placed on the shutters of Harvey’s store just to gain access. Others were seen climbing up on top of other buildings in order to douse the blaze. When this media house arrived on the scene, the building was still burning as the owners arrived.

MONDAY REGENT STREET STORE DESTROYED BY FIRE Kaieteur News – It was madness last night after a fire erupted and destroyed Dhoray’s Fashion, a store located on Regent Street, Georgetown in close proximity to the GuyOil Gas Station. Kaieteur News learnt from GuyOil staffers that the blaze started at around 20:30hrs. An explosion was heard and flames were seen emanating from the building which is well known by many as a popular clothes store. A call was immediately made to the fire department by one of the Gas Station staffers. While awaiting the arrival of fire trucks, they shut off all the fuel pumps and evacuated the Gas Station as quickly as possible. Fire fighters arrived together with police and set up barricades to cordon off the area as they began their work. When Kaieteur News arrived on the scene, loud

DEMERARA OIL BLOCK CGX BREACHED CONTRACT BUT COALITION GOVT. STILLAPPROVED EXTENSION FOR THREE MORE YEARS Kaieteur News – After being in possession of a licence for the Demerara oil block offshore Guyana for eight years, CGX Resources Inc., a local exploration company, has failed to drill a single well. According to the agreement it signed with Guyana’s government at the time on February 12, 2013, the company was required to drill at least one well within the first four years of having the licence. This was expected to be done after it conducted a new marine 3D seismic survey consisting of a minimum of 1000 square kilometers, as well as process and interpret data from same. At the end of the fouryear period, CGX was required to give up 15 percent of the contract area or the entire block and renew the licence for

another three years. In 2017, it exercised the option to relinquish 15 percent of the block and renewed its licence for three years. It got the renewal approved even though it did not honour its work obligations completely. Further to this, the petroleum agreement notes that if it acquires the renewal, CGX should drill two wells. Instead of honouring this, it approached the coalition regime in 2017 to approve a work programme with fewer obligations. The Addendum states that between 2017 and 2020, CGX could simply conduct additional data processing and planning for an exploration well, after which it can elect either to relinquish the entire contract area except for any discovery area or commit to doing any additional processing and planning, while securing all regulatory approvals for the drilling of the first exploration well. The Addendum also states that at the end of the first renewal period of three years, the company shall elect either to relinquish the entire contract area except or 25% percent of the block and renew for a second period of three years. The APNU+AFC approved this work programme in December 2017 in spite of the fact that the company breached its commitments during the first four years of having the licence. It also gave CGX the option of not drilling a well until 2021. CGX has since elected to relinquish 25 percent of the Demerara block and is currently awaiting approval from the Department of Energy for permission to hold

onto the block for another three years. CHINESE CONTRACTOR SUBMITS REVISED WORK PLAN LACKING DESIGNS FROM ORIGINAL CJIA RENOVATION CONTRACT Chinese contractor, China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), has once again defied the governing administration’s directives. This time it has submitted a revised work plan for the US$150M and counting Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) renovation project without the key components set in the initial contract. Public Works Minister, Juan Edghill, confirmed with this publication that this was indeed the state of affairs. The Minister told Kaieteur News that the work plan was only submitted a few days ago but no formal action have been taken against the contractor for this infraction. According to Edghill too, “The action that is being taken right now is to get CHEC to build, or I should say to complete an airport that will have facilities for eight air bridges, new terminal space to accommodate the absent air bridges, aprons and taxiways to facilitate the completion of the extended runway.” Minister Edghill, when asked whether the contractor provided a reason for submitting the deficient work plan, said that the company did not and they “have not been shy at going to the media.” The Ministry of Public Works granted CHEC an August 28 deadline after a visit by President Irfaan Ali, but the company made no

submission on that date. That revised work plan was expected to capture the agreed upon terms in the initial contract signed by the contractor and the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), which was also in government back in 2011. It was also expected to outline how the long list of defects at the country’s main port of entry will be fixed and a revised deadline. The multi-billion Guyanese dollars contract has been in the hands of CHEC during the PPP/C tenure from 2011-2015. The project should have been completed in December 31, 2018 but substandard works turned what should have been a state-of-the-art airport into merely a renovated facility. CHEC has been under fire for the shoddy works done at the airport, on multiple occasions. In fact, government was forced to cease the hefty duty-free concession handed to the company after it failed to adhere to its contractual obligations. The company later sought to defend itself, and revealed that the expansions were 97 percent completed back in 2019 – in direct response to criticisms that they failed to submit the revised work plan as demanded by the Public Works Minister. CHEC explained that the contract established that the contractor’s submission of the price carried conditions – “it excluded the Handling Equipment and the Removal of the existing Terminal, among other things, and specifically established the Employer’s responsibility to supply the equipment for eight bridges and other handling equipment.” The (Continued on page 27)

Sunday November 15, 2020

From page 26 company explained that geotechnical investigations of the locations revealed “unforeseen conditions” compared to the data that was originally provided. After discussions, it added, both parties agreed that the original plan could not be implemented and alternative options were provided. “In 2013,” CHEC said, “the Contractor provided several options, each of which included an increase in the sizes of the apron and taxiway areas with the relevant cost due to the variation to the Employer and in January 2015, the Employer informed the Contractor that it had chosen one of the alternative proposals submitted.” It was noted in the statement that during the period January 2013 to May 2015, budget allocations for the project was not approved by Parliament and this hampered works from being executed as planned. Works were restarted in May 2015 but were brought to a halt after the incoming Coalition government requested a review and demanded that the company suspend construction during this period. At the end of the review, the Coalition, CHEC explained, agreed to revised terms taking into consideration the budget, changes and claims to the project prior to 2015. This also included an adjustment to the scope of works to adapt to the total contract value and a variation of the Contract Agreement was signed in October 2015. Further, in January 2016, the preliminary plan for redesigning the terminal building was agreed upon. The renovation of the original building and the construction of the new terminal building began. But despite these hiccups, by the end of 2019, the Project was 97 percent% completed, CHEC said. GGMC KNEW INITIAL CANJE OWNER WAS PENNILESS, BUT GAVE IT THE BLOCKANYWAY …SECRET DOCUMENTS FROM OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT REVEAL Secret documents from the Office of the President have revealed that the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) knew Mid-Atlantic Oil and Gas was broke; that it could not finance its work commitments under the Canje agreement, but gave the ultra deepwater block away to the company anyway. Mid-Atlantic was so

broke that it did not even have a seismic survey done before it started to flip the licence – let alone, have the money to drill a well. The GGMC admitted that Mid-Atlantic on its own could be seen as a company that is insufficient to finance work in the block, and wanted a commitment that the company would somehow get the money. It explained, to the question of giving an oil licence to a new company without financial statements that the critical consideration is at least making sure that the company could make it past the first stage of the work programme. In the case of the exploration licence, that would be a seismic survey. Commissioner Newell Dennison did not see raising enough money for such a task as being a problem. He said that if it ended up being that the owner couldn’t find the money, the licence would later be withdrawn. So GGMC agreed under the contract that Mid-Atlantic would seek to raise finances in the market for its operations while it held the licence. However, GGMC did not actually expect Mid-Atlantic to raise the finances. The regulator advised its subject Minister, Robert Persaud, to recommend the award be made to MidAtlantic because it considered Chief Executive Officer of JHI Associates, John Cullen, as the person with the capability of raising the finances needed to do the work. Dennison explained, according to the documents, that Cullen’s history with CGX is what led the regulator to assume that securing finances would not be a problem. The Commission regarded Cullen as a “formidable” partner in securing capital for projects, and it had received a communication from Cullen and/or JHI. Cullen and Mid-Atlantic shareholder, Edris Dookie, are the co-founders of CGX, but CGX was not involved in the application for the Canje block. Neither were the two men still with CGX at the time of the application. Further, Cullen was not part of Mid-Atlantic. This newspaper revealed last week that the Canadian JHI had completed a farm-in agreement in 2014 for the Canje block with MidAtlantic, before Mid-Atlantic even received it. The two companies appear to have been planning this for years. GGMC was aware of this. It knew that there would eventually evolve some mechanism for Cullen’s

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interest in the Canje block to emerge, and was aware of the 2014 arrangement reached between the two companies. So when Guyana granted the block in 2015, as per their agreement, Mid-Atlantic allowed JHI to become a legal owner of the block on May 15, 2015 – weeks after the award, and days after the general election. There was no issue with this transfer getting the approval of the government, as the government gave the block away on the condition of JHI’s involvement. GGMC was satisfied that Mid-Atlantic would amass the technical competence needed to do the work, as it regarded Dookie’s time with CGX as proof enough that he could develop the capacity of the company. Together, JHI and MidAtlantic held on to the block for a year, and then sold a 35 percent interest and the operatorship to ExxonMobil in 2015. Then, in that year, a seismic survey was done. TUESDAY CGX TO BILLGUYANA US$155M FOR ONE DRY WELL ON CORENTYNE BLOCK Following its first discovery of significant amounts of hydrocarbons at the Liza well in the Stabroek Block, American oil giant, ExxonMobil quickly put Guyana on notice that it is owed US$450M in exploration costs. The oil giant claimed that these costs were incurred from the time it was awarded the licence by the Janet Jagan administration in 1999 up to the time it made the commercial discovery in 2015. After it made this known, ExxonMobil and the Granger administration negotiated and signed a lopsided Production Sharing Agreement in 2016 which essentially laid out favourable provisions for the company. Between 2015 and 2016, ExxonMobil said that Guyana has to pay additional costs it racked up. Guyana ended up owing ExxonMobil approximately US$900M before a drop of oil was pumped and the country is yet to verify these costs. Following an examination of the latest financial statements of CGX Resources Inc., it is clear that this exploration company is poised to do exactly what ExxonMobil did to Guyana, should it make a commercial discovery on its Corentyne block. According to the company’s quarterly financial statements for the period ended June 30, 2020, CGX noted that it will recover

Map showing the Demerara block. US$155,000,000 against any future commercial production. Importantly, CGX said that these costs are “brought forward from the original Corentyne licence.” The company’s latest financial report notes that the original Corentyne petroleum agreement was awarded in 1998, following which, the company began an active exploration programme consisting of a 1,800 km seismic acquisition. This was in preparation to drill the Eagle well. CGX noted that the Eagle drilling location in 2000 was 15 kms within the GuyanaSuriname border. However, a border dispute between Guyana and Suriname led to the company being forced off the Eagle location before drilling could begin. As a result of that incident, CGX said that all active offshore exploration in Guyana was suspended by CGX and the other operators in the area, including Exxon and Maxus (Repsol, YPF). On September 17, 2007, the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (“ITLOS”) awarded a maritime boundary between Guyana and Suriname. CGX was keen to note that it financed a significant portion of Guyana’s legal expenses but this only came up to US$9.8 million. The decision was beneficial for CGX, as it concluded that 93% of CRI’s Corentyne block would be in Guyana territory. After the matter was settled in 2007, CGX moved to acquire 3D seismic in Guyana to enhance its interpretation of its newly defined Eagle Deep prospect, a large stratigraphic trap in the Cretaceous zone. The cost of the seismic programme was approximately US$8 million. Processing and interpretation of the 3D seismic data was completed in 2009.

Based on the interpretation of the 3D seismic volume and concurrent activities on both sides of the Atlantic margin, the company interpreted numerous prospects on the Corentyne block. The company went ahead with the Eagle-1 well and drilled same on February 13, 2012. That well was later declared a dry hole. In November of that year, the company was awarded a new Petroleum Licence for the Corentyne Block. GOV’T. DECISION TO EXTEND CURFEW COULD HAVE DIRE CONSEQUENCES ON POPULATION – DR. CUMMINGS By extending the curfew despite the increase in cases, the government has shown that it is not serious and that it is incapable of bringing the COVID-19 pandemic under control, a situation that could have dire consequences on the population, according to Dr. Karen Cummings. In a scathing letter to the editor, the A Partnership for National Unity +Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Member of Parliament, (MP) and former Minister within the Ministry of Health accused the new administration of failing to work in the best interest of the people during the COVID-19 pandemic. Alluding to Guyana’s growing COVID-19 mortality rate, she said the move by the government to extend the curfew has contributed to that increase. Dr. Cummings stressed that “The extension of the curfew hours from 10:30pm to 4:00am is sending mixed messages to the populace.” “The young people will feel that they are invincible, and that they can go out as they will, with no dire consequences,” she wrote.

The former minister said that small gatherings seen in social clubs and bars could become hot spots or clusters for the spread of COVID-19. She explained that persons who engage in such delinquent behaviors and attend these super spreading events will no doubt affect the vulnerable at home – the elderly, persons with comorbidity or underlying health conditions who will certainly be at a high risk for the disease. Added to this, Dr. Cummings referenced the increasing number of COVID -19 cases. She said that “it has been observed that the COVID -19 deaths as at the month of October was 124 with 4, 162 confirmed cases and to date as of November 8, 2020, the deaths are at 134 with 4516 confirmed cases.” “[Additionally], Region 4 being the epicenter with 2139 cases followed by Region 1 with 772, Regions 7, 9, and 3 with 382, 376, and 348 cases respectively,” she said. Further, Dr. Cummings noted that while Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony says that managing the COVID-19 pandemic must be balanced with economic recovery; she believes his goal will not be realized unless the common sense measures are enforced. “Strategic lockdown, wearing of masks, physical distancing and the washing of hands for at least for 20 seconds; those basic things must be drilled into the Guyanese psyche,” the opposition representative emphasized. “Mr. Health Minister, it is not simply about balancing health with economics. Public health must take priority over profits. Covid-19 will impact economics. The public health mantra is to have healthy people in healthy (Continued on page 28)

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From page 27 communities, and to empower communities to have healthier schools,” Dr. Cummings advised. The former minister warned that if proper considerations are not taken, there will be the converse effect leading to a total shut down of the country. “If stringent measures are not enforced, we will have a sick nation and there will be no trade or commerce to keep the economy afloat,” she stated. As such, she opined that the health officials should do the research and follow the science of COVID-19. “Take a leaf from the pages of countries such as Vietnam, New Zealand, Australia, and Iceland, and other countries such as Norway, Uruguay, Switzerland, and Germany who successfully have this pandemic under control,” Dr. Cummings advised. CANU FINDS HOMEMADE EXPLOSIVES IN BELGIUM BUST RAID Investigators from the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) and local enforcement officers during a recent search encountered a home rigged with improvised explosives as the probe continues into the recent massive drug bust by the Belgium authorities. This was confirmed yesterday by Guyana’s Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn who revealed to the media that over the past two days, CANU ranks conducted a string of raids with the leads taking them to a particular house in the capital. According to Benn, when the investigating ranks arrived, the house was “rigged with explosives”. “I am aware that care was taken to enter a particular house because there appeared to be rigged up explosives arrangement at the normal entrance to that house,” the Minister reported. Sources have disclosed to Kaieteur News that when the officers arrived at the East Coast Demerara home during the evening hours, they discovered what appeared to be “a leaking gas bottle rigged up to a microwave” that was left on. Ranks from the Bomb Squad, the local Fire Department and Joint Services immediately cleared the area and managed to disarm the explosive contraption. “The efforts of our law enforcement at CANU and the police are being attended

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The renovated terminal building that Guyana got as part of the US$150M-plus project at CJIA. It was supposed to be new. (Mike Charles’ Facebook Photo)

to by certain risks,” Benn added, noting that an investigation was launched into that incident. Belgian prosecutors said they have dealt a new blow to a recently disbanded drug gang led by a former Belgian police chief as they announced the largest-ever drug bust shipment “in the world,” after finding 11.5 tonnes of cocaine in a scrap metal shipment from Guyana. The massive load of cocaine left Guyana on September 25 and was opened in Belgium on October 27. According to a story in the Brussels Times, counter-narcotics prosecutors said they had tracked the trans-Atlantic journey of the cocaine from Guyana, and seized it upon its arrival at the Port of Antwerp. WEDNESDAY PPP, PNC, AFC UNITED IN THE SELLOUT OF GUYANA’S OIL RESOURCES – NIGEL HINDS Kaieteur News – The three major political parties – People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C), People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), and Alliance for Change (AFC) – are united in the sellout of Guyana’s oil and gas resources to oil giants and their beneficiaries. Many of their leaders are complicit and/or compromised. So says anticorruption advocate, Nigel Hinds. In an exclusive Op-Ed to Kaieteur News, Hinds makes the scathing criticism, which follows several years of giveaways of oil blocks by successive governments, under suspicious circumstances and with extremely generous provisions, resulting in significant value leakage for

the people of Guyana. He pointed to copious reporting by Kaieteur News and, to a lesser extent, Stabroek News, on the “unconscionable” deals in dire need of renegotiation. “The dastardly oil contracts,” the accountant states, “are mutilated beyond legal recognition. The battle for fair oil deals is akin to a battle between a deceitful David against a tyrannical Goliath. As poverty and COVID-19 overwhelms Guyana, we have only our self-serving and subjugated leaders to blame for our country’s economic inability to mitigate poverty or provide the financial resources to deal with COVID-19.” Kaieteur News recently concluded a series on the suspicious giveaways of the Kaieteur and Canje oil blocks by former President, Donald Ramotar and former Minister of Natural Resources, Robert Persaud. Following this, Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo held a press conference claiming that there was no corruption and no broken laws in the handling of the awards. On the other side of the political aisle, Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon, has opted to claim ignorance of the deals and the subsequent transfers of stakes, despite serving five years in authority at the Ministry of the Presidency. Global Witness, an independent watchdog group, has said that its intelligence tells it Harmon’s coalition may have stonewalled an investigation into the giveaways. Similar controversy followed the release of the Stabroek Block agreement granted to ExxonMobil and its partners, by former Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman. The contract lords over a block which holds nine billion

oil-equivalent barrels. However, the terms of the agreement have been adjudged as weak and below industry standards by many political commentators and industry experts. Despite years of protest against the terms, projected to leave billions of US dollars on the table, all of the major parties have refused to even attempt to bring the Stabroek block co-venturers back to the negotiation table. “It’s a farce to call yourself a patriot and embrace these transparently shenanigous oil arrangements that will further increase poverty and the wealth gap in Guyana.” Hinds wrote. These issues form only the tip of the iceberg where a lack of transparency and questions of mismanagement of Guyana’s oil resources are concerned. “Should Kaieteur News throw in the towel, accept the sellout contracts, believe the vacuous talk from past and present political leaders? Absolutely No!” Hinds said.

He holds that the industry low one percent and two percent royalty rates represent failed governance. “Over nine billion barrels of oil owned by a population of less than 800,000, with the people spread over Guyana’s land surface of 19.7 million hectares. It is not difficult or too late,” Hinds said, “for genuinely inclusive political leadership to take this enormous rising tide of oil discovered in Guyana and monetize the oil resource for the widescale benefit of our people… Our time on this earth will expire, let us aspire to leave a legacy of doing good, doing what is in the best interest of the Guyanese people.” ANOTHER OUTRAGEOUS OIL BILL… CGX CLAIMS GUYANA OWES IT US$20M DESPITE DRILLING NO WELL ON DEMERARA BLOCK Guyana’s experience since becoming an oil producing nation is most

certainly an eye-opening one. The very day ExxonMobil struck oil in May 2015, the oil giant was keen to point out that Guyana owes it billions of dollars which it claimed was expended in its search for oil since 1999. Those costs it said, amount to US$460M. When it moved to negotiate an agreement on how the oil production would be split with the Granger administration in 2016, Exxon added more costs, taking the total to approximately US$900M. To date, Guyana has no clue what these pre-contract costs are for and to what extent they have been inflated. But this may just be the beginning of Guyana’s oil woes as another company is standing at the ready to unleash more bills should it make a commercial discovery. This company is none other than CGX Resources Inc. It is the local arm of Canadian exploration company, CGX Energy Inc. which has been making modest attempts to explore (Continued on page 29)

The house where the raid was conducted

Sunday November 15, 2020

From page 28 Guyana’s offshore basin since 1998. According to its latest financial statements for the period ended June 30, 2020, CGX said it is poised to recover US$1M in expenses it claimed to have incurred on the Demerara block.The company said that these costs are brought forward from the original annex licence. In this regard, it explained that the Demerara block was previously part of a subset of the company’s original agreement for a block called Corentyne. But once separated, it acquired the Demerara Petroleum Prospecting Licence (PPL) and signed onto a Petroleum Agreement (PA) on February 12, 2013. CGX did not explain what were the costs incurred before it signed the new licence in 2013. But with the ne w agreement, the bill gets higher. Under the terms of the new Demerara PA, during the initial period of four years, CGX has an obligation to conduct a 3D seismic survey of a minimum of 1,000 km2 (completed in 2014) and to drill one exploration well. CGX in its statements did not admit to breaching the working programme as it failed to drill the well required. It was keen to note, h o w e v e r, i n S e p t e m b e r 2014, it entered into a seismic contract with Prospector PTE. Ltd. (“Prospector”) to conduct a 3,116.74 km2 3D seismic survey on the Demerara Block as part of its commitments. The c o m p a n y ’s financial statements expose, h o w e v e r, that the aggregate cost of this seismic survey was approximately US$19 million with $7 million paid to Prospector by way of issuance of 15,534,310 common shares valued at $0.49 per share, $2.5 million paid in cash thirty days after receipt of their invoice and the remainder of approximately $9.5 million payable in cash twelve months after the conclusion of the seismic survey, being December 2015. As of June 30, 2020, that amount remains unpaid. It therefore means that once the total US$19M is paid off by CGX, Guyana will owe the company a total of US$20M or GY$5 Billion. These are all recoverable costs against a commercial discovery according to the terms of its agreement. Kaieteur News would have reported yesterday that

the country will also have to pay CGX a total of US$155M for costs it claims it incurred on the Corentyne block. ACCUSED PONZI OPERATORS WANT TO REPAY INVESTORS USING CRYPTOCURRENCY Kaieteur News – Principals of Accelerated Capital Firm (ACF) Inc., the company that investigators accuse of running a Ponzi scheme that bilked 17,000 Guyanese of billions of dollars, is now offering to repay them in digital money. Yuri Garcia- Dominguez, a principal of the company, is seeking to make the payments in cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrency is a digital method designed to work as a medium of exchange wherein an individual can do online transactions – the most popular cryptocurrency is bitcoins. Dominguez and his wife, Ateeka Ishmael, both officials of ACF, are charged for allegedly running a Ponzi scheme in which in excess of US$20M was swindled out of the pockets of thousands of Guyanese. The couple has also been slapped with two charges under the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Act. Almost one month after the repayment process was halted due to the seizure of monies, electronics, and financial documents by the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU), an arm of the Guyana Police Force, the total number of persons that were repaid remains at 27. Seen by this publication was a message from marketers of ACF to investors. According to the message, Dominguez has decided to repay his investors using cryptocurrency since cash and cheques are not an option due to the difficulties getting access to the accounts. In the message, the investors were told that, “Mr. Yuri will use an app called CoinZoom where he will transfer bitcoin to the marketers’ e-wallet and from there you will immediately sell the bitcoin for US dollars.” “Afterwards, you can wire transfer the money to your bank account without any issue. Therefore, I will send a link for you to register on CoinZoom to activate your e-wallet. When you are called in by ACF for your payment, you can walk with your CoinZoom information to do the transfer.” Notably, there were no

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details in the message where or to whom the bitcoins will be sold and what account will be established for the investors to transfer the money to their local accounts. Moreover, the new repayment method that Garcia-Dominguez is seeking to implement has caused investors to worry about the further disadvantages in getting the bitcoins changed over to cash and whether or not it is just another delay tactics. Last month, the couple appeared in court and was not required to plead to operating a Ponzi scheme in breach of the Consumer Affairs Act, No. 13 of 2011, and carrying on a business without registering with the Guyana Securities Council, in breach of the Securities Industries Act. Cap 73:04 They denied the charges and were released on $25,000 bail each on each charge. The charges were all under the anti-money laundering laws that were introduced a few years ago. This case would be one of the major ones in which the laws are being tested. The AML/CFT Act, Chapter 10:11…the laws prohibit businesses from operating as financial Institutions without the necessary registration for regulation and supervision by the Regulatory Authorities, the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and Guyana Securities Council. Attorney-at-law, Dexter Todd, is representing the duo. Prior to the anti-money laundering charges, the two had appeared in three different magistrates’ courts on the East Coast of Demerara, slapped with 80plus fraud charges, which allege that they obtained monies under false pretense. They were released on $30M bail after spending over a month in prison on remand. According to reports, Garcia-Dominguez and Ishmael are officials of ACF Inc. and they allegedly lured thousands of Guyanese claiming that by investing with their company, persons would get at least 40% return. The investors were also encouraged to enlist additional investors on a 10% commission basis. ACF Inc. is not registered with the Guyana Securities Council to conduct financial business, either as an investment advisor and/or a broker. The new government, under Irfaan Ali, had launched an investigation after complaints by investors of

Yuri Garcia- Dominguez and his wife, Ateeka Ishmael. not receiving their money. Accelerated claimed that it is trading foreign currencies. THURSDAY EXXON’S CONTINUOUS FLARINGABREACH OF CONTRACT – INT’L LAWYER ExxonMobil has been flaring gas at the Liza Destiny vessel for almost a year (Credit: Guyana Marine Conservation Society) Kaieteur News – International lawyer, Melinda Janki, believes that ExxonMobil’s flaring of associated gas at the Stabroek block’s Liza Phase One operation, appears to amount to a breach of contract. Associated Gas is gas which is produced from an oil field, as opposed to NonAssociated Gas, which comes from gas fields. Article 12.1 of the Stabroek Block production sharing agreement (PSA), sets out the terms for the treatment of Associated Gas. It states “The Associated Gas produced from any Oil Field within the Contract Area shall be with priority used for the purposes related to the operations of production and production enhancement of Oil Fields, such as Gas Injection, Gas Lifting and power generation.” Further down this provision, the principle of “full utilization” of the Associated Gas is stipulated. Janki’s interpretation of Article 12.1 mandates that ExxonMobil’s local subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) utilize the Associated Gas for those purposes before anything

else is done with the gas. “The Petroleum Agreement clearly states,” Janki told Kaieteur News, “that Esso and partners must re-inject any associated gas that they do not use or sell. They are not allowed to flare it. They are not using the gas. They cannot sell it on the market because nobody wants to buy associated gas. But they are not re-injecting it, they are flaring it. Esso and partners appear to be in breach of the Petroleum Agreement and that is a very serious matter.” ExxonMobil’s design for the Liza Phase one operation includes equipment to be used for the safe re-injection of produced Associated Gas. This mechanism is meant to ensure that the gas is not wasted, and that there is enough pressure in the reservoir to maintain optimal oil production. The Liza Phase One environmental impact assessment, which is grounded in mention in the Stabroek block PSA, acknowledges temporary non-routine flaring at the operation. This allowed for ExxonMobil, during Liza Phase One startup in December, to fully commission the gas injection equipment. The EIA written by Exxon itself, Janki pointed out, specifically frowns on the flaring of the Associated Gas. On page 41 of the 498-page document, it is stated “produced gas not used as fuel gas on the FPSO will be re-injected under normal operations. Continuous flaring of gas on a routine basis is not preferred, primarily due to the associated air emissions.” In the case of Exxon’s Liza

Phase One operation, flaring went way past the project startup, for much longer than the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) anticipated. The company claimed it had to flare, since its gas compression equipment was defective and needed to undergo repairs overseas. Said repairs reportedly proved difficult to undergo with haste, given limitations the COVID-19 pandemic safety guidelines have placed on companies. The EPA had responded by slashing ExxonMobil’s Liza Phase One production in June, from the 80,000 barrels per day, where it hovered in the month prior, to a maximum allowance of 30,000 barrels per day. This was meant to limit flaring of toxic gas while ExxonMobil awaited equipment repairs. At the time, the regulator was headed by Dr. Vincent Adams, who had said that there is no way ExxonMobil can go back to the significant levels of flaring. However, shortly after the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C)’s assumption of office in August, Dr. Adams was sent on leave and was replaced by Sharifah Razack, one of the EPA’s directors. Shortly before Adams’ removal, he told Kaieteur News that ExxonMobil is exploiting a loophole in its Liza Phase One environmental permit so it could continue to flare. His view, told to Kaieteur News in June, is that the flaring is not in breach of the license; that the flaring counts as “start-up”. He had said that he was rewriting the environmental permits for Liza Phases One and Two to close loopholes, as that office gave him the power to so do. However, his removal placed an effective halt on the rewriting of the permits. “Under basic contract law,” Janki said, “Esso and its partners are liable for all the damage they have caused to Guyana and the Guyanese people by this breach of contract. The minister should insist that Esso and its partners compensate Guyana for the damage they have caused by flaring the associated gas. His job is to protect Guyana not ExxonMobil.” The new government has set up a mechanism by which the Stabroek block coventurers would pay fines for flaring gas, but that only applies to the upcoming Payara project. The new government intends to wait until the earlier two permits for Liza Phases One and Two expire, to secure (Continued on page 30)

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From page 29 better terms. Meanwhile, Guyana gets no compensation for the flaring of what has now amounted to 12 billion cubic feet of Associated Gas. Janki urged current Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat to take action. “Has the Minister sought legal advice?” Janki asked. “Is he going to make any effort to obtain damages for breach of contract or is he simply going to do nothing?” ENERGYDEPT. HEAD, MARK BYNOE SENT PACKING Kaieteur News – Head of the Department of Energy, Dr. Mark Bynoe, yesterday received his letter of termination; three days after Vice President (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo revealed that he would likely be removed from the post. Kaieteur News understands that the letter sent by the Permanent Secretary at the Office of the President, Abeena Moore, instructed Bynoe that his contract was being terminated with immediate effect from December 11 and that he should proceed on leave. This paper attempted to make contact with Dr. Bynoe but calls to his phone went straight to voicemail. At a recently held press conference, the VP had explained that Dr. Bynoe had no prior experience in the energy sector, before being appointed to his post and, as such, it would be highly unlikely that he would be kept on as the Energy Department Head. Dr. Bynoe is a graduate of the University of East Anglia where he obtained his doctoral degree in Economics, specializing in Resource and Trade Economics and the University of Edinburgh from which he graduated with a Master’s of Science degree in Resource Management. He completed his Bachelor’s of Arts Degree, majoring in Geography and Economics (Double Major) at the University of Guyana and his Post Graduate Diploma from the same institution in Development Studies. Dr. Bynoe has over 25 years of experience in academia, more specifically, at the University of Guyana, where he functioned in the capacity of the Director, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences (SEES), being mainly responsible for the creation of the SEES and the establishment of postgraduate programmes between the Universities of

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Murdered: Sanesha Lall Guyana, Suriname and the West Indies. Even without holding the requisite qualifications, Dr. Bynoe was on August 1, 2018, appointed the inaugural Director for the Department of Energy by the Government of Guyana. In this new portfolio, Dr. Bynoe was expected to develop the Department for the effective management of the country’s new found oil and gas resources, while simultaneously optimizing the benefits to be derived from these resources for the entire Republic. MURDERED E’BO 16YEAR-OLD GIRL STABBED 20 TIMES - HAD ENDURED RELATIONSHIPWITH 34-YEAR-OLD ALLEGED KILLER DUE TO POVERTY Sanesha Lall, the 16-yearold girl who was murdered allegedly by her ex-lover on the Essequibo Coast yesterday, was reportedly stabbed 20 times. The now dead teen who was killed yesterday in her Richmond Housing Scheme residence by a married 34-year-old man of Bounty Hall Essequibo Coast, identified as Kumar. According to information reaching this publication, the incident occurred sometime around 09:00hrs. At the time of the incident, the teen was at home with her older and younger sister, along with her older sister’s friend and baby. Eyewitnesses who spoke to Kaieteur News said that the suspect drove to the property in a blue minibus. The suspect, who was already armed with a knife, then exited the vehicle, entered the yard and charged up the stairs to the small house. Having seen the knife, the teen’s eldest sister attempted to retrieve the weapon, but the suspect reportedly threatened to stab her. As he made his way towards the teen, the sister tried once

more to protect her younger sister, but the suspect turned the knife towards her. The man then charged into the room of the defenseless teen and stabbed her multiple times about her body. The teen’s younger sister and family friend fled the house and screamed out for help, as the ordeal unfolded. After stabbing Sanesha some twenty times, the suspect existed the home, got back into the minibus and fled the scene. The teen, died within minutes of the brutal ordeal. Police arrived on the scene shortly after and immediately went in pursuit of the suspect. About three and a half hours following the incident, police arrested the suspect at the Better Hope Backdam. Reports are that the suspected attempted suicide, and was found with the murder weapon in the bus, along with a bottle of suspected poison. He was escorted to the Suddie Public Hospital where he remains under police guard. Kaieteur News understand that both of the teen’s parents are deceased, which exposed the siblings to poverty. Reports reaching Kaieteur News also indicate that the suspect is married with two children. When questioned about the teen’s relationship with the older man, one family member said, “He and Nesha brother-inlaw was friends, so he use to go there, and so come he like Nesha but she never like he… She use to push he away. The other night, he call she and she cuss he up and tell he she ain’t want nothing to do with he and he get vex.” Police however stated in their press release that Lall and the suspect shared a relationship, which ended some time ago. Also, sources close to the family told Kaieteur News that the two were involved since the teen was 14 years old. Based on the information given by both family members and neighbours, the teen was forced into the relationship, given the fact that the family was already poverty-stricken. Following the death of both parents, the teen continued to rely on the support, which she received from the man. Based on information reaching Kaieteur News, when some family members noticed that the relationship between the teen and the suspect were heading ‘downhill’, she was moved from the Coast returning recently after spending some time away. Following her return, she had already resolved that she would sever the relationship. Family members told Kaieteur News that despite her resolve, the

suspect would not take no for an answer. “He use to continue ringing she phone but she use to quarrel and cuss and tell he she ain’t want nothing to do with he,” said another family member. Unable to handle the rejection, the man snapped yesterday and apparently premeditated to kill the young woman. Sources told Kaieteur News that he bought the knife, along with a bottle of poison, just before committing the crime. FRIDAY GOVT. GIVES NO GUARANTEES ON IMPLEMENTING POLICY TO SLOW DOWN EMPTYING OF GUYANA’S OIL BASIN In December 2018, the former APNU+AFC Government had taken a US$11.6M loan from the InterAmerican-Development Bank (IDB) to improve the nation’s capacity to effectively manage the oil sector. A portion of that money was dedicated to developing a depletion policy. This is a crucial document that helps to slow or put a brake on the aggressive rate at which oil companies extract and sell the nation’s oil and gas resources. With such a policy in place, experts have opined that it would give Guyana the time it needs to properly build its capacity to regulate the sector. The policy once implemented, would for example, give Guyana the time it needs to develop the incountry skills necessary to properly audit ExxonMobil’s expenses for the Stabroek Block. However, since the APNU+AFC signed onto the loan two years ago, this policy is yet to be produced. Kaieteur News recently called on Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, to say what would be the way forward with this document especially when one considers the fact that it is a condition of the IDB loan. The official noted that he is not au fait with all the conditionalities of the loans taken by the former regime but pledged to review same. And while he did not give a clearcut guarantee that this document would be part of the PPP’s governance structure for the oil sector, Jagdeo stated that such matters would have to be examined not just for individual companies but at the national or legislative level too. Jagdeo said that personally, he would like to see oil production increase to a maximum level.

Former Head of the Department of Energy, Dr. Mark Bynoe While there are no guarantees on whether Guyana would have a depletion policy in place to tame ExxonMobil’s aggressive rate of production… The Stabroek block, Trinidadian energy strategist, Anthony Paul, had previously advised that having such a document would be key to ensuring the longevity of the industry here. But in pursuing this document, Paul had told Kaieteur News that Guyana needs to have a proper understanding of the geology of the basin. The Chatham House Advisor had said: “You need to understand the quality of your reservoirs. This means that you need to have good seismic data, good technology to acquire that data and the experienced people who can read that data for you. Those people can tell you without relying on the oil companies, what wells have oil and which have gas. They will also advise on what should be developed now and how fast…” The energy expert added: “You must also bear in mind that these companies will stumble on gas and most would not want to bring it up because economically, it is more profitable to bring up oil rather than gas. So if there is a reservoir that has more gas than oil, the company would not drill to complete it. It will stay in the ground…” Taking this scenario into account, Paul stressed once more that Guyana needs experienced industry analysts who can put together a policy that will seek to tie those gas finds to proper development strategies.

The Trinidadian said: “It, therefore, means that Guyana needs a regulator who can interpret reservoir performance and make sure you have the right economics around the development plans too. Only then can you say to the company- “Fine, we understand field by field what is going on but let us look at the country’s perspective, what the country needs.” What is the right level of production for this country given the capacity we have to manage it?” At the same time, the energy advisor cautioned that a depletion policy is in stark contrast to the company’s interest, which is to extract the resources as fast as possible. “Remember, these companies want to make quick money so there will be a conflict with the interest of the government. This is where you need skillful negotiators to manage that conflict in interests. And it can be done,” the official concluded. KAIETEUR NEWS LIBEL TRIAL… NICIL HAD SWEEPING POWERS FOR PRACTICALLY ANYTHING UNDER THE SUN — WINSTON BRASSINGTON TELLS COURT Former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the stateowned National Industrial Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), Winston Brassington, has revealed, in court, that the Articles of Incorporation which guide the operations of the entity, gives it broad and sweeping powers to do practically anything under the sun. The (Continued on page 31)

Sunday November 15, 2020

From page 30 former NICIL head made the statements yesterday, while responding to questions posed by Kaieteur News’ lawyer, Nigel Hughes, in relation to a number of government projects. The statements were made during a continuation of the trial, accusing the newspaper of libel, brought by Brassington. Brassington was previously questioned extensively on his role as CEO of NICIL in the transactions. He faced a similar line of questioning during a continuation of the trial before Justice Navindra Singh at the Georgetown High Court yesterday.Kaieteur News’ Publisher, Glenn Lall, and its former Editor-in-Chief, Adam Harris, also took the witness stand in defense of the claims. The former NICIL head had sued Kaieteur News for libel over the “Dem Boys Seh” articles, which he claims, contained offensive and defamatory content against him.According to him, the reference in the article to “that fat crook Brazzy” in the satirical column of the newspaper meant and was understood to mean that the newspaper and its editor sought to convey that he, as NICIL’s head was “dishonest, had been guilty of criminal activity and corrupt practices” in the conduct of his work. The projects included the award of a road construction contract for US$18M in the first phase of the Amaila Falls Hydro Project. Under further crossexamination yesterday, Brassington revealed that NICIL, was incorporated in 1990 to acquire and hold Government shares, stocks, debentures or other types of assets, has unlimited powers in its sale and distribution of properties belonging to the state. In response to questions about the handling of the Pradoville Two Housing Project, East Coast Demerara, in which former President Bharrat Jagdeo resides, Brassington insisted that all of the transactions were above board. He noted that there were certain articles which guided the operations of NICIL and that those very articles were contained in the by-laws which “gives the company broad and sweeping powers to do practically anything under the sun.” The witness told the court that the articles were not present in front of him so that he could refer to them properly.

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Former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NICIL, Winston Brassington “Those articles are not present here,” he said referring to documents which contained NICIL‘s by-laws. Brassington had previously perused the documents but claimed that he could not be sure that they are complete. Further, in answer to the questions by Hughes, Brassington noted that there were no restrictions on NICIL’s power to carry out its functions as a holder and distributor of Government shares. Cabinet Sanctioned In response to queries about the role of NICIL in the Pradoville Two housing project, in which several top officials benefitted before 2011, the witness said that: “I don’t have any of the documents in front of me but I know everything that was done was sanctioned by (the then) Cabinet and the board.” Asked whether the funds from the government, diverted by NICIL for development of the project was expected to be repaid, Brassington said he could not recall. At this point, Brassington’s lawyer, Timothy Jonas, objected to the line of questioning noting that his client cannot speak for actions of NICIL, but only represent what he did as CEO of the company. The objection was taken into consideration and Hughes rephrased his question. This time, he asked Brassington about his role in the transaction as CEO of the company. “Was any such agreement to repay the funds signed?” the lawyer asked

“I cannot recall,” Brassington said. The lawyer suggested to Brassington that he approved funds for the Pradoville Two project without the resolution of the board of NICIL. Brassington rejected the suggestion. “That is absolutely untrue,” declared the witness. He later noted that all the transactions were subject to approval of the Board, Cabinet and was even audited by the Auditor General. “I don’t remember that I did anything that was improper or illegal. Everything I did was done on behalf of the board and not in my personal capacity,” he said. Added to this, Brassington revealed that he was not the only officer of NICIL authorised to be a signatory on transactional documents. “Other persons were authorised to sign in my absence,” he said. With regards to the sale of the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT), Brassington told the court as an officer NICIL, he was duty bound to act on behalf of the company in the sale. According to Brassington, the sale of Government‘s shares in GTT raked in US$30M which was four times more than it could have secured elsewhere. “But did you transfer the dividends to the government of Guyana?” Hughes questioned. “Everything was done in keeping with the company’s Articles and by-laws.” Hughes, however, interrupted, reminding the witness that the question was

whether the dividends were transferred to the government. Not Mandated In response, the witness said that NICIL was not mandated to transfer anything to the government. “We are not a post office…. There is nothing illegal or improper about that,” he said maintaining that the powers of NICIL were clear. Meanwhile, the Kaieteur News’ Publisher in his testimony, agreed with the suggestion that ‘Dem Boys Seh’ articles are part news and part satire. Asked by Jonas whether Brassington had ever requested a retraction of the article, Lall told the court that he did receive a letter. He said, too, that Brassington has never spoken to him about the retraction. He admitted, too, that as publisher, most of the newspaper content is under his control. The publisher also agreed with the suggestion that the newspaper takes on the role of exposing, what is perceived by him to be corrupt excesses by the Government of the day. Lall also agreed that the Kaieteur News had the widest distribution countrywide and readership online. “Have you are ever seen a signed resolution document belonging to NICIL?” Jonas queried “No sir,” responded Lall. “Have you seen the sale documents related to the sale of GTT?” continued, Jonas “No sir, not other than what I have read,” Lall stated “Have you seen any of the Berbice Bridge documents?” “I can’t recall if I have seen those documents,” Lall responded. He said, too, that he could not recall if he had any conversation with Christopher Ram about the documents. Harris faced similar questions about his role in the newspaper given his work as the former Editor-in -Chief of the newspaper. He, too, said that he could not recall seeing the documents. EXXONMOBIL GETS BACK PART OF STABROEK BLOCK IT RELINQUISHED YEARS AGO – SOURCE REVEALS While ExxonMobil, like all oil companies operating in Guyana, has the responsibility to relinquish sections of the oil blocks it owns, this oil major strategically positioned itself to regain an area it had to relinquish years ago, according to a source.

ExxonMobil has had the exploration rights to the behemoth Stabroek since 1999. However, it could not have kept the entire block, due to the relinquishment clause it has committed to in the agreement with the Government of Guyana. The provision provided that the company would have to relinquish parts of the block to the government, at intervals. Relinquishment is provided for in the Petroleum (Exploration and Production), in which it states that if an area is relinquished, the licence ceases to have effect in relation to that area. When Mid-Atlantic applied for an exploration licence in early 2013, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) knew that the area was relinquished by ExxonMobil. By then, the area was available. So the regulator, having satisfied itself that the application met all the conditions required, was awarded the block. Kaieteur News understands that ExxonMobil had conducted 2D seismic work, which extended to the area that is now the Canje block, prior to its relinquishment. Hence, seismic data on that area reverted to the exclusive domain of GGMC when the area was relinquished. That data serves to inform oil companies of the prospectivity of their licences. Fast forward to February 2016, ExxonMobil made a deal with Mid-Atlantic and its partner JHI Associates to farm in to the Canje block, and become the operator. There is no publicly available information about how much was paid to the initial owners of the block. Total SE also farmed in, in 2018. Information on the transaction is similarly scarce. As a result of its ownership and operatorship of the Stabroek, Canje and Kaieteur blocks, ExxonMobil now has control of 11.8 million acres of Guyana’s offshore area. SATURDAY BHARRAT JAGDEO IN FAVOUR OFAGGRESSIVE PRODUCTION OF GUYANA’S OIL Even though the implementation of a depletion policy would help Guyana slow down the rate of production of its oil resources by ExxonMobil, thereby giving it some much needed time to develop its regulatory

capacity, Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, does not seem to be too keen on the nation following this approach. During his last press conference that was held at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre, Dr. Jagdeo told Kaieteur News that the government is not interested in using such a mechanism that could potentially put a pause on the rate of development of the oil. The official who has oversight responsibility for the oil sector said one has to bear in mind that Guyana has a short window within which to develop and monetize its resources. He reminded that the International Energy Agency (IEA) would have noted that even with an aggressive transition to cleaner sources of energy like hydropower and solar energy, the world will still need a considerable amount of fossil fuels in the future. In such a scenario, Jagdeo cautioned that Guyana still has to compete with others, even though it is in a privileged position as a low cost producer. The official said, “…We have a window within which we have to maximize our production and utilize the resources for the development our country and our people and we want to accelerate production at that level.” While he is in favour of aggressive exploration and production, Jagdeo also noted that Guyana’s pace of developing its capacity to govern needs to be on the same tangent. “And we don’t have 100 years to do it. By the time we develop the capacity, they can find one breakthrough technology and then you can’t produce the oil so we are making it clear that development and capacity building have to run simultaneously…” the Vice President expressed. He said that the government expects the oil companies to make more meaningful contributions towards the training of locals to manage the sector, noting that the paltry US$300,000 ExxonMobil is required by its Stabroek Block contract to pay for training is insufficient. Institutions such as the World Bank, the United Nations Development Fund (UNDP), and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), have all acknowledged that the authorities of the day have the fundamental right to determine how fast or how slow their country’s oil and (Continued on page 32)

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COVID-19: The Disease where keeping it simple became so difficult By Dr. Zulfikar Bux Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, Vanderbilt Medical Center s I reflect on how we responded as a world and as a country to this pandemic, it pains me to see how we ignored the little things and made mountains out of simple acts. This pandemic has exposed our weaknesses and has shown how primitive we behave in times of real adversity. The evidence is clearer now that the smaller, simpler interventions, have more impact on controlling this pandemic than the complicated paths that we mostly chose. Simple treatment options that work The scientific world has never collectively focused their efforts on finding treatments for a disease like we all did during this pandemic. Yet, we did not invent a new wonder drug that can cure this disease. Numerous expensive treatments were tried but never delivered as hoped. What the evidence did show, was the obvious positive im-

A

pact of cheap, tried and tested medications that we have been using for decades to combat the disease. The following treatment options have become increasingly popular worldwide in reducing deaths and severity of COVID-19 once used early: · Ivermectin · Azithromycin/Doxycycline · Vitamin C and D · Zinc - Hydroxychloroquine I am still baffled why there has not been a collective effort to use these cheap medications early before the disease gets into our body and overwhelms it. Instead, they were debunked in poorly constructed studies for the more expensive and “lucrative options.” These medications are like an airbag, they need to be deployed before the accident to work, not after. Being outdoors made more sense It is now obvious that the virus thrives in poorly ventilated and closed spaces. It quickly disperses in open environments where there is free flow of air. I do believe this is one of

the reasons why we have not had devastating numbers in Guyana. We are not as modernized and most of our structures and functions still allow us to be exposed to free-flowing air. We should therefore make use of this fact and avoid gathering in closed air-conditioned spaces as much as possible. Please do not use this as an excuse to be outdoors unnecessarily. Risky behaviour will increase your chances of acquiring the virus whether you are indoors or outdoors. Keeping our distance The further away we are from an infected person, the less likely we will be exposed to the virus. While most recommend six (6) feet, there is still a small risk at such a distance especially if the infected person sneezes, yells or sings loudly. We should therefore distance as much as possible. This fact was known very early in the pandemic, but it did not prevent gatherings, as we would have hoped. Somehow, in Guyana and around the world, gatherings in times of frustration or during cel-

ebrations, occurred regularly and facilitated an environment for the spread of the virus to occur. Keeping clean and behaving responsibly Being responsible and keeping clean should be two qualities of any decent human being. This virus has shown that we do not readily possess such qualities even in these modern times. Spitting around, exposing others while we have suspicious symptoms of COVID19, not wearing a mask, par-

ticipating in risky gatherings, poor hygiene practices, etc., are all behavioural factors that increase the spread of the virus. We know these facts, but yet, we could not have collectively practiced them to combat the spread of this virus. This pandemic has shown how weak we are as a species. While a vaccine is coming, we still have to survive until then. Where we go from here and how we fear as a country until there is a cure, depends on each of us.

Dr. Zulfikar Bux I urge myself and you all to bring the good out and let’s rally together and show this virus that we are better than this; be responsible and keep it simple!

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==THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN==

Prince Harry’s words will resonate in Guyana’s history Prince Harry said that because of his privileged upbringing he couldn’t see the existence of unconscious racial bias in others. It was when he got married to a nonwhite woman he began to see it. He intoned that through witnessing the experience of his wife he saw how pernicious (his adjective) unconscious racial bias is. The prince indicted that he will not point fingers, but it is obvious he had in mind people he knew that displayed such feelings. It is when certain situations are born, then, you discern things in people you would never have known about. Had he not married a mixed race woman, he would have never seen expressions of race instincts in people he knew closely. I have articulated a posi-

tion about the five-month election ordeal in several columns. I am repeating it here because I think it offers an interpretation on an event that will become an indelible moment in Guyana’s history. Countless Guyanese would have gone to their graves when they reach advanced age without knowing what resided in the minds of people they had good relationships with if it wasn’t for the election impasse in 2020. Young Guyanese would have continued to admire iconic personalities without realizing the essential faults in such people if it weren’t for the nasty five-month election drama. So I repeat once more, this event that lasted for five months is a priceless occurrence that we should lock away in our psyche to remind us of things we would never

know about people we so embraced so dearly for so long. Prince Harry’s words are powerful because they deal with a Freudian mind coming to the surface. The five-month election imbroglio was about hidden racial waves that finally reached the shore because the election ordeal pushed them there. The unconscious race instincts that the 2020 rigging brought to life will never change the philosophy of many of us, by that I mean people I know intimately. Some of us will always be persons who disagree with people who see the world through racist lenses but it has opened my eyes. It happened too late in my life; soon I will be 70. I wished I had seen it before. When I read those words of the prince, I thought of

myself and vivid impulses ran through me. I said to myself, “God, he is so right!” I saw for five months what the prince was talking about. As each month passed, Guyanese that I thought were patriotic, philosophical in their thinking and essentially multiracial were putting out their racist mentality for the world to see. These were people that at the end of the day I thought were so moved at what our country was becoming and the precarious position its future was in that I thought their philosophical mind would compel them to say, “No, this is wrong, Guyana deserves better.” I was fortunate to be the only sibling out of seven to go beyond primary school and I was fortunate to combine academic training with social activism. Both spectrums led me to conclude that my country was a jinxed land. After UG, I went to other universities, studied my country deeper, and got more involved in political radicalism and the deeper my knowledge got, the

greater was the awareness that Guyana was one of the sad lands of this world. I saw bewildered, fractured, lost countries picked themselves up and became better societies, leaving Guyana way, way behind. The further we were left behind, the more galvanized I was to contribute to efforts to make Guyana a place that can have a future for the less fortunate. Guyana has failed all of us. Some stayed. Some took flight. But even those happily ensconced in other territories wanted to see their homeland become a normal land. We are bigger than the entire landscape of CARICOM nations. We suffer no natural disasters. We have enormous resources. Yet Trinidad became a developed society, looking more like a North American/ European country. What kept us back, and is still keeping us back, was our poisonous political landscape. We never fully escaped the tentacles of Forbes Burnham because

Frederick Kissoon they were too long and devouring. But changes came gradually. What took place on March 4 was simply the final death blow. None of us should have accepted that. Not one of us should have put our ethnic bias in front of our country. But it happened. As I wrote above, I am getting on in age but in my heart, I hope my daughter and the hundreds of thousands of young people like her will see a great Guyana soon. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

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Social Unrest and US Elections are over...Now What for Black America? A Roadmap to Empowerment Contributors: Queen Mother Nan Dannon Sechemin, Glenville Ashby, Ph.D. The cry of “Black Lives Matter” reverberated after the tortuous death of George Floyd, Jr., at the hands of law enforcement in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Podcasts, major newspapers and television broadcasts responded by providing expansive coverage of the global protests. The overriding theme centered on the next chapter for Black America. And now with the US elections over, many ask, “Is there a clear response?” No doubt, much needs to done to improve the lives of black Americans. This we believe is realizable only through education, as expressed in the African adage: “The key to the future is knowledge of the past.” Scholars have long written about our collective amnesia regarding our past. Paleoanthropologists regard Africa as the oldest body of land occupied by humans. Fossils unearthed on the continent by anthropologists reflect the fact that humans occupied Africa 7,000,000 years

ago. Our past – our history – spans far beyond anything we can imagine. Sadly, the glory of the past and the disempowered state of blacks today beg enquiry. Our present lot is littered with poverty, single-parent families, drug addiction, high rates of abortion and the use of the self-deprecatory, selfhating terms, such as the Nword that, with all deliberate speed must permanently retire from our vocabulary, song lyrics, song titles, album titles, poetry, and anywhere else it is being verbalized or displayed. It is neither hip nor cool. It destroys self-esteem and anchors debilitating constructs, such as victimhood, into the subconscious. In the area of economics, we have failed. Sorely, money management and industry have not been part of our cultural vocabulary. Although African Americans constitute 14 percent of the population in the United States, they spend approximately US$1 trillion annually, money that is not turned around at least once in the community before it leaves. What are we collectively spending money on? Hair

care in the United States is a US$4.2 billion industry and African Americans spend approximately US$473,000,000 for hair care products; US$151,000,000 on what is categorized as “luxury, nonessential products” – women’s fragrances, while US$4,000,000 is spent on children’s cologne. Imagine how economically sustainable our communities would be if just one percent of their annual expenditure is circulated within our communities annually? Supporting black-owned businesses could revitalize our ailing communities. We could drastically reduce unemployment and poverty. We could transform vacant lots that are currently occupied with trash and debris into urban gardens that yield fruits and vegetables, and so much. Creating and accumulating wealth and opportunities for the next generation is imperative. Our children must have a reason for being, “the will to meaning,” as a famous existentialist once said. We cannot rely solely on schools and teachers to educate our children. Teaching our children the alphabet, the numeric sys-

Queen Mother Nan Dannon Sechemin tem, and how to read, spell, and write before they enter kindergarten or first grade cannot be over-emphasized. Educational institutions of our choice must engage our children in art, literature, foreign languages, African history, Caribbean history, American history, music, mathematics, information technology, science and business. Our children must be taught to respect boundaries

and the rights of others. They must learn the rules of social and business engagement and be introduced to other cultures, ethnicities, and religions. We must set rising expectations for our children with the understanding that these expectations will be met. Educating our children must be a collaborative effort among parents, educators, and school administrators. Homework must be reviewed each night. Test scores must be monitored. Our children must know that they can rely on their parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles to discuss any issue. It is the responsibility of adults to avail themselves, to listen and provide counsel. Embracing these guidelines will go a long way to helping the African Diaspora heal the wounds of the Maafa. It will bring about empowerment. Our destiny is in our hands. In our hands alone. (The views expressed in

Dr. Glenville Ashby this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.) Feedback: glenvilleashby@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter@glenville Queen Mother Nan Dannon Sechemin is an American author, publisher of ‘Fatherhood, Criminal Justice Reform,’ and a Prison Reform Advocate who has facilitated a Global Fatherhood Dialogue ( h t t p : / / globalfatherhooddialogue.blogspot.com). She can be reached at: insearchoffatherhood@gmail.com. Dr Glenville Ashby is a New York-based psychotherapist and author.

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The first marathon

In 490 BC there was a big war between the Persians and the Greeks. Persia was a huge empire, much bigger than Greece. It wanted to capture Athens. The Greek soldiers waited on top of the hill while the Persian army waited on the plain of Marathon below. There were 48,000 Persian soldiers and only 10,000 Greek soldiers. The Greeks sent a messenger, Pheidippides, to Sparta to get help. He ran for two days over the mountains to ask the

Spartans. But the Spartans would not fight until there was a full moon. Pheidippides returned to Marathon alone. The Greeks could not wait and attacked the Persian army. The Greeks ran towards the enemy. Persian arrows flew through the air. The Greeks won; 6,400 Persians were killed but only 192 Greeks died. The Persians ran to their ships and tried to escape. They tried to go to Athens to capture the Greek women, children and old people waiting there. Pheidippides now had another job. He ran 40 kilometres to Athens to tell the Greeks that they had won and to tell them that the Persians were coming. He arrived at the city gates very tired. ‘Rejoice, we conquer!’ he shouted. Then he died. From this great event, the first marathon race of the modern Olympic Games was run in 1896. It was won by a Greek runner, Spiridon Louis. And, like Pheidippides a long time before, he also carried messages. He was a postman.

Sunday November 15, 2020

Junior page Thanksgiving Craft Tutorial:

Turkey Pom Pom Materials: Brown Yarn -I used Red Heart brand in Chocolate Feathers Orange, Red, and Brown Felt Orange Pipe Cleaners -2 per turkey Googly Eyes -2 per turkey Scrap Cardboard or thick card stock Book -mine was 11″ Scissors Bowl or Glass for circle template Hot Glue Instructions: Wrap your yarn around the book about 125 times. Cut two 123 pieces of brown yarn. Use one piece to tie the yarn that’s wrapped around your book. Remove yarn from book by sliding it off. Cut the yarn about 23 on each side of the tie. This is y o u r h e a d . Ta k e t h e remaining bunch of yarn and fold in half i.e. in the center. Cut the looped end. This is your body. Shape your turkey head and body by keeping the tail on (the one you tied) and holding in your hand. Trim over the trash can and even out your circle. When I was done, I had one 33 ball and one 53 ball. Set your body and head on top of each other. Glue the two pieces together or, tie your tails together. Trim any straggly yarn pieces if desired. Find a bowl or glass about the size of your turkey and use it to trace a half circle onto a piece of cardboard. (My circle

template was about 3-1/23) Cut out the cardboard. Cut out two pieces of brown felt to match the circle. Glue the cardboard to one side of the felt and attach feathers. When feathers are all on, add the last piece of felt and glue to cover the feathers. Cut beak and red hangy thingie (the wattle) from orange and red felt. Glue onto your head. Add googly

eyes. Glue feather onto the back of the turkey. Make the turkey legs by folding a pipe cleaner in half and twisting it about halfway down. Take the loop and divide it into three hooks. Take these three hooks and twist them to create feet. Glue your feet onto the bottom of your turkey and bend to shape into a sitting position.

Suguru

Never give up by Uncle Roy I used to think some work was too hard, And so did not even try; This is because I had tried before, And gave up when I could not get by. But then I looked around my class, And saw others doing swell, When I thought I was brighter than them, And felt I could do just as well. So I decided to never give up, And to always feel I could do better; I put my whole mind to my work, And soon everything got so much easier.

The heavy lines indicate areas, called cages, from one to five squares in size. Fill each cage with unique digits, counting up from 1. So for example a 2­square cage contains the numbers 1 and 2; and a 5­square cage contains the numbers from 1 to 5. Adjacent (touching) squares, even ones that touch diagonally, may never contain the same number.

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TEEN Determine the Principles TIME to Govern your Life We asked you last week to use the time since then to try to think of the guidelines for human conduct that are proven to have enduring, permanent value. This can be clearly understood when you try to imagine life without any one. The more closely our own habits and conduct are aligned with them, the more accurate and functional they will be. Acting positively in line with correct principles will impact our personal and interpersonal effectiveness far more than any amount of other effort expended on changing our attitudes and behaviours. Those that will prove to best guide your life are:Fairness, Honesty; Integrity, Human Dignity, Growth, Tolerance, Respect for nature, and Loyalty. These principles would help you to create a solid foundation for your life with full confidence that you are on the correct path to the fulfilment of your life purpose. You will need to consider each of them, and ensure that your character is aligned to them. When you accept any one and place it into your self-conscious, you can be assured that it will be available to guide you in any situation that requires it to keep you on

the right path to your overall success. One of the most important of these principles is fairness, the idea of which is universal, and out of which

Try to think of what you understand about each of the others mentioned above during this next week. We shall be expanding on each

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Be the Best of whatever you are If you can’t be a tree at the top of the hill, Be a bush down in the valley, But be the best little bush by the side of the hill, Be a bush if you can’t be a tree. If you can’t be a bush be a grass, And some highway happier make; If you can’t be a snapper, just be a patwa, But be the liveliest patwa in the lake. We can’t all be captain, some have got to be crew, There’s something for all of us here, There’s so much work to do, and lesser to do, And the task you must do is quite clear. If you can’t be a highway, then just be a trail, If you can’t be the sun, then be a star; It isn’t by size that we win or we fail, Just be the best of whatever you are.

our whole concept of justice and equality is developed. One can see evidence of even young children having this sense of fairness, although there are vast differences in how it is defined and achieved.

of these in this next issue, so that you will have a clear guide to how you should live your life, so as to get the most out of your efforts of making the best of yourself.

ĖŃǾŎŒPÒŃŒNŘ Ĩ ÞŖŖÕÑ ĘMǾŎŌ Key: Last Name and Sourc

When you teach yourself about right principles, you will readily able to identify those around you who are following them, and setting an example for you and others in our society.

TELL IT TO UNCLE ROY Uncle Roy is once again appealing to all teens to write to him about any problem you may be facing for which you need a solution. He would also like you to contribute to this Page by submitting other material that he can include here. These include: 1. A poem, short story or bit of advice that you have written and would like to share with your fellow teens. 2. Any significant event that has happened, or any interesting item about what is going on around you. 3. A commentary about where you live to acquaint others about it. As mentioned before, you can email me at: uncleroy1992@yahoo.com

Solutions to last week’s

Sudoku

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Greater attention must be paid to defense policy (A Review of David Granger’s National Defense: A small state in the subordinate system. ISBN-10 978976-8178-14-0 (pbk) (Reprint 2012).) A change of government often presents the challenge of designing and implementing a new or revised national defense policy. The task of formulating its own national defense policy has often proven problematic. Instead of articulation, there is ambivalence. The problem has been, frequently, the lack of competence, which is a product of the inability to understand the implications, intricacies and subtleties of national defense. To overcome this handicap, it is necessary to have a full grasp of both the practical and theoretical issues relating to national defense. David Granger’s National Defense: A small state in the subordinate system is the most authoritative source of information of these issues. The book is the premier study on national defense to emerge from the Anglophone Caribbean. David Granger does not project himself as an expert of national defense. His credentials in this field are impeccable, however, and he has been a prolific writer on national security. This book adds to his impressive oeuvre on the subject. He wrote this book a decade before assuming the Presidency in 2015. He provides a nonblinkered and non-partisan approach to the subject. The book has benefitted from his years of experience as Commander of the Guyana Defense Force. It represents an objective study of national defense from a small-state perspective. National Defense: A small state in the subordinate system has an extensive bibliography of primary and secondary sources, which attest to the thoroughness, and depth of research undertaken. The

book breaks new ground in local literature on national defense. Its concern is not so much about issue areas of national security as it is about examining the role of a defense force in a small state. Granger does this with reference to the Guyana Defense Force’s role in the state of Guyana. This makes this publication unique, a fact that the author himself recognizes. In his introduction, he notes that the literature on Guyana’s national defense has tended to concentrate on four main categories – first … regional security threats including insurrections and invasions; second … the question of militarization within newly-independent states; third … the links between defense and politics; and, fourth … official publications on matters of public policy, including defense. The book addresses a series of theoretical and practical concerns about defense forces in small states and within the subordinate system. Granger argues that the subordinate system is not a passive factor. It is delineated geographically, ideologically and economically and this conditions the role, which defense forces play within the system. National defense, in other words, is circumscribed by a country’s place within the subordinate system. Guyana, soon after Independence, found itself enmeshed in an exceptional geopolitical and ideological situation. It inherited territorial controversies with two of its neighbours – the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the Republic of Suriname. Brazil acted always as counterpoint to Venezuelan hegemonism in the region and discountenanced threats against Guyana. Brazil, however, was not without its own regional objectives. Guyana’s low gross domestic product and, consequently, the resources, which it can devote to national de-

fense, are dwarfed by the vast assets of its two more powerful neighbours. Its place in the subordinate system thus presents several challenges. National Defense: A small state in the subordinate system addresses the dilemmas faced by Guyana in the con-

book are: . the role of the defense force in a politically and ethnically divided country; . the posture of a small state, with a small defense force, in defending its frontiers; . the act of balancing de-

text of the subordinate system. Each chapter of the book is devoted to examining one or more of these dilemmas. Granger begins by providing the reader with the historical context for the emergence of Guyana as a state in the international system. During the colonial era, this process encompassed rivalries between European powers for territorial control. These rivalries and Cold War machinations caused Guyana to inherit controversies on two of its borders. Among the other topics addressed in the

fense and development, or as the book puts it, the choice between guns and bread; . the choice of an appropriate defense doctrine;

. the options for securing the country’s maritime and Exclusive Economic Zone; . the tensions in civil-military relations; . the role of gender in the defense force; and, . the changing defense situation in the context of an emerging new world order. Guyana has already benefitted from the insights of Granger’s authorship of this book. During his presidency, he pursued an enlightened defense strategy, articulating a clear and coherent policy patterned on the concept of Total National Defense. He was primarily responsible for having the controversy with Venezuela referred to the International Court of Justice. He has pursued a policy of defense diplomacy shrewdly and helped to strengthen the Defense Force’s capability through cooperation with friendly states and defense forces. The Guyana Defense Force was reorganized, restructured and re-equipped during his five-year presidency. He re-commenced the process of bringing the regular Force up-to-strength and augmenting the Reserve Force and deploying it, extensively, throughout the country’s 10 Regions. This aspect of his policy was aimed at creating a more agile Defense Force, which could quickly and readily respond to crises in any part of the country. The book argues a case for greater attention to be paid to defense policy. Granger writes:

Defense policy in the new century must be driven by new thinking and serious planning by competent people who recognize the changes taking place on our frontiers, who understand that the fundamental threat to any state is an attack on its territoriality and who appreciate the old adage, that like liberty, the price of security is eternal vigilance. The book, surprisingly, does not devote a separate chapter to developing an approach towards the newer transnational criminal threats – terrorism and narcotics, firearms and people trafficking. This may be as a consequence of the emphasis, which the author places on the threats to territoriality, which he describes as the fundamental threat to the state. National defense now requires greater attention to these non-traditional threats. The implicit take-away from this book is that governments risk imperiling the state by their neglect of a national defense policy. The present People’s Progressive Party administration is yet to articulate a clear policy for national defense. It can do itself no harm in acquainting itself with David Granger’s National Defense: A small state in the subordinate system. It may find that imitation may be its best option when it comes to national defense. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

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THE FACTS ABOUT LIVER CIRRHOSIS Before we take a look at this rapidly on the rise disease, we must first understand why the liver is so important in the first place. The liver is the largest solid organ in the human body, weighing in at approximately three pounds. It performs a myriad of important functions, these include: · Production of bloodproteins that aid in clotting, oxygen transport, and immune system function · Storing of excess nutrients and returning some of the nutrients into the bloodstream · Manufacturing bile, a substance needed to help digest food · Helping the body store sugar (glucose) in the form of glycogen · the body of harmful substances in the bloodstream, including drugs and alcohol · Breaking down saturated fat and producing cholesterol Now what is cirrhosis? Cirrhosis is a slowly progressing disease in which the normally healthy liver tissue is replaced with scar tissue. This eventually prevents the liver from carrying out its functions properly. What the scar tissue does is that it prevents the flow of blood through the liver and thus slows the processing of nutrients, hormones, drugs, and all naturally produced toxins. It also causes the sloth in the production of proteins and other substances made by the liver. What specifically causes cirrhosis of the liver? Most persons would be au fait with the fact that alcohol abuse over a prolonged period of time can lead to liver cirrhosis but it is not the only cause. Liver cirrhosis can also be caused by a host of other factors, including Hepatitis C and fatty liver disease. Basically anything that causes damage to the liver can cause cirrhosis. These could include one or more of the following: · Fatty liver associated with chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes · Chronic viral infections of the liver e.g. Hepatitis types B, C, and D although D is very rare) · Blockage of the bile duct, which allows for the passage of bile formed in the liver to the intestines, where it helps in the digestion of fats; in babies, this is usually caused by biliary atresia in which bile ducts are absent or damaged,

causing bile to back up in the liver. In adults, bile ducts may become inflamed, blocked, or scarred, due to another liver disease called primary biliary cholangitis. · Repeated heart failure with fluid backing up into the liver. · Certain inherited diseases such as: - Cystic fibrosis - Glycogen storage diseases, in which the body is unable to process glycogen, a form of sugar that is converted to glucose and serves as a source of energy for the body - Alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency, the absence of a specific enzyme in the liver · Diseases caused by abnormal liver function, such as hemochromatosis · Reactions to prescription drugs, prolonged exposure to environmental toxins, or parasitic infections. it possible that all alcoholics can get liver cirrhosis? While it is true that alcoholics can harm their liver in more ways than one with constant drinking, not all of them usually get liver cirrhosis. Coincidentally female alcoholics are at a higher risk for developing cirrhosis than men and people who have either hepatitis B or C are more likely to suffer liver damage from alcohol consumption. What can you look for in terms of symptoms? The symptoms of cirrhosis of the liver differ with each stage of the disease. In the earlier stages, it might by asymptomatic or present with no symptoms. However as the illness progresses, symptoms may include: · Loss of appetite · Lack of energy (fatigue) · Weight loss or sudden unexplained weight gain · Unexplained Bruises · Jaundice and Itchy skin · Fluid retention which leads to and swelling in the ankles, legs, and abdomen · Darkening urine colour · Light colored stools · Confusion, disorientation, personality changes · Blood in the stool · Fever How can this disease be diagnosed? Cirrhosis of the liver is diagnosed through several methods including: · History and Physical exam- This is the mainstay of all diagnoses as 90 per cent of the time the doctor can tell what disease you are suffer-

ing from based on your history and physical examination. During a physical exam, the doctor can observe changes in how your liver feels or how large it is (a cirrhotic liver is

the blockage. varices become fragile and can bleed easily, causing severe hemorrhaging and fluid in the abdomen. · Altered Mental Status which in-

bumpy and irregular instead of smooth). · Blood tests- If cirrhosis is suspected, blood tests can be done to find out if liver disease is present. · Other tests- Sometimes images of the liver are needed to make a definitive diagnosis. As such a computerized tomography (CT scan), ultrasound, or another specialized procedure called a radioisotope liver/spleen scan may be recommended. · Biopsy- Diagnosis can be confirmed by taking a sample of tissue from the liver and looking at it both macroscopically and microscopically. Are there any complications associated with liver cirrhosis? In fact, there are quite a few. Some of the complications associated with cirrhosis of the liver include: · Variceal bleeding- which is caused by portal hypertension. With portal hypertension, the This is an increase in the pressure within the portal vein (the large vessel that carries blood from the digestive organs to the liver). This increase in pressure is caused by a blockage of blood flow through the liver as a result of cirrhosis. Increased pressure in the portal vein causes other veins in the body to enlarge (varices), such as those in the esophagus and stomach, to bypass

cludes confused thinking and other mental changes brought about by hepatic encephalopathy. This occurs

after prolonged cirrhosis and the liver cannot break down toxins, which gets into the bloodstream and then affects the brain. · Kidney failure · Reduced oxygen in the blood · Diabetes · Changes in blood counts · Increased risk of infections · Excessive bleeding and bruising · Breast enlargement in men · Premature menopause · Loss of muscle mass Is there any treatment? It must be noted that there is no cure for cirrhosis of the liver. However there are treatments that can help to stop or delay its progression, minimize liver cell damage and reduce complications. Treatment all depends on the underlying cause. For example, when the cirrhosis is caused by alcohol abuse, stopping the consumption of alcohol would help to stop the progression. If a person has hepatitis, steroids or antiviral drugs may be prescribed to

reduce liver cell injury. For those with cirrhosis caused by autoimmune diseases, Wilson’s disease, or hemochromatosis, the treatment varies.Symptomatic management is also key to survival so medications may be given to help with symptoms. Edema and ascites are treated through the reduction of salt in the diet and drugs called diuretics are used to remove excess fluid and to prevent edema from recurring. Liver transplantation may be necessary for some people with the advanced form of the disease. Remember that prevention is always better than cure so it would be better to safeguard yourself. Do not abuse alcohol and if you do drink alcohol limit the quantity and frequency with which you drink. Abstain or keep away from having casual unprotected sex with multiple partners. Always take caution when handling or using synthetic chemicals such as cleaning products and pesticides. And one of the most important precautionary measures, get vaccinated against Hepatitis B.

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Enetworks to air New Season of His Dark Materials November 16 Come November 16, the Enetworks team will be airing the new season of His Dark Materials at 10PM. For those unfamiliar with the show, His Dark Materials is a fantasy drama television series based on the novel series of the same name by Philip Pullman. It is produced by Bad Wolf and New Line Productions, for BBC One and HBO, with the latter handling international distribution. The eight-episode first series premiered on November 3, 2019 on BBC One in the United Kingdom and on November 4 on HBO in the United States and other markets. Before the series premiered, His Dark Materials was renewed for a second series of seven episodes, which is set to premiere on 8 November 2020 in the United Kingdom, and on 16 November 2020 in the United States. The series is set in a multiworld reality, with the action moving from one world to another. The story begins in an alternative world where all humans have animal companions called dæmons, which are manifestations of the human soul. The series follows

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the life of a young girl named Lyra who is an orphan living with the scholars at Jordan College, Oxford. As in Pullman’s novel, Lyra discovers a dangerous secret that involves Lord Asriel and Marisa Coulter. In her search

for a missing friend, Lyra also uncovers a series of kidnappings and its link to a mysterious substance called Dust, which leads her on a journey of epic proportions and will lead to her crossing paths with a boy named Will.

Home Entertainment... Five easy cocktails to make with Grey Gosse Vodka is one of the most essential cocktails ingredients – its subtle taste makes it a great way to add alcohol to fruit juices or other mixers without overwhelming their flavours. But just because vodka is a delicate flavour, doesn’t mean that it doesn’t effect the taste of your cocktail! A quality vodka will be smooth and just a little bit sweet and will make for a finer tasting drink in the end. Today, we’re sharing recipes for some simple, fruity vodka cocktails with one of our favourite vodkas – Grey Goose. Grey Goose (which is distributed by Ansa McAL Trading Limited) is known for being one of the classiest vodkas, with a crisp and clear taste and a subtle hint of almonds. It makes for great cocktails, so try it in one of the drinks below and you’re sure to be delighted. Cosmopolitan This tart, fruity classic is always a hit at a party. The combination of sweet orange Cointreau and sharp cranberry juice is delicious with smooth Grey Goose, and the little hit of citrus adds an acidic note. When in doubt, you can never go wrong with a Cosmo.

Sangster’s Cream Liqueur recipes are sure to sweeten your weekend Sangster’s Original Jamaica Rum Cream Liqueur is a smooth, rich drink that is only a few decades old. Proudly distributed by Ansa McAL Limited , this liqueur was inspired by Bailey’s Irish Cream which was the first to combine the creaminess of dairy products with the tickling alcohol taste. If you want to sweeten your home entertainment activities this weekend, be sure to try these cocktail recipes listed below. Mudslide Ingredients: · 1 oz. of vodka. · 1 oz. of Kahlua. · 1 oz. of Jamaican rum cream. ·1 oz. of milk, cream, or vanilla ice cream. · Ice. Directions: place the ingredients into a blender and mix them until you can see a smooth texture and color. Then, pour the mix in a glass. You can also drizzle some chocolate syrup inside the glass to add some sweetness and a mudslide visual effect. Hummingbird Ingredients: · 2 oz. of vodka. · 1 oz. of Jamaican rum cream liqueur. · ½ oz. of Tia Maria or Kahlua.

· 1 banana. · Milk. · Strawberry syrup. Directions: first, put all the ingredients in a blender and serve the drink with ice, as a smoothie. You can either blend the ice with the drink or drop a few cubes at the bottom of the glass. Banana Sandwich Ingredients: · ½ oz. of Kahlua. · 1/3 oz. of banana cream. · 1/6 oz. of Jamaican rum cream. Directions: Shake the recipient well. Then, pour into a cocktail glass over a few ice cubes. Cherry Bomb Ingredients: · 1/3 oz. of Kahlua. · 1/3 oz. of Jamaican rum cream. · 1/6 oz. of banana cream. · 1/6 oz. of cherry brandy. Directions: This cocktail should be shaken well in the mixer and then served as quickly as possible, while still foaming at the top. SHOTS WITH JAMAICAN RUM CREAM 727 Ingredients: · 1/3 oz. of Kahlua · 1/3 oz. of Amaretto · 1/3 oz. of Jamaica rum cream liqueur. Directions: simply layer

3 parts Grey Goose Vodka 1 part Cointreau 2 parts Cranberry juice Squeeze of lime juice Orange rind twist to garnish Pomegranate Martini This variation on a Cosmopolitan uses pomegranate juice for a distinctive sour, slightly floral taste which complements the sweetness of Grey Goose. If you’re feeling really fancy, you can even get a fresh pomegranate, chop it open, and drop a few of the seeds into your drink. This cocktail can be mixed in advance, so if you have a bunch of vodka lovers coming round you can prepare a pitcher of this ready for drinking. 2 parts Grey Goose Vodka 1 part Cointreau 2 parts pomegranate juice Squeeze of lemon juice Orange rind twist to garnish Caipiroska This is a twist on a Caipirinha, the classic cocktail of Brazil – but this version uses vodka in place of the Brazilian cachaça. A vodka like Grey Goose is less sweet than cachaça, so you might want to up the amount of sugar that you use if you have a sweet tooth. You need to muddle the lime with the sugar – that means that you put them both in a class and crush them together to release the lime juices, before adding crushed ice and pouring the Grey Goose over the top. Grey Goose Vodka Lime wedges Brown sugar Vodka Gimlet Gimlets are usually made with gin, but this version uses vodka for a crisp flavour. You can add more or less simple syrup depending on how

sweet you want the final drink to be, but we’ve found that using less syrup allows the almond flavours of the Grey Goose to shine. 3 parts Grey Goose Vodka 2 parts fresh lime juice 2 parts simple syrup Lime wheel to garnish Sea Breeze This cocktail is a summer classic; just as refreshing as its name suggests and ideal for a hot day. Now spring is finally here we’re getting ready for the warm weather, and this drink is at the top of our to-do list! Grab the Grey Goose and start mixing pitchers for those summer picnics. 1 part Grey Goose Vodka 1 part grapefruit juice 1 part cranberry juice Lime wedge to garnish Happy Mixing this weekend Guys and remember to drink responsibly. (https:// www.urban-drinks.co.uk/)

US$17.5M works on...

all the ingredients in a shot glass and serve on the spot. All the ingredients should be refrigerated. Cherry Blossom Ingredients: · 1/3 oz. of Swiss chocolate almond. · 1/3 oz. of Sherry. · 1/3 oz. of Jamaica rum cream. Directions: Layer the ingredients into a shot glass and serve immediately. DC-9 Ingredients: · 1/3 oz. of Kahlua.

· 1/3 oz. of Sambuca. · 1/3 Oz. of Jamaican rum cream liqueur. Directions: This is another layered shooter drink that should be carefully prepared with cool ingredients. Desert Skies Ingredients: · 1/3 oz. of Kahlua. · 1/3 oz. of apricot brandy. · 1/3 oz. of Jamaica rum cream. Directions: take the cold ingredients and a cold shot glass, then layer them into the glass.

From page 10 fairly new when upgrades are finished. More medical staff will also be deployed and infrastructural projects will take place in different sections of the hospital. Previous reporting by this publication highlighted that the facility had a nonfunctioning operating theatre, which was a result of sloppy work done by the con-

tractor. Leaks in the roof were also reported in several parts of the hospital and it was stated that the electrical works on the building were done in a poor manner. Additionally, it was reported that the West Demerara Hospital outpatient facility was in dire need of maintenance, as well as its laboratory, X-ray department and administrative building.

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M&CC files court order to set aside LGC’s decision on hiring of new Town Clerk, other staffers The Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) has filed a petition in court, challenging the Local Government Commission (LGC)’s decision not to approve several appointments for staff vacancies. According to court documents seen by this newspaper, the Council is also asking the court for an order to compel the (LGC) to consider and approve the recommendations of the M&CC Human Resource Management Committee to employ the persons they selected for the posts. The court documents outlined that the Human Resource Management Committee Report dated October 5, 2020, and approved by the M&CC of Georgetown on October 9, 2020 was forwarded to Mortimer Mingo, Chairman of the LGC. However, the action noted that in response, the LGC did not approve the employment of the following persons: Sherwin Benjamin as Town Clerk; Samuel Parris as Assistant Town Clerk; John Dou-

glas as City Treasurer; Danielle Anthony as Legal Officer; Kabila Hollingsworth as Deputy City Engineer; Lyndon Scott as Supervisor/ Building Inspector. As such, City Hall is contending that the decision by the LGC is unreasonable, having regard to the evidence. Further, the document drafted by attorneys Roysdale Forde and Olyane Joseph, described the decision of the LGC as ultra vires – an abuse or improper use of its power. The documents stated too, that the decision of the LGC is bad in law, as no reasons were given by the LGC to disapprove the hiring of new staffers. “The decision by the Local Government Commission was arbitrary made in bad faith and unreasonable,” the court document outlined. Additionally, the document stated that while the Commission shall have power to deal with all matters relating to the regulation and staffing of local government organs including employment

New Rotary Club launched inTheGuyana new Rotary Club of Garden City (Georgetown) was launched at a virtual Charter Celebration on Monday, said to be a milestone event for Rotary in Guyana. The club is the 7th to be launched in the country after more than a decade. Over 130 Rotarians, family and friends from around the world witnessed District Governor, Lisle Chase virtually handover the Charter, to Charter President Arron Fraser. Charter members were officially announced and the Board of Directors was installed. The District Governor in her remarks, charged the members to uphold the ideals of Rotary, and be guided by the principle motto of Rotary International, “Service Above Self.” Meanwhile the Rotary International Director, Stephanie Urchick, expressed her excitement with the formation of the Rotary Club of Garden City and congratulated the members on forming a caused-based club. On September 17 this year, the club received its Charter from Rotary International with a total of 33 members. The Chartering of a Rotary Club is the official permission from Rotary International for a new club to be formed in a country. Rotary International is a worldwide service organisation whose sole purpose is bringing Business and other Professionals together to lend their skills to community development and humanitarian service.

Arron Fraser, President of the Rotary Club of Garden City. The Rotary Club of Garden City is the first to be chartered in Guyana, whose major focus would be ‘Supporting the Environment.’ The club would be family oriented, undertaking to fulfill service projects in a fun yet professional environment, which would lend to a Rotary experience with a difference. The newly launched club has already embarked on plans for several service projects that would encourage communities and individuals to adapt eco-friendly lifestyle changes. A few projects are already in the pipeline (bags, bins and bottles) – the sale of branded reusable multipurpose canvas bags, to reduce the use of plastics and the distribution of garbage bins to create a clean and healthy environment. The Club also plans to distribute mini reusable water bottles to schoolchildren as part of the ‘District’s Childhood Obesity Prevention Campaign’ in order to encourage children to drink more water.

and dismissal of staff, “in the discharge of its functions, the Commission shall have regard to the provisions of the Municipal and District Councils Act, the Local Government Act, the Local Democratic Organs Act, the Amerindian Act and any other provisions bearing on matters of local government.” As such, the action pointed out that “Section 74 of the Municipal and District Councils Act, provides for the Offices of the Council to have a town clerk; a municipal treasurer; a city engineer, a medical officer of health and a clerk

of markets within its employ or such other Officers as the Council deems necessary for the performance of its functions under this Act, the Public Health Ordinance or any other law.” The court action stems from a dispute within the council over the hiring of staff following, the non -approval by the LGC. Last month, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Councillor, Heston Bostwick, stood to move a motion to overturn the LGC‘s decision which he dubbed as an “interference.”

His motion was however met with strong opposing views from representatives on both sides of the political divide: the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) and APNU councillors. Former Mayor Patricia Chase-Green and PPP/C councillors Dimitri Ali and Dwayne Adams were among those who objected. The councillors expressed opposition to how the motion to address the matter was dealt with, noting that the motion could not be tabled unless specific protocols were followed. While Chase-Green ob-

jected to the protocols and pointed to the illegality if the motion is carried without following the Council’s guidelines on such matters, Ali warned that the Mayor and Councillors decision to move such an action would be acting in ultra vires. Other councillors shared the view that the Council cannot act in the capacity of hiring staff without the approval of the LGC, which has the legal responsibility to vet and approve staff to be employed by the town councils and other local government agencies.

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Debate enthusiast, Cicelia Corbin, is newest Attorney-at-Law A

2nd from left: Cecilia Corbin is flanked by Senior State Counsel, Tuanna Hardy, Chief Justice Roxane GeorgeWiltshire, along with her mother.

love for debating competitions and a desire to follow in the footsteps of her older sister may have led Guyana‘s newest attorney down a career path in law. Cicelia Corbin of Lot 41 Kuru-kuru, Soesdyke Linden Highway, was admitted to the bar on Thursday after her petition was presented before Chief Justice Roxane GeorgeWiltshire at the High Court in Georgetown. The petition was presented to the Chief Justice by her older sister, Senior State Counsel, Tuanna Hardy. In her presentation, Hardy gave the Court an overview of Corbin’s academic background and some of the challenges she took on to achieve her goal to become a lawyer. Hardy said that in her formative years, Corbin attended St. Rose’s High School, Georgetown, Guyana, where she attained 12 passes at the Caribbean Examination Council Secondary Examinations (CSEC). “She woke up every day to travel to St Rose’s High School from the Linden Highway,” Hardy said adding that her dedication has paid off. She was later named the top student from Guyana for Cape Law and placed fourth in the Caribbean,” the lawyer added. However, of her many academic achievements, Hardy

said that Corbin’s participation in national and international debating competitions is nothing short of praiseworthy. According to the Senior State Counsel, Corbin’s passion for debate led her to participate in the annual Youth Parliament sessions, 2013, where she was adjudged Best Speaker in the main debate as well as the Most Disciplined Parliamentarian, overall. During her time at the University of Guyana, Hardy said that the new lawyer was an active member of Moot Court Guyana - a legal debating team. While there, she participated in the annual Aubrey Bishop Mooting Competition, 2017 where she copped the prize of Best Speaker and later in the annual Caribbean Court of Justice Mooting Competition, 2018 held in Trinidad and Tobago. In addition, while at the Hugh Wooding Law School from the period of 2018 to 2020, she was selected to participate in the Children’s Rights Mooting Competition, 2019, held in the Netherlands where her team placed 3rd overall in the competition. Following her admittance to the bar, Corbin told the Court that she was indeed filled with gratitude. She was thankful to God, her parents, sister and many relatives and friends who supported her journey to the Bar.

New Lawyer: Cecilia Corbin

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STANDARDS IN FOCUS

GNBS OFFERS SERVICES CRUCIAL TO THE TOURISM SECTOR As the focus continues on observances for Tourism Awareness Month 2020, it is important that we underscore to various services offered by the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) to stakeholders within the sector. As highlighted in last week’s article, the GNBS has several standards, which when implemented are designed to enhance the experience of visitors to our shores. These standards include the Code of Practice for tour operators and tour guides, Bed and breakfasts facilities and Code of Practice for quality management in the restaurant service. Guidance for the implementation of the requirements of these stan-

dards can be provided to users, as necessary. The GNBS also have international standards from the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), which are very relevant to the sector. These include the ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System standard, which focuses on customer satisfaction and continuous improvement. This standard can be applied to improve services to enhance the tourist experience. Additionally, ISO 22000 helps to address the food safety aspects of the sector. The standard provides guidance for the implementation of a Food Safety Management System extend-

ing “from the farm to the fork”. This ensures hotels and restaurants are provided with quality produce which are safe and wholesome for tourists and local diners. The GNBS is capable of providing training and consultancy services to establishments needing to benefit from these internationally recognized standards. Meanwhile, through the certification of medical laboratories under its Laboratory Certification Programme, the GNBS has also been supporting medical tourism. Under the programme, laboratories are certified to the National Laboratory Standard, which helps to provide accurate and reliable medical testing to locals and visiting tourists.

International certification has also been achieved by some medical laboratories, which further enhances that confidence of foreigners seeking to access more affordable healthcare here in Guyana. Lastly, although the COVID-19 pandemic has presented numerous challenges for the various sectors of our economy, it has created a widespread need for the GNBS calibration services for thermometers used to measure the temperature of persons. The GNBS Industrial Metrology and Testing Services Department conducts the calibration of infrared thermometers that are used at airports, other ports of entry and at accommodation facilities to ascer-

tain the body temperature of travellers and personnel providing related services. Finally, as we observe Tourism Awareness Month 2020 under the theme “Destination Guyana: Recover, rebuild – Getting ready to bounce back”, the GNBS is committed to identifying more opportunities to offer services to support the tourism sector in its recovery. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.) For further information on this subject, please contact the GNBS on Telephone Numbers: 219-0065, 2190066, WhatsApp 692-GNBS (4627) or follow us on Facebook #GNBSGY

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“Jinga Harry” arrested after alleged shootout with Cops and GRA Alleged smuggler, Harrielall Motilall, popularly known as “Jinga Harry” has once again landed in hot water, after he was taken into police custody following a shootout yesterday with police and enforcement officers of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA). The shootout, according to the Head of the GRA’s enforcement unit, Jason Moore, took place sometime after midnight yesterday at Mahaica, East Coast Demerara (ECD). This newspaper learnt that the enforcement officers received information of an ongoing smuggling activity at a bond and headed to the area. While attempting to carry out their legal duties, they came under rapid gunfire from high-powered rifles said to be AK-47s and had to seek cover. Parts of their vehicles were riddled with bullets. The GRA officers had to call for immediate backup and were assisted by police ranks from the East Coast district. No one was injured, Kaieteur News was told, but a number of smuggled goods were eventually seized and

one of the shooters was apprehended. Commander of Division 4 ‘C’, Khali Pareshram, later informed the media house that Jinga Harry was later arrested too and is currently being grilled by detectives. The businessman, who once told Kaieteur News that he is not a smuggler, is currently before the courts facing charges for a similar shooting incident, which occurred in November 2019. During that shootout, an

officer attached to the Customs Anti-Narcotic Units (CANU) was left nursing a gunshot wound. Motilall was charged on September 17, 2020, and is currently out on $400,000 bail. He was sentenced in absentia to four years’ imprisonment in 2016, for shooting at two GRA officers in 2014. All three incidents allegedly involving the businessman were because of lawmen intercepting smuggling activities linked to him.

Arrested Jinga Harry

“Disorderly miner” chopped to death in front of his own home A father recalled his son behaving in a disorderly manner just minutes before he found him chopped to death in front of their home located at Five Miles, Arakaka, North West District, Region 1. Richard Thomas, 28, was brutally slain at around 01:30Hrs on Friday allegedly by his drinking buddy. According to police, Thomas, was reportedly seen drinking banks beers with the suspect and a female relative on Thursday evening at a shop

located at Four Miles, Arakaka. At around midnight Thomas pulled his relative to go home but she ran away from him and he was accompanied to his house by the suspect. Upon their arrival, an argument ensued between them. Thomas’ father told investigators that he was awoken by his son behaving in a disorderly manner. He continued that he also heard things breaking up outside for about 15 minutes.

After a brief silence, the man reportedly ventured outside to investigate and saw his son Thomas, lying motionless with multiple chops to the head, body and hands. He reported the matter to the Arakaka Police Station and ranks arrived shortly after to examine the crime scene and remove Thomas’ body. It was further examined by a medex at the Arakaka Health Center and then sent to the Port Kaituma Hospital Morgue.

Bullet holes in the Vehicles belonging the GRA Enforcement Unit after yesterday’s shootout

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PAT DIAL In the last week of October, Pesticides Awareness Week was commemorated in Guyana. This observance is a regional one and was established by the Coordinating Group of Pesticide Control Boards of the Caribbean (CGPC) under the aegis of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Each Caribbean country has its own way of observing the Week and in Guyana, it revolved around the Ministry of Agriculture. The Ministry enlisted the collaboration of the Pesticide and Chemicals Control Board and together they worked out their programme. The specific objective of the occasion was to strengthen pesticide awareness at the national and regional levels and the theme was appropriately: “PPE for COVID-19. PPE for pesticides: Health and Safety for All.” (PPE = ‘Personal Protective Equipment’) The enthusiastic Minister of Agriculture, Hon Zulfikar Mustapha, assumed a personal involvement during the occasion and stressed the need for public awareness and training among the farming community and pesticide users to use pesticides responsibly.

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The Minister pointed out that though the risks and harmful effects of pesticides were known from the early 19th century, yet farmers do not protect themselves. Mr. Mustapha felt it was necessary to reiterate the deleterious effects of pesticides since farmers are in particular need to be constantly reminded of them. “Pesticides,” reiterated the Minister, “can cause short term adverse health effects, called acute effects, as well as chronic adverse effects that can occur months or even years after exposure. Examples of acute health effects are stinging eyes, rashes, blisters, blindness, nausea, dizziness, diarrhea, and death. Examples of chronic effects are cancers, birth defects, reproductive harm, neurological and developmental toxicity, immune toxicity and disruption of the endocrine system. Farm workers and pesticide applicators are reminded that they are the most vulnerable since they receive the greatest exposure.” The way of protecting one’s self against pesticide poisoning is by the use of Personal Protective Equipment. If pesticides go on the skin or if their fumes are inhaled, the

poisons enter the body. Personal Protective Equipment includes suits, which cover the body entirely and respirators and masks for the face. Gloves are also necessary. Oftentimes, farmers tend to say that they had used insecticides without any ill effects and that PPE is uncomfortable and hinders their work. Such farmers need to know that the deleterious effects of pesticide poisons may be felt years after exposure. The focus of Pesticide Awareness Week 2020 had been on agriculture. Consumer people are equally concerned with the use of pesticide in the home and pesticides, which may go on vegetables sold in the markets. Oftentimes farmers spray pesticides on growing vegetables such as eggplant, tomatoes and leafy vegetables to protect their crops from damage by insects. With growth and exposure to rainfall, the insecticides are washed away and the vegetables become fairly safe but consumers are enjoined to always wash their vegetables thoroughly. Mosquito coils and various sprays against vermin such as cockroaches are

equally dangerous, as insecticides used in agriculture and households must be used with masks when spraying and avoid any insecticides going on the body. If this happens, it must be washed off immediately Many household insecticides sold in the markets and small shops are produced in East Asia and smuggled into Guyana. These East Asian products are invariably below standard and are dangerous to health. They are usually attractively packed and are perfumed. Consumers are enjoined not to buy or use them. The Food and Drugs Department has been seizing such dangerous imports but they do not have staff enough to control the flow of such smuggled insecticides. Though rat poisons are not insecticides, they should be treated in like manner. Householders must ensure that their rat poisons and insecticides are completely out of the reach of children, for over the years, there have been examples of several children dying or being seriously poisoned from ingesting these poisonous substances.

Canje Block may be more valuable than... From page 17 from the just over a dozen prospects in Canje. To put that into perspective, Exxon’s tenth discovery in the Stabroek block had taken its estimated recoverable resources to five billion oil-equivalent barrels. Westmount said that subsequent processing and interpretation of data has granted the Canje Block co-venturers a substantial inventory of prospects, starting with Bulletwood, Jabillo and Sapote. The 2018 Competent Person Report including the results of the data processing, was reportedly done by the Texas-based firm, DeGoyler McNaughton. It is not publicly available.

The 3D seismic survey was done by the operator of the block, ExxonMobil, in 2016. JHI anticipates that the first planned well in Canje, Bulletwood-1, will be spudded this month or the next. “The Bulletwood-1 prospect is reported to be a ‘Liza look-alike’ confined channel complex,” Westmount said. It is expected to contain about 500 million barrels. “The second well on the Canje Block will target either Sapote-1 in the east of the block or Jabillo-1 in the northwest of the block, which is reported as a billion-barrel class basin floor turbidite fan.”

The Canje Block was awarded to Mid-Atlantic Oil & Gas in March 2015. In just two months, that company started transferring stakes to other companies, starting with JHI Associates, with which it came to an agreement in 2014, before it received the block. The next sale was to ExxonMobil, which became the operator in 2016. A stake was also transferred to Total SE in 2018. In 2019, ExxonMobil relinquished a portion of the block to the government as per the terms of the exploration licence, reducing the size of the contract area from 6,100 sq. km to 4,800 sq. km.

500 largest US companies express ... From page 13 and security services, among others. Lynch further stated that, “Seeing these investment aspirations realized as commitments will require hard work,” while adding that the Ease of Doing Business had ranked Guyana 134 out of 190 countries, which contributing factors including taxation, high energy costs, inadequate infrastructure, outdated intellectual property rights, bureau-

cracy, perceived corruption and citizens security concerns. “So, I challenge us all to improve this ranking in 2021… Over the next year, we look forward to partnering with AmCham on webinars in all of these areas. look forward to US companies competing fairly and transparently in tender processes, as we want to remain Guyana’s top trading partner and partner of choice,” the Ambassador articulated.

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Kaieteur News

Guyana records 70 new COVID-19 cases The Ministry of Health yesterday reported 70 new COVID-19 cases, increasing the total number of confirmed cases to 4,794 as indicated in their daily dashboard. Further, the dashboard states that nine persons are in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit, 48 persons are in institutional isolation,

874 persons are in approved home isolation and 36 persons are in institutional quarantine. The COVID-19 death toll remains at 138 deaths, while 3,725 recoveries have been recorded to date. Additionally, the dashboard says that 24,411 persons have been tested for the virus nationally.

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Corentyne man to face trial over killing of 70-year-old A Corentyne fisherman who killed a 70year-old pensioner following a misunderstanding was committed to stand trial in the next sitting of the Berbice High Court on a charge of manslaughter. Parshutam Samsundar called “Sholay,” 42, of Lot 305, No. 72 Village, Corentyne Berbice has been committed to stand trial in the next criminal session of the Berbice High Court following the conclusion of a preliminary inquiry. He is accused of killing Romowd Persaud Tejram called “Prakash” or “Pandit” of No. 73 Village, Corentyne Berbice. The incident oc-

curred on Wednesday 12th December at Skeldon.Samsundar appeared in the Springlands Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Alex Moore, who ruled that a prima facie case has been made out against him. Senior Counsel, Murselene Bacchus, made submissions at the end of which the accused was committed on the count of manslaughter. Samsundar, asked if he had anything to say, stated “I’m innocent Sir.” He was placed on $150,000 bail and is required to lodge his travel documents with the Court before he is released from custody.

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...Paqueta showed Neymar From page 78 However, he was sent back to Paris Saint-Germain to continue his recovery ahead of an uninspiring 1-0 victory over Venezuela at Morumbi on Friday. The Selecao struggled to create openings in the first half but Paqueta replaced the booked Douglas Luiz at halftime and supplied an incisive pass for the move that resulted in Roberto Firmino scoring the only goal of the game. “Whenever you have a player of the level of Neymar, with the ability to generate imbalance, the team will miss him,” said Bacchi, son of head coach Tite. “We missed him even

more in this game to find an alternative and make space in the man-to-man marking. “The entrance of Paqueta was a way to find a new path, to move to find the pass in that direction. Neymar is not irreplaceable, but he is indispensable.” Tite added: “In the first half we didn’t have enough width to break the man-toman marking. The passing triangles started to happen with the goal, which started with Paqueta. “It ended up working [the substitution] due to what the game needed, with Douglas Luiz’s card and the entry of a creative, attacking midfielder in Paqueta.

“The use of these pieces is challenging and brings these lessons within the difficulty of the game.” Paqueta was left out of the squad for the first round of qualifiers but was proud to have returned and helped the team break down a tough opponent, who defended deep throughout. “They were respecting us. They were very compact. We looked for our way to overcome them. Thank God, we found the goal and won the three points,” Paqueta told CBF TV. “We were able to read the game well at half-time. We found the spaces in the second half and broke through their blockade.”

Sunday November 15, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Be tactful when speaking today. With this day's energy, it's important that you take the time to think about how your words affect the person you're talking to. TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) Today, Taurus, don't be too surprised if you have difficulty getting into a work frame of mind. It's likely that you'd rather daydream than be in the real world. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) You may find today that people are really attracted to you as a friend. This is because you're usually a good listener. You're open to other people's ideas and thoughts and can care easily. CANCER (June 21–July 22) It's good to dream, especially on days like today, Cancer. Expanding your mind and thinking of possibilities are positive ways to increase your knowledge. Give yourself time to think. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) With today's energy, you might want to let your imagination run free for a while. This can add a real boost, as it will connect you with your inner self. Let your imagination be your ticket to your creative and artistic abilities. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) People tend to feel comfortable around you even if they're different than you are. That's because you usually accept the fact that everyone is different and that's OK.

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LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) You have an incredible imagination, Libra. Today is a great day to put it to use. Take time to engage in creative activities and try meditation, story planning, role playing, or visualization. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Chances are good that you will feel strong and confident today, Scorpio. It's a good time to try something you've never done before. You might be the right person to get things started. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) The energy of the day should have you feeling pretty good. Your spirits should be high, and laughing may well be a good part of your day. When you laugh, it gets other people going. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Expect a boost in popularity today. One way to put this to good use is to bring about change. Perhaps you and your co-workers feel that the workplace needs a new program, such as benefits. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Today's energy may highlight your popularity. The transits boost your enthusiasm and energy for doing things. People will feel drawn to you. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Today should present a very positive influence for you, Pisces. The energy at play will allow for such things as making excellent decisions. Things will go more quickly than usual.

results for Matthews ...MotoGP ...Mixed From page 79 Tahlia McGrath hit the top Brisbane Heat. At score of 52 and Katie Mack Valencia: against the Sydney Showground made 25, but the Strikers Matthews smashed failed to successfully chase Morbidelli Stadium, four fours and one six in a 137 for victory against the

From page 77 shootout. The light rain returned for the latter stages, which spelled disaster for Rins who was unable to improve on his 1m31.594s, resigning him to 14th on the grid. To keep his title hopes alive, Rins needs to be in the podium places to have a hope of the permutations falling his way to delay Mir’s coronation. Rins will start alongside LCR’s Cal Crutchlow and the Ducati of Danilo Petrucci, while Rossi (Yamaha) heads Andrea Dovizioso on the sister factory Ducati. The grid was completed by Honda’s Stefan Bradl, Avintia’s Tito Rabat, Alex Marquez and Aprilia’s Lorenzo Savadori. Honda’s Marquez suffered a huge highside in the opening stages of Q1 at Turn 11 and landed heavily on his backside - though still managed to return to the circuit on his second bike late on.

run-ball 41 not out and New Zealander Rachel Priest slammed 15 fours and one six in the top score of 92 not out off 63 balls to lead the Hurricanes to 143 for one in 18.1 overs and a successful run chase. The Hurricanes international pair shared 117 – unbroken – for the second wicket, after Naomi Stalenberg was run out in the third over for six. Matthews had earlier scalped the wicket of South African Dane van Niekerk in her allotted four overs that cost 38 runs, after the Sixers won the toss, chose to bat and proceeded to post 139 for four from their allocation of 20 overs. Elyse Perry, the Sixers captain and star Australia Women’s all-rounder, led the way for her side with a runa-ball, unbeaten 72 that included eight fours and one six. At Drummoyne Oval, Taylor struck three fours and one six in 27 from 22 balls,

Heat. The Strikers’ chase was undermined by all-rounder Grace Harris. She finished with four wickets – including Taylor caught and bowled – for 16 runs from three overs with her off-spin to put the skids on the Strikers and they finished on 122 for seven in their 20 overs. Earlier, Harris made 32 and Laura Kimmince led the way with 41, and the Heat, sent into bat, posted 136 for seven from their allocation of 20 overs. Taylor failed to bag a wicket in two overs that cost her 15 runs, Amanda-Jade Wellington was the pick of the Strikers’ bowlers with four for 24 from three overs and Megan Schutt took two for 18 from her allotted four overs. The two West Indies Women’s all-rounders are expected to be in action again today, when Strikers face Sixers at Drummoyne Oval, where Hurricanes will meet Heat five hours later.

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Sensational Sierra Leone comeback stuns Nigeria AFP - Sierra Leone staged one of the greatest Africa Cup of Nations comebacks to draw 4-4 with Nigeria Friday while struggling Egypt were dealt a huge blow as talisman Mohamed Salah tested positive for coronavirus. Nigeria appeared to have three 2021 qualifying points in the bag when they built a four-goal lead after 31 minutes in Benin City against opponents 88 places below them in the world rankings. But a sensational fightback that began just before half-time as Kwame Quee scored reached a climax five minutes from time when Al-Hadji Kamara equalised. It was the greatest Cup of Nations comeback since the 2010 finals when Mali drew 44 with hosts Angola in the tournament opener after trailing by four goals 12 minutes from time in Luanda. Record seven-time African champions Egypt are

only third in another section following draws with Kenya and the Comoros, and were hoping Liverpool star Salah could lead them to home and away victories over Togo. But instead of playing for the Pharaohs in Cairo yesterday and in Lome Tuesday, Salah spent Friday isolated in a Cairo hotel room after testing positive for Covid-19 despite showing no symptoms. The 2017 and 2018 African Footballer of the Year will undergo further tests, an Egyptian Football Association official said. Senegalese Sadio Mane and Guinean Naby Keita, two Liverpool teammates of Salah, have recovered after contracting Covid-19. In Benin City, Nigeria made a whirlwind start with Alex Iwobi (twice), Victor Osimhen and Samuel Chukwueze scoring in a 26minute Group L goal blitz.

But Sierra Leone, who have won only twice in 14 previous matches against Nigeria, refused to surrender and Kamara scored either side of a Mustapha Bundu goal to secure a dramatic draw. - Laboured South African win Nigeria have seven points, Benin three, Sierra Leone two and Lesotho one with the second and fourthplace teams due to meet in Porto-Novo Saturday. Meanwhile, South Africa needed a Bongani Zungu goal on 90 minutes in Durban to seal a laboured 2-0 win over minnows Sao Tome e Principe despite 110 places dividing them in the world rankings. Percy Tau put Bafana Bafana (The Boys) ahead on 55 minutes from the penalty spot after he was fouled and Zungu nodded a corner past substitute goalkeeper Nilson Taty. It was another

unimpressive showing by South Africa under coach Molefi Ntseki, who has achieved just three victories in six Cup of Nations and friendly international outings. Ghana lead Group C with a maximum nine points, South Africa have six, Sudan three and Sao Tome are pointless. Morocco were the most impressive of the five winning nations Friday, hammering the Central African Republic 4-1 in Rabat with Chelsea midfielder Hakim Ziyech bagging a brace. The triumph under Bosnia & Herzegovina-born coach Vahid Halilhodzic enabled Morocco to replace Mauritania as Group E frontrunners. Tunisia and Mali, both top-10 ranked countries in Africa, would have expected to win more convincingly than 1-0 at home to Tanzania and Namibia respectively.

George grabs hat-trick as England thump Georgia 40-0 LONDON (Reuters) Hooker Jamie George scored a hat-trick of identical rolling maul tries as England swept aside a spirited but limited Georgia 40-0 in their opening Autumn Nations Cup match at a rain-lashed and eerily quiet fan-free Twickenham yesterday. Flanker Jack Willis marked his debut with a try, while Elliot Daly, in a rare moment of backline enterprise, and replacement scrumhalf Dan Robson also crossed in a predictably one-sided contest. England will consider it a job well done - an efficient victory where they nullified the famed Georgian scrum threat and never looked remotely like conceding a try - but it was a performance that certainly lacked sparkle, albeit in a game played in difficult conditions. “It was great team performance,” George said. “We were fully aware of their ability up front, how much pride they take in their set piece and how physical they would be. Most pleasing for me was forwards-wise was that we stepped up to the plate. “We are back here at Twickenham, missing the crowd massively, but we constantly try to push it with our set piece so it was great to get over the line.” It was a bizarre atmosphere in the cavernous 82,000-capacity stadium, the triple-decker stands of green

England’s Jamie George scores their third try during the Autumn Nations Cup Rugby tournament against Georgia at Twickenham Stadium. (Reuters/Paul Childs) seats punctuated only by two giant cloth poppies and a colourful collection of club shirts. After 15 minutes of virtual non-stop, but uninspired, England forward pressure, the sturdy Georgian defence finally cracked when flanker Willis bundled over for the opening try. England continued to dominate possession but too often kicked it away with speculative chips and grubbers and, had there been the usual November crowd, it would have been getting restless. However, once the forwards took control again, two powerful lineout drives sent George over for two tries

in three minutes. The backs finally got going shortly before halftime when Jonathan Joseph carved a lovely line to set up Daly to score in the corner, unfortunately Joseph picking up an injury in the act and having to go off just before his team mates jogged off 260 up. The rain started to lash down harder in the second half and Georgia got their hands on the ball for a while, albeit without ever threatening the England line. The hosts then reverted to their most effective weapon as George was mauled over for his hat-trick after 58 minutes and Robson,

one of a host of replacements Eddie Jones sent on, threw a neat dummy from a ruck to score 10 minutes later. There was no late flurry of tries, however, as the game dribbled to a close. For the Georgians, playing at Twickenham for the first time, it will be something of a landmark game, but few of the absent England fans are likely to be talking about it in the days to come, let alone years. England will face a stiffer test next week when they host Ireland, while Georgia, revelling in a rare opportunity for a series of games against Tier One opposition, play Wales.

Alex Iwobi (L) scored twice as Nigeria took a four-goal lead before collapsing in a 4-4 draw against Sierra Leone Friday. Both needed penalties to succeed with Youssef Msakni scoring after 18 minutes for Tunisia in Rades and El Bilal Toure after 33 minutes for Mali in Bamako. Tunisia top Group J with

nine points, six more than Equatorial Guinea, Libya and Tanzania, and Mali share first place in Group A with Guinea on seven points followed by Namibia with three while Chad have none.

Watching Gayle lift Kings XI was Lara’s favourite IPL moment S p o r t s M a x - We s t Indies legend Brian Lara has picked watching T20 star Chris Gayle, during the recently concluded IPL 2020 season, as his highlight of the tournament. Despite Gayle’s team not making the playoffs, few would argue with Lara’s choice. The 41year-old began the season looking on from the bench for Kings XI as the team struggled to a 1 and 7 start. The results meant they were rooted to the bottom of the table with little hope of advancing to the play-offs. Gayle’s introduction saw the team embark on a five-game winning streak and finding themselves just outside the top four. Perhaps the highlight of the tournament individually for Gayle came with a whirlwind 99 against Rajasthan

Royals. The batsman was dismissed on 99 by England bowler Jofra Archer but prior to that made history as the first player to club 1000 T20 sixes. Despite just missing out on the playoffs, Lara believes Gayle deserved special commendation for rallying Kings XI and in the process entertaining the fans. “I think the Universe Boss – Chris Gayle. The reason being that if there were 50-60 th o u s a n d people watching, it was more when he arrived in the tournament at the second h alf,” Lara told Star Sports’ Cricket Live “His performances and how he got Kings XI Punjab going and almost getting there. I think it’s just been amazing watching him and the turnaround of Kings XI Punjab.”

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Turkish GP: Stroll takes shock maiden pole in crazy qualifying Motosport - The session was heavily disrupted, with Q1 suspended for nearly 45minutes after the rain intensified following the opening 10 minutes, and when it did get going again it was quickly red-flagged for a second time when Romain Grosjean became stuck in the Turn 1 gravel after spinning off in his Haas. Verstappen largely led the way throughout the session, with Esteban Ocon spending the long Q1 delay at the head of the times after impressing during the initial running, be he appeared to be caught out by a Q3 switch from wets to intermediates. The Red Bull driver’s first Q3 lap was a 1m52.326s, which was over two seconds slower than Verstappen had gone to top Q2, but he looked to be going massively faster with two opening purple sectors on his next lap. But Verstappen abandoned that run after Sergio Perez had shot to P1 with a 1m52.037s using the green-walled inters, and so

Verstappen came in to take that tyre. But he although Verstappen found time at the very end of Q3, he was not in command as he had been before, with Perez and Racing Point suddenly looking to be the pole favourites. But Perez, who had spun on his next lap after seizing P1, was eventually shuffled down to third after Stroll, who had headed out on the wets early on in Q3 in a different approach to his teammate, put in a 1m47.765s to rise to the front. Verstappen had to find a way past Kimi Raikkonen’s Alfa Romeo before he final run, where he climbed from third to second, but wound up 0.29s behind Stroll. Alex Albon took fourth in the second Red Bull ahead of Daniel Ricciardo, who stayed on the wet tyres throughout Q3. Lewis Hamilton was the lead Mercedes in sixth, having trailed behind teammate Valtteri Bottas

throughout the sessions leading up to Q3 and during their initial laps on the wets in the last session. But after Mercedes called its drivers to take the inters, Hamilton was able to improve more, as Bottas set a personal best on his final run but still ended up down in ninth. Ocon and Raikkonen ended up ahead of the second Mercedes, with Antonio Giovinazzi rounding out the top 10. Q2 ran uninterrupted throughout, with the drivers finding chunks of time with each lap they set. Verstappen led the way, nearly two seconds clear of anyone else, while the Alfa Romeo cars reached Q3 for the first time in 2020. All of the eliminated runners set personal bests on their final laps, but they could not improve by enough, headed by Lando Norris in P11. Norris and teammate Carlos Sainz had run with the inters at the start of Q2, but

came in for wets ahead of their final runs. This took them inside the two-minute mark, but they were still big chunk behind the top 10 cutoff, as Norris finished nearly 0.7s slower than Ricciardo. Sebastian Vettel split the McLarens in 12th, with Charles Leclerc also out in Q2 in 14th, despite his strong pace in the dry practice sessions on Friday, and his P2 in FP3. Pierre Gasly was knocked out in P15 despite a late visit to the AlphaTauri pits to take fresh wets, while Sainz faces a post-qualifying investigation after possibly impeding Perez during one run in Q2. In Q1, Kevin Magnussen was eliminated in 16th as he was caught behind several incidents following the second red flag, one of which was Daniil Kvyat spinning at Turn 3, which cost him the chance to escape the opening segment as he complained about poor visibility. Kvyat therefore ended up out in 17th, ahead of George

Russell, who also lost time running behind the incidents after the second restart – the second of which was Nicholas Latifi spinning off exiting the middle apex of Turn 8 and beaching his Williams in the gravel on the outside. Russell will start last after his replacement power unit parts will drop him to the rear of field, which will boost Grosjean and Latifi a spot each from P19 and P20. Verstappen and Albon headed Q1 with the only times under two minutes – as they lapped at the head of the field after the second restart, ahead of the two incidents taking place in their wake. All laps completed by drivers passing the yellows flying for Kvyat’s spin and Latifi’s beached Williams will be investigated after the session, which could yet change the order for the grid. The was also a strange incident at the start of Q2, where the session was allowed to get underway despite Latifi’s Williams still being craned away. Qualifying results:

1 Canada - Lance Stroll Racing Point-BWT Mercedes RP20 - 1’47.765 2 Netherlands - Max Verstappen - Red Bull RacingHonda RB16 - 1’48.055 3 Mexico – Mexico Sergio Perez - Racing PointBWT Mercedes RP20 1’49.321 4 Thailand – Thailand Alex Albon - Red Bull RacingHonda RB16 - 1’50.448 5 Australia – Australia Daniel Ricciardo - Renault R.S.20 - 1’51.595 6 United Kingdom - Lewis Hamilton - Mercedes F1 W11 EQ Power+ - 1’52.560 7 France - Esteban Ocon Renault R.S.20 - 1’52.622 8 Finland - Kimi Raikkonen - Alfa Romeo Racing-Ferrari C39 - 1’52.745 9 Finland - Valtteri Bottas - Mercedes F1 W11 EQ Power+ - 1’53.258 10 Italy - Antonio Giovinazzi - Alfa Romeo Racing-Ferrari C39 - 1’57.226 11 United Kingdom Lando Norris - McLarenRenault MCL35 - 1’54.945 12 Germany - Sebastian Vettel - Ferrari SF1000 1’55.169

“The stars are at the Academy, every day and not just at night,” said President of the Guyana Golf Association Aleem Hussain as he announced that Golfing Superstars Avinash Persaud, 10-time Men’s Guyana Open Champion and Dr. Joaan Deo, former Women’s Guyana Open and Suriname Ladies Champion have signed a long-term coaching deal with the Academy. “With the sport gaining momentum daily and national attention growing, the demand for the best training has caused us to seek the top coaches to join our team. We are pleased to announce that effective immediately the coaching services of two of the top players in Guyana are now available at the Academy to ensure that new players are able to learn from the best players in the country.” Avinash has represented Guyana in Trinidad, Suriname and Jamaica and has successfully defended the Guyana Open title an astonishing TEN times, beating off competition from top players from all over the world. He is undoubtedly the best player Guyana has ever seen in recent years, considering that he backs up his ability with a record that rivals top performance globally.

Avinash has the talent to hit shots that most players can only imagine and plans to teach all those who want to enjoy the game exactly how it’s done. “Once you see how effortlessly and smoothly the ball can be hit and maximum distance generated, you will realize that any and every one has the ability to enjoy this wonderful game,” said the Champ. Dr. Joaan Deo, despite being in pursuit of her Master’s degree, said that she has always been there with Hussain to promote the game and sees this as an obligation to the sport. “Aleem and I represented Guyana in Barbados and Suriname and together went from school to school, University of Guyana and even Giftland Mall to teach the game and this is just another step towards making sure that Golf climbs to become one of the most played and recognized sports in Guyana.” Joaan has won top honors in Guyana and Suriname along with several major sponsored events locally and brings a fluid swing taught to her by her father Chen Deo, Former Captain of the LGC, who stated, “I am impressed with the efforts of the Golf Academy to attract so many women and children who are now playing golf for the first time, and it is important that they are given the best instruction at the very

beginning.” said Chen. “This move to bring on coaches shows that we are moving in the right direction.” With more than 400 new players joining the sport in the past few months, the need for coaches has exceeded the current efforts being made by Mr. Hussain and Colin Ming, who donated over 25 sets of junior golf clubs and assisted with a kids camp, to provide individual training to so many new players. Additionally, the donations to create programmes for underprivileged children by Christopher Ram and Ramesh Dookhoo has set the stage for the game to continue its expansion as more individuals and corporations join to support such efforts. The fully lighted Golf Academy and Driving Range is open daily from 6am to 8 pm and is always in superb condition despite the rainy weather. All equipment and balls are included in the low fee since the focus is on providing the best experience possible at the lowest cost. To book a private lesson with either of the superstar coaches, simply call 645 0944, visit the Academy on Woolford Avenue or their Facebook page Nexgen Golf Academy & Driving Range.

Rahul Dravid supports cricket’s Persaud, Deo secure deal with GGA inclusion in the Olympics ESPNcricinfo - Rahul Dravid has thrown his weight behind the idea of cricket’s inclusion in the Olympics, suggesting it would be “great for the game”. While Dravid, the director of cricket operations at India’s national academy, accepted the move had “its challenges”, he felt it would help the “expansion” of the game and suggested “cricket should endeavour to try and get into the Olympics”. “I think it would be great for the game if the T20 format can become an Olympic sport,” Dravid said at the virtual launch of A New Innings, a book written by Manoj Badale and Simon Hughes that investigates the business of sport through the lens of the IPL. “There’s cricket being played in so many countries. I’m certainly for the expansion of the T20 game.” The ICC recently provided a boost to the prospects of a return of the sport to the event - it was contested in the 1900 Paris Olympics - by asking members to report on the potential financial benefits of inclusion. But while Dravid acknowledged there could be hurdles to overcome on issues such as pitch preparation and the already bursting cricket schedule, he was keen to press for the

Cricket has not been part of the Olympics since 1900. (Getty Images) sport’s inclusion. “Obviously, it [Olympic inclusion] comes with its challenges,” Dravid continued. “Not least of all cricket’s a game that requires certain kinds of facilities for it to be successful. As we’ve just seen, the success of the IPL was in a large part due to the quality of wickets that were put out for the teams. The Olympics is played in countries where cricket is not played. “But if you can get a lot of that right and if it works in the schedule and if you can get the facilities in place, then why not? If it’s possible, I think cricket should endeavour to try and get into the Olympics at some stage. It might take some time, but why not?” Andrew Wildblood, one of the original architects of the IPL, and Badale, the owner of Rajasthan Royals, agreed with Dravid’s assessment.

“Why wouldn’t you want to be part of something that is part of arguably the biggest global sporting platform?” Wildblood asked rhetorically. “Surely that has to be a positive if it grows the interest levels in cricket and grows the audience. It has to be good for the game. Why wouldn’t you do that if you can?” Badale said: “For me, the executive function of any sport should be to broaden the appeal. If you broaden its appeal, you broaden its reach. That means more kids get to experience what you and I think is the best game in the world. It means more people get to see what you and I think is the best game in the world. “Success breeds success. We all live off the same ultimate source of income: media rights. So the bigger the audience is, the bigger the media rights are and the bigger the economy is.”

Kaieteur News

Sunday November 15, 2020

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Brazil lead WCup qualifying group, Uruguay beat Colombia

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AO PAULO (AP) — B r a z i l unconvincingly beat Venezuela 1-0 at home, but that was enough for coach Tite’s team to take the lead in South American World Cup qualifying with nine points from three matches. The winning goal in Sao Paulo was scored by Roberto Firmino from close range in the 67th minute. Brazil did not have six players from its original squad for the match, including injured superstar Neymar. They will also be absent for Tuesday’s clash at Uruguay, which earlier beat Colombia away 3-0. Uruguay is in fourth position after the win in Barranquilla with six points, one behind second place Argentina. The top four teams will automatically qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The fifth-place team will go into an inter-continental playoff. BRAZIL The Brazilians had four goals disallowed during the match — three for offside reviewed by video assistant referee and one because of a foul. But that did not hide the flaws of a disorganized team that had lost Neymar, midfielders Philippe Coutinho and Fabinho, and defenders Eder Militão, Rodrigo Caio and Gabriel Menino for the match. Venezuela defended well during most of the match, but created little risk for

Chile’s Arturo Vidal, center above, scores his side’s second goal against Peru during a qualifying soccer match for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 in Santiago, Chile, Friday, Nov. 13, 2020. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

goalkeeper Ederson. The only goal of the match at the Morumbi stadium came when midfielder Everton Ribeiro crossed from the right, leftback Renan Lodi won a head contest with Venezuelan defenders and the ball ended with Firmino, who just pushed it to the net. Firmino has scored in all three Brazil matches in World Cup qualifiers. Tite admitted Neymar was deeply missed. “In one moment he can do something that no one else anticipates,” Tite said. “We were champions of Copa America last year without him, but we still

missed him.” Brazil’s last defeat in South American World Cup qualifiers was at Chile in 2015, but the performance and the absent players gave the impression that record is at serious risk at Uruguay. Midfielder Allan disagrees, though. “It will be totally different against Uruguay. They will come at us and play, which means they could leave more gaps for us to counter,” he said. URUGUAY Uruguay defeated Colombia 3-0 in a match marked by goals from its 33year-old strikers Edinson Cavani and Luis Suárez, and Darwin Nuñez added the

third. Uruguay was without key players including goalkeeper Martín Silva, defender Sebastián Coates, midfielder Federico Valverde, and striker Maxi Gómez. But a mistake by Colombia defender Yerry Mina in the fifth minute gave Uruguay the lead. Mina lost the ball near his penalty box, Nahitan Nández pounced, and Cavani hit gently from close range, giving no chance to goalkeeper David Ospina. Colombia missed a chance when Duván Zapata’s header hit the right post. Uruguay came back

through a counterattack. Rodrigo Betancur stopped a Colombia push and fed Suárez. The striker passed it back to Betancur inside the penalty box and the midfielder was brought down by Jeison Murillo. Suárez, the top goal scorer in South American qualifiers, netted his from the spot in the 54th minute. Nuñez made it 3-0 in the 73rd, and Colombia got into deeper trouble in the last minute when defender Mina was sent off after receiving a second yellow card. Colombia dropped to seventh place in the standings. It next plays Ecuador in Quito.

“In the two first goals we made mistakes,” Colombia coach Carlos Queiroz said. “ We h a v e t o t a k e responsibility. They made fewer mistakes and in soccer that is the team that wins.” Also on Friday, Chile beat Peru 2-0 with Arturo Vidal scoring in the 20th minute with a screamer from mid-range and in the 35th, just pushing the ball past the line. The Chileans are now in sixth place with four points. Their next match is at Venezuela on Tuesday. On the same day Peru, in eighth position with only one point, will host second-place Argentina.

MotoGP Valencia: Morbidelli takes pole in tricky conditions, Mir only 12th

Petronas SRT’s Franco Morbidelli snatched MotoGP Valencia Grand Prix pole in tricky conditions.

Autosport - Petronas SRT’s Franco Morbidelli snatched MotoGP Valencia Grand Prix pole in tricky conditions, as championship leader Joan Mir could only manage 12th behind Fabio Quartararo, with Alex Rins 14th. Very light rain greeted the pole shootout contenders at the start of the session, with Maverick Vinales setting the early pace on his factory Yamaha with a 1m31.9s. Quartararo came through Q1 and edged ahead of Vinales with a 1m31.889s, with the Petronas SRT rider improving to a 1m30.983s with just under 10 minutes to go.

The Frenchman, along with Rins, trails Mir by 37 points in the championship and clung onto a front row place for some time despite only having one fresh soft tyre at his disposal for Q2. KTM’s Brad Binder, who topped Q1, also only had one tyre to use for his pole attempt and took over top spot with seven minutes remaining with a 1m30.763s. Tech3’s Miguel Oliveira had been fastest briefly, but was shuffled back to third when European GP poleman Pol Espargaro leaped up to second to create a potential KTM 1-2-3. But this wouldn’t last, with Vinales first to spoil

K T M ’s p a r t y w i t h a 1m30.645s to take over top spot, before Jack Miller on the Pramac Ducati fired in a 1m30.287s. Miller’s advantage at the top of the timesheets was substantial, but not enough to fend off a charging Morbidelli, the SRT rider guiding his Yamaha to a 1m30.191s to claim his second pole of 2020 by 0.096 seconds. Ta k a a k i N a k a g a m i completed the front row on his LCR Honda, with Johann Zarco (Avintia) heading Pol Espargaro and Vinales. Aleix Espargaro put his Aprilia seventh ahead of P r a m a c ’s F r a n c c e s c o Bagnaia and Binder, with

Oliveira completing the top 10. Quartararo wound up shuffled back to 11th, but Mir was unable to punish his nearest title rivals after ending up 0.797s off the pace in 12th. Spots of rain first appeared for the start of Q1, resulting in all but Valentino Rossi heading straight out on soft rubber to try and get a banker lap in. K T M ’s B i n d e r a n d Quartararo occupied the two Q2 progression places after their first laps, with their following efforts of 1m30.810s and 1m30.959s would ultimately secure them passage into the pole (Continued on page 73)

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Sunday November 15, 2020

Argentina stun All Blacks for first ever win over New Zealand Argentina defends during their first Test against the New Zealand All Blacks.

Argentina pulled off a miracle in their first Test since the World Cup last year. AFP - A gutsy Argentina stunned the All Blacks 25-15 yesterday to pull off one of rugby’s biggest upsets, consigning an embarrassed New Zealand to their first back-to-back defeats in almost a decade. Fly-half Nicolas Sanchez scored all the Pumas’ points to hand them their maiden victory over the rugby powerhouse in the 30 Tests they have played. Mario Ledesma’s side were given virtually no chance ahead of the Tri Nations match in Sydney after the coronavirus hindered their preparations to just two low-key practice games. But in their first Test since the World Cup last year, they pulled off a miracle. “ I t ’s s u r r e a l w h a t happened, not just the result but playing, getting on the field after everything that has happened this year,” said Argentina coach Ledesma. “Some of the boys haven’t seen their families for four months but they have all been positive... they have been awesome. “I think we will

remember this for a long time, not only the game but because of the special situation,” he added. It was a humiliating defeat for New Zealand who were shocked 24-22 by the Wallabies in Brisbane last week and have now lost back-to-back Tests for the first time since 2011 when they crashed to South Africa and Australia. Coach Ian Foster axed 10 players and named what many regarded as the All Blacks’ best run-on side after last week’s game, but they were no match for a Pumas team helped by former Australian coach Michael Cheika. “Obviously from an All Black view we are bitterly disappointed with the result, with the way we played,” said Foster. “But what I think we saw was a team that despite the disadvantage of not playing a lot of rugby ... they have come here with massive energy and a desire to prove something to their country which has gone through a heck of a hard time. “I want to congratulate them on the result, it is a bit of an historic day for them.”

Unlike Australia and New Zealand, Argentina did not have a Super Rugby competition to help them prepare. But after months of quarantine, they were chomping at the bit and took their frustrations out on a sloppy All Blacks in a dominant first-half. Wi t h N e w Z e a l a n d struggling to create chances with poor kicking, illdiscipline and too many errors, they incredibly went to the break 16-3 in front. New Zealand staged a second-half fightback, but with their eyes on a major upset, Argentina grimly resisted intense pressure to post their best-ever result. - Dangerman Sanchez Argentina got the first points on the board in the fifth minute with Sanchez nailing a penalty from the half-way line after some push and shove instigated by New Zealand’s Shannon Frizell. It didn’t take long for Richie Mo’unga to level the scores but Argentina were playing well, stringing together plenty of phases. Their pressure culminated in dangerman

Paqueta showed Neymar is ‘not irreplaceable’ for Brazil SportsMax - Lucas Paqueta showed Neymar is not irreplaceable by giving Brazil something they were missing against Venezuela, according to assistant coach Matheus Bacchi. Neymar was called up by Brazil for their 2022 World Cup qualifiers despite suffering from a groin injury as it was hoped he would be fit in time to feature against Uruguay on Tuesday. (Continued on page 73)

Lucas Paqueta (right) showed Neymar is not irreplaceable.

Sanchez crossing for the first try of the game, getting on the end of his own chip kick to touch down under the posts. He converted to give his side an unlikely lead which they stretched to 13-3 when Sanchez drilled another penalty, with Jordie Barrett the offender. Only a try-saving tackle from Aaron Smith prevented the Pumas going further in front after Tomas Cubelli broke free, but more All

Blacks ill-discipline handed them another penalty which the laser-like Sanchez again put over. It sent them to the break with a comfortable lead, leaving New Zealand with a major task to save their blushes. That only got harder when the boot of the irrepressible Sanchez earned Argentina another three points soon after the restart. With their reputation on the line, New Zealand finally

woke up and skipper Sam Cane crashed over for their opening try on 52 minutes after a nicely worked rolling maul from a lineout. Mo’unga converted only for Sanchez to move the Pumas back into a 12-point lead with another successful penalty. New Zealand began applying heavy pressure and Caleb Clarke scored a late try, but the Argentinian defence had done enough to ensure a famous win.

Cristiano Ronaldo definitely faster than me - Usain Bolt SportsMax - Usain Bolt believes Juventus and Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is “definitely” quicker than him. Bolt retired from athletics in 2017 but the eight-time Olympic gold medallist still holds the world records over 100 and 200 metres. The 34-year-old clocked a world-record time of 9.58 seconds in the 100m at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, while he also ran 200m in 19.19s 11 years ago in the German city. But Bolt feels five-time Ballon d’Or winner and footballer Ronaldo is faster. “For sure Cristiano [is faster than me],” Manchester United fan Bolt, who also tried to forge a career in football post-athletics following trials with the likes of Borussia Dortmund and A-League side Central Coast Mariners, told Marca Sport Weekend. “For me he works out every day, he is a super athlete. “He always on top of his game, he works hard and he is focussed. Right now I definitely think he would be faster than me.”

Usain Bolt believes Juventus and Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is quicker than him. Ronaldo has scored six goals in four Serie A appearances for Juventus this season, while the 35year-old netted in Portugal’s 7-0 friendly rout of Andorra on Wednesday. After bursting onto the scene at Sporting CP, Ronaldo spent six years at United, where he won three Premier League titles and the Champions League among other honours. Ronaldo left United for Real Madrid in 2009, having scored 118 goals for the Red Devils across all competitions.

In the Spanish capital, Ronaldo became Madrid’s all-time leading goalscorer with 450 – 311 of those coming in LaLiga. Ronaldo claimed four Champions League crowns, a pair of LaLiga trophies, three Club World Cup honours and two UEFA Super Cups among other silverware before joining Juventus in 2018. I n Tu r i n , R o n a l d o already has 71 goals and two Serie A trophies to his name amid speculation he could depart for Paris SaintGermain or United.

Kaieteur News

Sunday November 15, 2020

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Minister Ramson talks about his 100 days in Office By Sean Devers At the young age of 36, the honourable Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports is youngest Sports Minister in Guyana and spoke about his 100 days as a Minister as a guest on Friday Night’s Sean Devers Sports Watch on Kaieteur Radio. “I don’t think I am able to say what has been my biggest achievement in my first 100 days but what I could say is that I am pleased about overall is the team at the Government level, meaning the Cabinet and the President and the energy that is being driven into the Government programmes. I am also pleased about the ideas coming out of the President and the Cabinet and about the aggressive way it is being advanced,” said the Minister who grew

Charles Ramson Jr. Minister of Culture, Youth Sport.

up in Prashad Nagar in Georgetown. “At our Ministry too, I think over the last five years it had become almost like a disappointment of a Ministry, we saw one Minister that held the position, wanted to be the Minister of Health and the other one…. this was after the Ministry had been had been relegated to just being departments so you no

Burnham Park and some drainage works which has begun.

longer had a Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, you had departments in the Education. And because Education is so big that you could never have department of Culture, Youth and Sport operating in a prominent way, it will always be subsumed and consumed by the Ministry of Education so that was not a good idea. The other Minister that

Local fitness coach launches website Kacey Bayley

Kacey Bayley, one of the few Guyanese certified fitness and nutrition coaches from the International Sports and Science Association (ISSA), has all systems in place and will launch his unique website and mobile a p p , www.buildwithbayley.com today. Bayley, who specialises in fitness training, fitness nutrition, sports training, sports nutrition, online coaching along with adult first aid & CPR and exercise therapy, is consistently looking to give back and usually volunteers to work with differently ablepersons. The former bodybuilder and physique competitor who got three second places in 2017, revealed to Kaieteur Sport that following the coronavirus pandemic he realised that there was much more he could’ve done to give back so he decided to make all his services accessible online. He posited that, “After Covid-19 had hit, a lot of persons saw the importance of being fit to protect themselves against the virus. And I realsied we don’t have enough Human Resources to tend to everyone in Guyana so I decided to put my services online. Not everyone can afford personal training in Guyana, so I’ve made a lot valuable resources free and readily

available.” Although the services o f f e r e d o n www.buildwithbayley are majorly paid subscriptions that include Fitness and Nutritional consultation, custom meal plans, dietary analysis, social media live and speaking engagements for individuals and corporate, a plethora of free content is available for anyone that visits the site. They are over 100 body weight and weight training exercise demonstrations on the site so persons who may not want to sign on to a paid subscription, can put together workouts on their own.

Bayley disclosed that, “We also have two fitness EBooks on the website, meant to raise awareness on the importance of fitness and nutrition.” He continued that the website will feature a free blog and quarterly newsletter that visitors can subscribe. Also, the platform will constitute a forum where popular fitness nutrition questions will be answered and discussed by various professionals in the field. In celebration of the launch of the site, Bayley shared that US$500 will be up for grabs in a US$15 entry fee fitness challenges. (Calvin Chapman)

held the post felt as though this was a relegation, him being placed there as Minister of Social Cohesion and Culture, Youth and Sport. Me on the other hand, I think it is the most important Ministry you are talking about the next generation of Guyanese people. That’s one and two, Culture is the one thing that binds every Guyanese, we have an identity as Guyanese people and culture is that invisible fabric that holds a group of people together but also give them a unique identity,” Said the Minister who said a lot of his sports policy is driven by Science. “As it relates to the Ministry, I believe that because it was not given the attention and strong leadership it needed, one of the things I am pleased about is how we have been able to drive our programmes and also develop our culture and raise the profile of the Ministry in a short space of time, it’s a Ministry that is showcasing itself because it is showcasing young Guyana’s talent,” said Ramon, a former Everest left-arm Spinner at first division level.

The affable Ramson admitted that he was disappointed with the progress of work done at the proposed Stadiums in Regions 6 and 10. “I am not pleased with the work done at the Stadiums I visited in Berbice and Linden, they are way behind schedule but they are not overrun, at least that’s not my assessment. By that I mean they have not exceeded the budget but they are far behind and in fact they had only restarted work because the Government had changed. So those two Synthetic tracks I would like to see them get their act together, but we are driving the process from our end but there was not the kind of attention needed,” continued Ramson who attended Stella Marris Primary, Queens College and UG. Minister Ramson informed that the Covid-19 Pandemic has been tough, especially on the Youth programme and forces the Culture programmes to be broadcast on a virtual platform. “It has really affected sports since it has prevented the sports persons from

practicing their craft.” Ramson said the naming of the Stands at the Providence Stadium with outstanding individuals in the field of cricket has not been dealt with at this point but it was something he as a person supports but added that he was not speaking on behalf of the Government or as Minister. The Minister said the Government and his Ministry has already started working on the ground enhancement project which has a budget set out for that. During his short time in Government the Minister met with the heads of the respective Sporting Associations and expressed satisfaction in the attitude towards helping to play a part in the National development of Sports. Ta l k i n g a b o u t t h e National Sports Policy, Ramson explained that it would be a policy of the Government, adding that, what they have is just a draft policy which could be implemented in a few months after discussions with the various Associations who are all in possession of the draft Policy.

Mixed results for Matthews and Taylor SYDNEY, CMC – Only one of the two West Indies Women’s all-rounders in the Women’s Big Bash League were part of a winning side in the latest round of matches yesterday. Hayley Matthews played a major role with the bat to help Hobart Hurricanes complete a nine-wicket win over Sydney Sixers, but her Windies Women’s captain Stafanie Taylor could only play a supporting role with the bat and Adelaide Strikers stumbled to a 14-run defeat (Continued on page 73)

Hayley Matthews during a nets session © WICB file photo

Avinash Persaud

Joaan Deo

t r o Sp Brazil lead WCup qualifying group, Uruguay beat Colombia

Persaud, Deo secure deal with GGA Watching Gayle lift Kings XI was Lara’s favourite IPL moment

Brazil’s Roberto Firmino celebrates with teammates after scoring his side’s opening goal against Venezuela during a qualifying soccer match for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Friday, Nov.13, 2020. (Nelson Almeida/Pool via AP) Lance Stroll romped to a surprise Turkish pole position for today’s race. (Motorsport Images)

T20 star Chris Gayle

Turkish GP: Stroll takes shock maiden pole in crazy qualifying Lance Stroll produced a shock result in qualifying at Istanbul Park yesterday by scoring his maiden F1 pole position in wet conditions on a low-grip surface. (Motorsport Images)

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