Kaieteur News

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ExxonMobil NEWS cheated Guyana on pre-contract costs AIETEUR

Christopher Ram says...

Wednesday Edition November 18, 2020 - Vol. 15 No.44

Online: www.kaieteurnews.com

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

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Exxon to give Guyana

hefty bill for drilling well in the giveaway Kaieteur Block Radio, TV, Cable operators owe GNBA over $100M in fees Man making Father of unborn Gun, ammo child killed complaint discovered in mining allegedly beaten, in young pit accident couple’s home chopped by family WGEC concerned over removal of Tourism PS Karen Vansluytman-Corbin - Says removal was “uncalled for and dehumanizing”

Suriname to sell their oil blocks, while Guyana gives away ours for free The Oil Curse is upon us... You would quarrel for an extra $40 on your bus fare. You would curse for an extra $4000 on your GPL bill? Then, why are you silent on the billions of US dollars in bills being thrown at us by the oil companies, in which we have no say?

Your Silence Gives Consent

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Kaieteur News

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

Fighting femicide They had three children together, the oldest being eleven. They spent last Friday night in some celebration with relatives but some time during the night, the celebration became an angry confrontation after the relatives had left. She died when he, in response to threatening to leave, stabbed her to the heart in their bed. She was 27. She was at home with her older sister when he ran up the stairs of the small blue house, took out a Rambo knife and stabbed her viciously to death with it. This was the end of a life of poverty which saw her and her siblings having to struggle after both parents died, and in which she at 14 had succumbed to his predatory advances in order to survive. When she ended it, though married with children, he decided that she would not live. She was 16. She was with her mother drinking at a shop with several men. When they both left, a man accompanied them home, the mother having bought foodstuff and alcohol before leaving. The mother returned alone to the shop a bit later, her daughter and the man absent. The girl was found the next day, strangled and brutally raped. She was also 16. These are three cases of the murder of women and girls, the formal word for which is “femicides”, in the past two weeks alone. And they were not simply general femicides but what the sociological literature calls ‘intimate femicides’, meaning the murder was committed by a person, meaning really a man or men, known to the victims. Then there is of course the situation in which elderly women, living alone, are sporadic but significant targets of fatal violence, more often than not connected to robberies but not excluding instances that include sexual violence as well. In 2017, Guyana registered 35 victims of intimate femicide, almost equal to the combined numbers for Jamaica’s intimate femicides (15) and Trinidad’s total femicides (21) for the same year – it should be noted that both of those countries have populations significantly higher than Guyana’s. According to data provided by a 2019 ECLAC report, Guyana led Latin America and the Caribbean in the rate of femicides per 100,000 of the population, with 8.8, beating the second worst country El Salvador – a country known for rampant gang violence that targets women – which scored 6.6. In short, in terms of incidence of fatalities, Guyana was the deadliest place for women to live in the period under review, 2017-2018. Femicide, is a multifaceted, multisectoral issue and needs to be treated as such with a comprehensive and sustained long-term intervention. When it comes to intimate femicide, for example, there is a multiplicity of impacts intrinsic to each murder from a public policy perspective. From a public health view, for example, it accounts for a significant number of untimely and preventable deaths of a particular demographic of the country. From a human rights perspective, women remain the only demographic subjected to routine and perennial violence, marked by fatalities, and linked to a specific and unique characteristic. From a socio-economic perspective, you have not one but two economic actors, the male murderer and the female victim, being removed from actively contributing to the society – additionally, you also have the economic burden on either family members or the state in the case of orphans. From a sociological perspective, you have generations of damaged children, many of whom would either have seen the act being committed or would have discovered the body of their mother, sometimes with the killer in the case of murder-suicide. When it was clear that Guyana had a suicide issue, there was a multi-pronged approach to tackle the issue, both from government and non-governmental organizations. It should be clear to all stakeholders now, led by the Government of Guyana, that something similar, but stronger, has to take place when it comes to the murder of women in this country.

Wednesday November 18, 2020

GEA should consider halting the biometric conditions in Trinidad and should ask the quintessential with respect to fuel question whether fuel smugfuel marking system Venezuela supply where the situation is gling is still a threat to legitiDEAR EDITOR, Is the costly biometric marking of fuel by GEA still necessary given the changing oil supply dynamics? The Guyana Energy Agency introduced the biometric marking of all imported fuel under its previous late head, Mr. Joseph O’Lall, circa 2003, in an effort to combat fuel smuggling. The existing condition then was that fuel sold on the local markets of Trinidad and Venezuela was heavily subsidized by their respective governments and sold extremely cheaper than the regular export market prices. Fuel smugglers capitalized on this disparity in prices and, in collaboration with locals in

Trinidad and Venezuela, smuggled the subsidized fuel into Guyana and undersold the legitimate suppliers who bought their fuel from those countries’ refineries at the regular Platts market pricing. The Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) in their effort to identify and curb the fuel smuggling introduced the marking of all fuels imported by authorized dealers with a biological marker; hence any fuel found without this biometric marker would be illegal. This biometric marker came at a cost which GEA charged to the oil companies and they in turn factored this into their selling price at the gas stations. Rewind to present day

now totally different. Trinidad has closed down their refinery and is now importing all its fuel requirements for local consumption and export. They have removed the subsidy and all their fuels are now sold at market prices. Venezuela, on the other hand, has gone through a complete reversal from having fuel being smuggled out of their country to fuel now being smuggled into the country due to the tremendous shortages caused by dysfunctional refineries. Clearly the situation no longer presents itself as a primary source for fuel smugglers to operate in these two countries, therefore we

mate dealers? If our review shows that it is not, then we should do away with the biometric marking system and its associated costs on the price at the pump.There is an old management anecdote told about relevance, when the House of Commons in England was painted centuries ago. A guard was posted outside to warn the members of the House not to touch the walls since it was freshly painted. As the story goes the guard was still posted centuries after the wall had dried. No one bothered to review the posting or its raison d’etre. Reggie Bhagwandin

CHAMPION OF THE PLANET Dear Editor, This year marks the 10th anniversary that Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, received from the United Nation the award of ‘Champion of the Planet’ for Biodiversity Conservation and Ecosystem Management. This is a very great honour that our country received a decade ago and it pairs well with our commitment to combat climate change and defend the integrity of the Guiana Shield. What Dr. Jagdeo did to preserve forestry and maintain the lungs of the planet is one

of the greatest achievements of our generation. Given the current dire situation that our planet is faced with and the severe weather patterns that are developing, it is imperative that he continues to champion the cause of defending our planet via Ecosystem Management. His efforts to reap the benefits of our forests while maintaining their integrity should be extended to our other natural resources including gold, diamond, bauxite and oil and gas. The UN and the leaders of

the world respect and honour his commitment to fighting for us all against climate change. To achieve what was achieved in forestry across the spectrum of Guyana’s natural resources will go far to aid our planet and set a stellar example of what is possible with the commitment and dedication of the world towards fighting against climate change. Our ‘Champion of the Planet’ is once again in a key position of leadership where he can continue to set a great example of what is possible.

We all look forward to seeing him lead us in this path of conservation. May the world remember Guyana’s commitment and dedication towards protecting our fellow world citizens against the disasters that accompany negative climate change. The Cooperative Republicans of Guyana (CRG) stand ready to aid in achieving this goal. Jamil Changlee Chairman The Cooperative Republicans of Guyana

TENANTS IN OUR OWN BACKYARDS DEAR EDITOR, The PPP/C has successfully completed 100 days in office and there is reason to celebrate because we have a government that was installed by the people and is working on behalf of the very same people of this country- in this regard there is reason to be joyful. Now, what is worthy of note is that these achievements were done in the midst of a crippling pandemic, which in itself have impeded growth somewhat. Nevertheless, the new government has weathered the storm in a determined and successful way and has put us well on the upward path to development. The ministers, including the president, have fanned out across this country on a strict work schedule. They are meeting the people, hearing their concerns, while at the same time looking into ways of finding solutions. This is the focus of the

newly installed PPP/C Government, a picture perfect painting of what a government should be. Contrast that to the PNCled Coalition, whose immediate task on their accession to office was to raise their salaries and emoluments to the grand total of 50% and commensurate their emoluments; seems like filthy lucre was their obsession and not the interest of the people. This was the situation we had to endure for five years, three months on. In addition, the ministers of the previous administration were aloof mortals, people whom the ordinary man could not reach or talk with; meeting with the people was unheard of. Then came the scandals and blatant acts of corruption. I am talking about the ExxonMobil signing bonus, the massive illegal land giveaways. We were fast becoming tenants in our own

backyard. A disgraceful situation of a sitting minister’s brother being embroiled in a drug bust, among other maniacal occurrences.However, lest I be carried away by the glaring atrocities of the PNCR, just let me get back to the achievements of the PPP/C’s 100 days in office.The institution of inclusive government members of the other contesting parties are called upon to take up key positions to run this country. In less than a month, there was an emergency budget put in place to get the economy moving forward. The rooting out of corruption and removal of all vestiges of subversion and backwardness. Those who held this country back for five long months with their rigging apparatus will be brought to justice. We will ensure that this malady does not occur or ever lift its ugly head again. We are now into an era of the settling in of peace,

prosperity and development. Every project that was earmarked for by the PPP/C Government is on-stream for completion and those that were carried over from the Coalition as well. The inflow of business opportunities, where, a number of foreign businesses are starting to invest in Guyana and the opening up of the economy. In the same vein, there is new life fanned into the nostrils of local businesses, also as brighter and newer avenues for investment begin to manifest. No more is there a stranglehold on business development. All the ministries are up and running, pivotal to progress in a modern Guyana. With such an army of honest and dedicated workers working in total harmony, Guyanese can be confident that we are on the road to a successful existence in this part of the globe. Neil Adams

Wednesday November 18, 2020

Outfoxed and outwitted by Exxon DEAR EDITOR, At the risk of painting an entire group of people with a broad brush; the Japanese have always had a reputation for being extremely disciplined. This word (disciplined) has always been associated with them, particularly in their business dealings-whether local or international, and generally their broader attitude towards getting things done. Pre-COVID-19, they were well known for working tirelessly into the night, then hitting the bars after work, and still able to show up for work the next day, on time, clear eyed, ready for another productive day. Everything they do is taken seriously. For as long as I can remember; they have had and retain a solid reputation for being very detailed, and meticulously thorough. Japanese cars have been in the ‘Top 5’ of preferred cars purchased by global customers. At one point, the Toyota was the number

one car sold globally. Millions of consumers will only purchase Japanese cars, because of their excellent road reputation- myself included. If there is a whiff of any corruption or impropriety, revealed to the public; the individual(s), apologizes, bows his head and moves out of the way. All the above is public domain information. My personal view? The likes of Exxon would never be able to outwit such folks. Fast forward to KN recent headlines: “...Ramotar’s govt. ignored GGMC’s advise to invite competitive bids.” Some more KN news from last week: “Guyana’s outdated laws allow Exxon to have a monopoly....”; “Guyana will owe Exxon US$20B by 2025.” This indifferent, comme ci comme ça, (Continued on page 6)

Kwayana was unwavering in his championship of Africans DEAR EDITOR, While I may be considered an unapologetic critic of Mr. Eusi Kwayana, I must acknowledge that of all African leaders, he alone has lived his convictions to the point of personal poverty. He has been unwavering and uncompromising in his struggle for black people’s rights and as a champion for their causes. But he has been regarded as a racist and a divisive figure. Correspondingly, there is no Indian leader in Guyana to match his record and that may explain why Indian causes are not that high on the national agenda. Mr. Kwayana’s examples have inspired and emboldened many more current African leaders but none can be considered his equal.Mr. Kwayana, as a champion of African causes, has not altogether been known for his successes. He also suffers from the black Midas touch, in effect, everything he touches turns into sh-t as Dr. Walter Rodney so famously said of President Forbes Burnham. ASCRIA, which was founded by Mr. Kwayana, became a failed organization and was later dissolved without explanation. But this was not the first failure. County High School located in Buxton, which was founded by Mr. Kwayana was also a failure. Not to mention the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) which he headed and which went into decline until he was fired by Mr. Burnham. The biggest failure has been the WPA with which Mr. Kwayana is still affiliated. Upon reading his letter, vis-a-vis Dr. Vishnu Bisram phantom (undated) letter, Mr. Kwayana comes across as if he is a latter day Don Quixote atop a donkey charging at flailing (read windmills) fruit

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trees to cut them down. What was the purpose of the rambling letter? Nothing that Mr. Kwayana writes can, however, be complete unless he makes his usual swipe at Mrs. Janet Jagan. He blames her for unsubstantiated allegations that she said that she wanted a clear view all the way to Buxton from Georgetown with no building standing, i.e., she wanted all buildings burned down. Mr. Kwayana is one of those who can only be satisfied unless he sullies Mrs. Jagan’s legacy even while she is dead. While Mr. Kwayana can regale us how shocked he was that Dr. Bisram wrote that a thug had allegedly “kicked Dr. Cheddi Jagan, who was at the time lying on the ground,” while Mr. Kwayana idly stood by, he resuscitates the memory of the brutal murder of the elderly Sealeys’ aback Buxton. But Mr. Kwayana does not express any remorse or shock, even as he reminds us, about the burning down of eight Indian houses in Buxton, the same night of the Sealeys’ funeral on the 25th May 1964. Mr. Kwayana is yet to ex-

plain his historical silence on his pre-knowledge of the massacre of some 3,000 Indians the next day, i.e., 26th May, 1964 at Wismar after he had presided at the highly charged Sealeys’ funeral in Buxton the day before. The 26th May is the date the PNCR chose to “celebrate” Guyana’s independence from the British. The 1964 PPP government failed to compensate those who lost lives and property at the massacre. For Indians to “celebrate” the 26th May would be a tragedy after the Wismar massacre.Perhaps all his radical behaviour was conditional to him being Sidney King since he only changed his name in 1968? Did he become better or worse afterwards? Vassan Ramracha

American politics: What is there not to love? DEAR EDITOR, What would some of us be without politics? Take American politics and there is one star turn after another replete with hijinks, lowlifes, sideshows, and an underground steam bath to boot. I love it for the highbrow pretensions and the low comedy that are so much a part of what I conclude is not less than a full-throated vaudeville, without an off-season. There was Richard Nixon, who once famously snarled that he was getting his hat and called for his coat, since he was leaving: nobody would have him to kick around anymore. But like General Douglas MacArthur he did return to the scene of his ignominious withdrawal, and also like that American Caesar serving in the Philippines (then Korea), he went down in flames before long. In the case of President Nixon, he did what none other succeeded in doing: he threw his Republican party, and all of America under the express bus. That took some doing, and his Waterloo was a place named Watergate. Next, came the peanut farmer from Georgia, who saw himself as the second coming of Jesus, only to be nailed to the cross by some fundamentalists in Teheran and their American brethren along the Washington Beltway. It made for good ole fashioned American holy rolling. Unfortunately, it was Mr. Carter’s head that was rolling downhill - when he should have been of the hair-raising

brimstone of T.D. Jakes, he settled for the tranquilizing piousness of Joel Osteen. As religious fare, the American people wanted Samson and Delilah, and good ole boy Jimmy decided upon the Ten Commandments. Scorned in ecclesiastical circles, he had no chance in political ones. Then, along came Hollywood. It was 20th Century Fox and foxy Ronnie Reagan, and from which Bollywood fantasies are made. When the low-grade cowboy rode down Pennsylvania Avenue, he brought the American sunset with him; as far as the poor residents were concerned, it was Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, with Sergeant Bilko in the white hat. This is the American dream in action, and the dawn of a new morn in the White House. For me, there was too much Miami Vice and Tequila Sunrise. The blarney took over, and substance went out the window taking it with it truth and memory. I submit IranContra as Exhibit I; it is several thousands of pages worth of fascinating pulp reading. Either the man or his people were first rate falsifiers; or they did suffer from genuine memory loss. By repeatedly taking the Fifth, they showed that they are true defenders of the faith. Don’t ask me which one, as I am sure all religious houses would distance from ownership. Just like the man with the photographic memory, Admiral John Poindexter, who couldn’t recall one damn thing. I think he smoked too

much and blew too much of it into his own eyes. But what is America, if not a land of unlimited and unimaginable, ingenuity? Into this political circus, from all the way down south, careened one William Jefferson Clinton, alias Slick Willie. American politics was never going to be the same again. Mr. Smith goes to Washington, it wasn’t; more like Soul Train loaded with soul food and serenades to match. Just ask Monica. It was American Gigolo on an Orient Express to the Love Boat. Talk about a daytime soap opera in primetime, with all the airing of dirty laundry before a titillated public. Richard Pryor could not have done better; Elizabeth Taylor neither. Whoever said that American politics and the American presidency were boring did not know what they were talking about; completely clueless. Last, came the man from the splendor in the grass neighborhood of Jamaica Estates, New York. Yours truly had to be content with the other side of the tracks on Highland Avenue, in just plain old Jamaica Hills. The problem was that in both places, there were no Jamaicans, who had all taken flight because of the deteriorating neighborhoods. I can only speculate as to what the people in the District of Columbia are saying. There goes the neighbourhood, which is how crude and rude New (Continue don page 6)

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Kudos to Commander Watts DEAR EDITOR, I was flabbergasted as I watched the video of a young man supposedly from Region 3 attacking the Commander of Region 3, because he was performing his duties to protect us. As the video progressed, there were some serious accusations against the Commander and members of the police force, and while I am not in agreement with their conduct, I am a little dismayed at how the host of the video addressed the Commander and the President, showing no respect by addressing them by their names. I would say the man vented his anger out of utter frustration, but my humble opinion is that they are either ignorant or disrespectful.

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Kaieteur News

This is the second time I’ve had cause to pen a letter in support of Commander Watts’ actions, whilst there are some who are not in agreement of his actions.Many persons I have spoken to are very supportive of the way he’s executing his duties in Region 3. It’s unwarranted for the man to be disrespectful like that. Editor, Guyana is in a peculiar position due to the COVID-19 and if anyone noticed, there is marked increases in the infectious rate and deaths. Based on what I’ve been hearing, Commander Watts have been tormenting the bars, rum shops and anywhere that having gatherings and he is personally present when

Outfoxed and outwitted... From page 5 carefree attitude and thought process some key government decision makers have, will not get us far in the long run. As Guyana becomes more exposed to the outside world, and an influx of foreigners, one wonders what kind of reputation will be left behind. So, for those individuals in and out of government, who allowed us to be in this position with Exxon; own/drive or are chauffeured in any one of the top performing cars-Made in Japan- I hope they remember how these cars got to be on the road. Chi Kansi

these operations are taking place. Without a doubt, hadn’t he been so vigilant, I am quite sure that the infectious and death rate would have been worse. For that, I am grateful for Commander Watts and the manner in which he has handled the region. I have three children and relatives living in this region. I have to be responsible. Finally Editor, it’s my understanding that the curfew is to ensure people are home by that time. Not to wait until the exact time to go home. The lady in the video is conducting a business that somewhat encourages people to venture out of their homes at night, and if she’s serious about playing a helping hand with this fight against the COVID-19, she would have to toe the line. Based on what was being said in the video, liming is going on, and that is totally wrong. Many are of the view that COVID-19 is transmitted when the place is cold or at nights.In a number of countries, persons are in their homes by 18:00 hrs. Sahadeo Bates

It was Burnham who started it DEAR EDITOR, I believe that for Guyana to emerge from the racial divide, Burnham’s family and party (PNC) must apologize to the Guyanese population for his treachery in trying to take over the PPP. After he was unsuccessful in taking over, he split the PPP along racial lines. “They must categorically say: This ends here and now.”Many still blame the British for the racial divide in Guyana, which they attributed to the removal of the elected PPP government in 1953.I, personally, do not agree that the British started racial problems in Guyana with their “divide and rule” policies. Divide and rule policies has been used all over the world by the colonial powers, but the other places were able to overcome this because they did not have anyone like Burnham in their midst, who had such long tentacles of bigotry, racism, greed and selfishness.

It is clear that it was not the overthrow of the elected Government in 1953 that caused the racial divide; the racial divide was started by this one man – Forbes Burnham, who was a power hungry mole in the PPP by the name of Lascar. Burnham preached race, and when he couldn’t win the leadership of the PPP, he left with mostly the black members. They formed the PNC and politics in Guyana has been race-based ever since.It was also very clear that Burnham was the double agent, because why was he not arrested along with the other PPP top brass? If he was really that smart, he would have asked the British to arrest him too, so as not to blow his cover. Or perhaps, he wanted to thumb his nose in the faces of the Jagans’ and East Indians! I cannot understand how the Jagans’ could not have figured out that Burnham was the mole. The book, “British Guiana

American politics: What... From page 5 Yorkers are anywhere they go. They are not afraid of high elevations, including office. Political leadership is like a miniskirt trying to pass as a tuxedo. What I am petrified about at this turn in American politics, is how paranoia and megalomania trump all else. Like they say, it’s a free country and what would it be without the political entertainment. Before I get too carried away myself, it is time to call the men in white coats -those whose primary tools are

straightjackets. It is fitting. Don’t look at me, I am not the president. Look he is over there: the one talking to himself and speaking in tongues. For the last time, what is there not to love about American politics and the ringmasters in the White House? It went from squabbling (Lewinsky) to squalor (Giuliani). Guyana didn’t lose out in the tawdry lingerie department, as we had Brutus and Cassius in the electoral gymnastics of one Keith Lowenfield. GHK Lall

– Land of Six Peoples,” written by Michael Swan in 1955, describes Burnham and Jagan as follows: “I met both leaders of the PPP shortly after my arrival in Georgetown, during a period of crisis in the Party: LFS Burnham, the African leader of the Party, it is said, was making a bid to take over the moral leadership from Cheddi Jagan and his wife, Janet. Permission had been given to hold the annual congress of the party in a local cinema, and it was here that the Burnhamites would split from the Jaganites.” “It was against this background that I visited Mr. Burnham and Dr. Jagan. Mr. Burnham is a leading Georgetown barrister, and I saw him in his chambers, a dilapidated wooden shack in the traditional manner of law offices in the town. He was a tall, handsome man of thirtytwo, wearing gaberdine drapes and a bow-tie, with restless, tortured eyes set in strongly Coptic features. He received me with no attempt at cordiality, but as we talked, he relaxed and his antagonism began to melt.” “Dr. Jagan is a successful dentist and, after I had been reading ‘Thunder’ for some time in his waiting room, he received me in his surgery. Honkytonk music came from the flat above as he flashed his celebrated smile at me from beneath a large coloured photograph of Stalin. He is a good-looking man with a considerable charm of manner and a quickness of mind, almost a glibness, which is absent in the more tortuous Burnham.” K. Rahman

Wednesday November 18, 2020

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Consumer Affairs Commission tells shoppers to be aware during Christmas shopping

Consumers all across Guyana are reminded to be mindful of their rights under the Consumer Affairs Act 2011, as they go about their shopping for the Christmas season. The Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission (CCAC) yesterday also call on suppliers to conform to their obligations under the same act. “During and following the Christmas season, the Commission recognizes a spike in queries and complaints from consumers. To avoid being cheated, the CCAC advises shoppers to ensure that they are provided with receipts as their proof of purchase, read and understand every detail of any contract before signing, insist on warranties and your right to refunds on returns, inspect goods before purchase, research products and services before making

the final decision to purchase.” The Commission also implored suppliers to desist from unfair trade practices by avoiding engagements in deceptive or misleading conduct, which includes, insincere and alluring advertising and promotions. “Suppliers should also avoid providing,” the release said, “false information on the nature, manufacturing process, characteristics, suitability for a purpose and quantity of goods and services. Suppliers should also refrain from displaying the ‘No Refund’ signs or refuse to offer refunds on returns as guided by the conditions under the Consumer Affairs Act.” Consumers can seek advice and redress from the Commission by calling 219-4410-3 or visit the website at ccac.gov.gy.

Wednesday November 18, 2020

Exxonmobil cheated Guyana on pre-contract costs - Christopher Ram

Attorney-at-Law, chartered accountant and transparency advocate Christopher Ram, is of the position that ExxonMobil has cheated Guyana in millions of United States (US) dollars, claimed to have been spent by the oil major. During his appearance on the Kaieteur Radio programme, The Glenn Lall Show: Tell It as It Is, Ram told listeners that, “Their (Exxon) own figures suggest that they have overcharged Guyana,” Ram said, “and they have never responded to the open accusation that I have made.” The accusation that the attorney refers to is his charge that Exxon’s claim of US$460M pre-contract costs is overstated by at least US$92M. Ram’s calculation found that all figures supplied by the companies, even when one allows for all expenses and expenditures, amount to a far cry from the US$460,237,918 that Exxon and its partners, Hess and CNOOC Nexen are claiming. Even then, Ram says that his assessment was generous. He had said that it is overstated by “at least” US$92M, because not all expenditure is recoverable as pre-contract costs. Ram reminded that the bill that Exxon’s subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), submits to Guyana comes out before anything else during profit sharing, while adding that the only “saving grace” in the contract is that in any year, the total recoverable

Attorney-at-Law and Chartered Accountant, Christopher Ram. cost cannot exceed 75%. But even with this cap on recoverable costs, Guyana will still have owed Exxon and its consortium of oil companies US$20B by 2025, as shared by the Director of Finance under the Institute for Energy, Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), Tom Sanzillo. It is against this that Ram argued that the Guyana’s leaders are prepared to starve their own citizens, so as not to offend these foreign investors. “That cannot be right. There must be some equity in it all,” he notes. The PSA states that the pre-contract cost “shall include four hundred and sixty million, two hundred and thirty seven hundred thousand and nine hundred and eighteen United States Dollars (USS 460,237,918) in respect of all such costs incurred under the 1999 Petro-

leum Agreement prior to the year ended 2015, “and … such cost as incurred under the 1999 Petroleum between January 1, 2016 and effective date which shall be provided to the Minister on or before October 3, 2016 and such number agreed on or before April 30, 2017.” For purposes of this paragraph, the term pre-contract cost includes contract costs, exploration costs, operating costs, service costs, general and administrative costs, and annual overhead charge as those terms are defined in the 1999 Petroleum agreement. Meanwhile, Commissioner-General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) Godfrey Statia recently revealed that his agency has completed one phase of the auditing of the pre-contract costs. A report of the findings has since been handed to Exxon for its response.

Wednesday November 18, 2020

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The PPP/C is clueless when it comes to foreign policy

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he present leader ship is clueless on the issue of foreign policy; it has made a series of diplomatic blunders since it got into office. These missteps can be traced back to the present PPP/C cabal not being sufficiently knowledgeable about the political and ideological causes which have been foundational to the party’s historical evolution. The newcomers, including Bharrat Jagdeo, have no history of any major role in the pre-1992 political struggle within the party. They have become smitten with western Neo-liberalism and so derooted from the PPP’s working class ideology. As a consequence, they are alien to the internationalist stance of the party. The newcomers to the party have no groundings within the traditions of the party and this is showing in the misguided foreign policy of Irfaan Ali. Irfaan Ali allowed Michael Pompeo to insult China during a press conference held during his State Visit to Guyana earlier this year. Pompeo provoked the ire of China by claiming that China’s assistance to Guyana came with strings attached, unlike American private investment. The President should have upbraided Pompeo for abusing Guyana’s hospitality to launch a broadside against a friendly state. Pompeo was free to be critical of China but not to use Guyana as a platform to do so. Unlike President Ali, China’s Ambassador to Guyana came out swinging. He accused Pompeo of making erroneous remarks. In his response, the Chinese Ambassador noted that China’s relations with the Caribbean countries including Guyana is based on the principles of mutual respect, equality, and mutually beneficial and winwin cooperation.

He noted that China attaches no political strings in bilateral relations. Pompeo was out of order. And Guyana had a duty to reaffirm its right to determine who it will have relations with and the principles upon which those relations should be based. Guyana’s foreign policy has been directionless under Jagdeo, Donald Ramotar and now under Ali. Part of the problem is that the PPP/C leadership, from Jagdeo down, do not have a sound understanding of key foreign policy issues. Just this week, came the shocking announcement that Guyana will no longer be recognizing the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). This is complete reversal of the position held by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and also the People’s National Congress (PNC) which had recognized the Polisario Front, 40 years ago. The sudden de-recognition of the SADR was only known locally because of reports made in the Moroccan media. It was reported that the Guyana’s Foreign Ministry had indicated to the Government of Morocco, Guyana’s reversal of its recognition of SADR. It does take a genius to appreciate that Guyana was lobbied and that lobby was powerful. While it is not clear whether the United States had a hand in this about-turn by the Guyana government, the United States has always given tacit support to Morocco’s claims to the area – claims which have no foundation in international law. But Morocco equally and more forcibly has always tried to isolate the Polisario. It no doubt took advantage of the inexperience of the PPP/C’s leadership to achieve this latest de-recognition of the SADR. Cheddi Jagan and Janet Jagan must be turning in their graves. The PPP in August

1985 held its 22nd Congress at Annandale, East Coast Demerara. The report of the Central Committee of the party had reaffirmed the PPP’s support for the Polisario Front. Until now, the PPP has never backpedalled on this position. Important principles are now in jeopardy. Morocco does not enjoy any sovereign rights over the disputed territory. Morocco is an interloper in that area; it is an occupying force. Its presence in the disputed area is illegal. This decision by Guyana to de-recognize SADR, places at risk the country’s long standing position against invading and occupying forces. The implications for Guyana’s territorial problems are obvious but the PPP/C seems so dumb that they have overlooked this aspect. Secondly, Guyana is backpedalling self-determination – another important foreign policy principle. Both Morocco and the SADR had agreed that the dispute should be settled by a referendum. But the Moroccans have reneged on this commitment Thirdly, Guyana will lose respect from the African Union. That body supports the call for United Nation referendum to decide the fate of the area. By derecognizing the SADR, Guyana has put some distance between itself and the African Union on an important issue to Africa. Fourthly, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) had de-legitimized Morocco’s presence in the disputed territory. Guyana has a case against Venezuela, at present, before the ICJ. It is downright foolish for Guyana to be supporting a country which is seen as an illegal occupier at a time when it is arguing for the legality of Venezuela’s claim to twothirds of Guyana. Fifthly, Guyana’s de-recognition is ill-timed. Morocco is presently undertaking a

Dem boys seh ...

De boss man tun teacher Dem boys listen to de Glenn Lall show last Sunday. De show is hotter than Chili peppers. Is de hottest show in Guyana. De boss man of de Waterfall paper mouth nah gat full stop. De man deconstructing de oil agreements and wah he sehing gat a lot of people head in tiz.De bossman tun teacher. Priya might gat fuh give he a wuk fuh teach dem children wah does tek long fuh learn. Is nat dem fault. Is suh dem wired. De bossman breaking down this story finer than salt. He using simple examples to show wah tek

place. And people listening and now understanding wah de cock and bull agreements wah been tekking place. Dem PPP/C people can’t understand how de Coalition did not see it fit to address this sellout of de people’s wealth. De PNC/R people wondering de same. Both of dem should ask themselves: How come de APNU+AFC nah tek back dem oil blocks wah give away? And dem boys wan know how de PPP/ C nah reverse de deal wah de Coalition sign? Dem boys know why. Both of them happy. Exxon mek them happy. But Exxon feeling de heat

also. Dah is why dem start again with them social responsibility advertisements about how much they care for Guyana and Guyanese. Dem boys seh if dem care so much, leh dem mek it a priority dat any service wah dem want must first be filled by a local company and is only if local company can’t supply it, then de contract should go to a foreigner. After all Charity in not only a place in de Essequibo. It begins at home. Talk half and listen to Teacher Glenn tonight on de Glenn Lall show. He walking with he wild cane.

brutal offensive against the SADR. The situation in Ethiopia is deflecting global attention from the aggression being meted out by Moroccans forces. The SADR has appealed

to the UN and the African Union to support them in the face of this violent onslaught. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

PAGE 10

Wednesday November 18, 2020

Kaieteur News

=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===

The reasons CARICOM Prime Ministers rejected IDPAD’s nonsense The Chairperson of the International Decade for the People of African Descent Assembly – Guyana chapter (IDAPADA-G), Vincent Alexander, in a letter to the newspapers during the five-month election saga, informed Guyanese that IDPADA-G wrote to the then Chairman of CARICOM who came here with four other CARCOM Prime Ministers (PMs) to end the election impasse. Here is what Alexander wrote, “The International Decade for People of African Descent-Guyana wrote to

Prime Minister Mottley the then Chairperson of CARICOM, on the occasion of the visit of five CARICOM Prime Ministers, indicating that Guyana’s problems are deep-seated and that elections only manifest the problem. We beseeched them to look beyond elections, if their real interest was to lend a helping hand to the peoples of Guyana. To date the honourable ones, with our lives in their hands, have not even acknowledged receipt of our exhortations.” Since that letter in August, Alexander has published several missives in the news-

papers but he has not explained why the PMs never responded to IDPADA-G. Five reasons could be tabled. One of Walter Rodney’s exhortations to Black Guyanese was that they should not allow President Forbes Burnham to humiliate and dishonour them because, as the slave rebellions showed, the slaves rejected assaults on their dignity. I attended the public meeting where Rodney addressed the specific issue of Burnham reducing the dignity of Black people in the context of the ongoing trial of Arnold Rampersaud, charged for kill-

ing a policeman during PPP held protests at the Corentyne poll station. Rodney told the crowd that Burnham was coercing Black people to go in court and lie. He was treating them, Rodney argued, like the slave masters treated the slaves. CARICOM leaders must have been repulsed at the request of IDAPADA-G. Here for emphasis is a repeat of a part of the letter sent to the five CARICOM heads, “We beseeched them to look beyond elections, if their real interest was to lend a helping hand to the peoples of Guyana.” What IDAPADA-G was doing through the use of those words was to reduce the dignity of five CARICOM Prime Ministers whose standing in the world is recognized by all countries because they were elected heads. That letter transported a certain disdain African Guyanese leaders, from the PNC and ACDA, have for African Guyanese; contempt that goes right back to Burnham. The leaders of IDPADAG in a dangerous moment of psychological depravity imagined that they were talking down to their subjects Black Guyanese who they have been fooling since the fifties. IDPADA-G wanted these five Prime Ministers to ignore the result of a legal election, a process by which the world judges the integrity of a politician.

Secondly, how after acceding to the request of IDPADA-G could the Prime Ministers of two Caribbean countries – Jamaica and Barbados – known by more people in the world than even some rich, industrial states (I’m sure people in Afghanistan know there is a country named Jamaica but maybe not Belgium or Holland or Ireland), speak at the UN and world forums about democracy, the rule of law and free elections? Thirdly, the PMs ignored IDPADA-G because they took their cue from the world. No government in the entire world, no international organization, no influential politician from any government anywhere in the world had accepted that Guyana’s dilemma was more than the 2020 election and concluded that the election results could be determined after negotiations were concluded between the PPP and PNC. Fourthly, for the PMs, the election imbroglio was a rule of law issue and they were not prepared to just dismiss the rule of law and relegate the election results to a secondary problem. Fifthly, each of the five CARICOM PMs knew that they were dealing with deceitful leaders and were not prepared to be used by politicians who were prepared to manipulate them in a game of realpolitik. Alexander in particular irritated the emotions of the PMs. He had

Frederick Kissoon signed the letter to them on behalf of IDPADA –G arguing that Guyana was facing more exigent dangers than disagreement over election results but was in fact an election commissioner representing the contestant that had lost. Surely, a creeping cynicism had to visit the PMs. More importantly, they must have asked themselves if elections were not the solution to Guyana elusive search for ethnic calm why then did the APNU+AFC accept a majority victory in 2011 and 2015 and why did they contest the 2020 poll? The obvious conclusion by those five visiting CARICOM PMs was that the loser was not prepared to lose and wanted CARICOM to assist them in retaining power. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

Wednesday November 18, 2020

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday November 18, 2020

Man making complaint allegedly beaten, chopped by family A family of four is being accused of brutally beating, stabbing and chopping a man who went to them with a complaint. Currently hospitalized and nursing multiple chop and stab wounds is Curtis Robertson, 22 of Lusignan, East Coast Demerara (ECD). The man’s brother, Orwin Patterson, said that the attack took place at around 10:00 hrs. on Sunday in Good Hope. Robertson, the victim, barely managed to utter a few words to this newspaper via cellphone. He said that he visited his attackers that day to make a complaint but was almost murdered. His brother then explained that earlier on

Sunday, Robertson’s 14-yearold cousin was reportedly slapped and ‘cut’ to his neck by two men, ages 24 and 26 while on his way to lessons. Patterson continued that the teen returned home breathless and told his story. “The teen knew the men and their parents,” said Patterson, “So Curtis went to visit them – he wanted to inform the parents of their sons’ alleged assault on his cousin.” However, said Patterson, as Robertson was approaching their home with his cousin beside him, the mother rushed out of the house with a piece of wood and said, “Oh this is the man you bring to

beat we up.” The woman then hit Robertson with the wood. He tried to protect himself, added Patterson, but the woman was joined by her husband and their two sons who were armed with cutlasses and an ice pick. “They began beating, stabbing and chopping him but my brother somehow managed to escape along with his cousin,” he detailed. Robertson according to his family members received chop wounds to his head, leg and back. He was also stabbed to his back and shoulder while his body bore multiple ‘black and blue’ marks. Patterson said that his

Hospitalized: Curtis Robertson. brother and cousin ran out to a main road in the Good Hope area and flagged down a taxi. “They entered and instructed the driver to transport them to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC),” he said. Doctors admitted Robertson and contact was made with his family members who reported the matter to police. Ranks was sent to area shortly after and managed to arrest the father and one of his sons while the other ran away. Kaieteur News was told that the man and his son have since admitted to their involvement in the attack and denied that the mother was involved. The suspects fur-

Robertson’s arrival at GPHC, the chop wound to his

Stab wound to Robertson’s shoulder. ther stated to detectives that they assumed that Robertson and his cousins were thieves and decided to attack them.

The father and son are expected to face charges today at the Vigilance Magistrate Court.

Wednesday November 18, 2020

Kaieteur News

Guyana’s COVID-19 death toll is now at 140; 16 new cases Guyana’s COVID-19 death toll is now at 140 with 16 new cases. The Ministry of Health (MOH) reported its latest fatality as a 42-year-old male from Region 4 (Demerara-Mahaica). At the interim, the Ministry recorded 16 new COVID19 cases; of the cases, four were found in Regions One and Four, three each in Regions Six and Seven and two new cases in Region Ten. There were however 139 new recoveries from the deadly disease. In the meantime, the Ministry of Education announced that the COVID-19 test results

from the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo Region have returned negative. According to a release from the Department of Public Information, in a Facebook post, the Education Minister said the results were confirmed by the Regional Health Officer (RHO). “Just got the very good news from the RHO that the results for all swabs for Region Nine are in and they are ALL negative,” she posted. The Ministry had announced that rapid tests conducted on students previously showed some positive results. Regional health offi-

cials later retested those persons and their results returned negative. Minister Manickchand also disclosed that as of Monday night, several persons in Bartica had tested positive for COVID-19 and were placed in isolation.“Also learnt last evening,” the Minister added, “that some five teachers, two ancillary staff and six students have thus far tested positive at Bartica (two schools). Each positive person is in isolation.” The Ministry said that efforts continue to ensure students and teachers are as safe as possible.

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday November 18, 2020

More fire stations for Regions 1, 8 and 9 Fire Chief, Marlon Gentle

The Guyana Fire Service will commission fire stations in Lethem, Mabaruma and Mahdia in 2021, as its development plans continue to unfold. Fire Chief, Mr. Marlon Gentle made this disclosure yesterday to state media at the Guyana Fire Service headquarters.Forty-seven individuals from the respective communities have been identified to be trained and serve as Fire Service members.Training is expected to start within the next two weeks, and will be facilitated at the Guyana Fire Service Training School in Leonora. “We will take them through the basics first, and then we take them back into their communities to complete training because we have to

train people to operate within the communities, which they live in because each community will have its own peculiarities and risks,” the Fire Chief explained. Fire Chief Gentle said the trainees will be added to the staff complement of experienced firefighters to guide them, and to ensure a smooth transition to effective firefighters in their communities. Training will last for 16 weeks and will be split between the Leonora facility and the community-based training. The Fire Chief said the Mabaruma and Mahdia stations are near completion, with the latter only requiring a driveway for trucks to traverse. (DPI)

North West District drinking spree murder… suspect nabbed The man, who is alleged to be the killer of a 16-yearold girl who was found dead after a drinking spree, was yesterday apprehended by members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF). This is according to a police source. The teen’s body was on Sunday last found dead behind her home at Coanna Backdam, Five Star, North West District in Region One. Police sources had revealed to Kaieteur News that she had been strangled to death. This newspaper also received information that she was raped during the process. Kaieteur News reported on Tuesday that cops were doing all they can to locate her drinking partner who had reportedly vanished. Investigators had revealed that around 12:00 hrs on Saturday,

the teen was seen imbibing together with her mother and some males at a shop in the area. At around 15:00 hrs, the teenager and her mother became intoxicated and decided to leave the shop. However, before doing so, they purchased another bottle of rum along with a quantity of rice. One of their male drinking partners reportedly left together with them as well. Sometime later, investigators were told that the teen’s mother returned to the shop alone and spent a while there. On Sunday around 07:30 hrs, the teen’s body was discovered lying motionless behind her home. Detectives believe that the gruesome murder took place between Saturday November 14 and Sunday November 15.

Wednesday November 18, 2020

Kaieteur News The gun and ammunition found in the home.

Gun, ammo discovered in young couple’s home Ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF), on Monday discovered an illegal fireman and matching ammunitions, in a young East La Penitence couple home. According to a police report, on the day in question, around 14:25hrs ranks acting on information went to the location where

they arrested a 24-year-old male and his

25-year-old reputed wife, after a search was conducted on their home and an unlicensed .32 Taurus pistol with three live matching rounds was discovered hidden in an oven. The couple is being processed for court.

PAGE 21

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Kaieteur News

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Wednesday November 18, 2020

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Kaieteur News

Man who killed wife remanded to prison The 32-year-old Berbice man who allegedly killed the mother of his three children this weekend was yesterday remanded to prison for her murder. Appearing at the Blairmont Magistrate Court before Magistrate Peter Hugh was Tejram Rahim of Marcy Dam, Rosignol, West Bank Berbice. He was charged with the capital offence of murder committed on Amrita Rahim called ‘Sally’, his 27-year-old

wife. The accused was not required to plea to the indictable charge and was remanded to prison until December 29. Amrita Rahim who lived with her husband at Lot 7 Burnham Avenue, Rosignol, West Bank Berbice was stabbed to death by the suspect during a heated argument on Friday evening. Reports are that the suspect who is presently in police custody accused her of cheating on

Remanded for murder, Tejram Rahim.

Second accused in Mahaicony... From page 19 murder when the trial resumes, today. Meanwhile, in 2016, news reports had indicated that Ali, a mother of three who resided alone at Novar, Mahaicony (ECD) was found on the floor of her bedroom by a young man, who, relatives sent to the house to make checks after receiving several calls from neighbours, who

said they had not seen the businesswoman for two days.Relatives believed that Ali was killed over the weekend, since her body was already started to decompose when it was discovered on Monday. Relatives had reported too that a quantity of items, including cell phones and phone cards which Ali sold, were missing and no cash was found in the house. Several weeks after the

murder, Singh (a juvenile at the time) and Rampersaud were held and charged for the crime. In October of last year, Rampersaud was handed a life sentence after he opted to plead guilty to unlawfully killing Ali before Justice Sandil Kissoon at the High Court. During sentencing, Justice Kissoon noted that the court was cognizant of the circumstances under which Ali met her demise. According to the Judge, these sorts of offences are becoming more prevalent in society. At the time, Rampersaud’s lawyer Keoma Griffith pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy. State Prosecutor, Abigail Gibbs had asked the court to impose a sentence that would serve as a deterrent to likeminded offenders given the prevalence of the offence.

Radio, TV, Cable operators... From page 14 broadcast providers can find themselves off air if they fail to make the necessary payments Following the meeting with the management team at the GNBA, McCoy was quoted by the Department of Public Information (DPI) as saying “In the next few weeks, the emphasis will be on collecting the outstanding sums owed by broadcasters. The broadcasting agency has a very important role in being able to monitor broadcasting in the country and to flag in-

fractions and to be able to work it through with the broadcasters.” According to the DPI, Minister McCoy also disclosed that a new Board of Directors will soon be installed at the entity. Meanwhile, he expressed confidence in the work ethic of the GNBA staff and engaged them on challenges, with the view of finding solutions. Since assuming office, McCoy has reportedly met frequently with the departments and agencies within his purview to better address the needs of the information sector.

him a day prior to her death – the victim then allegedly threatened to leave and he became enraged. He walked into the kitchen and armed himself with a kitchen knife and returned to the bedroom where they were arguing and dealt a single stab to Rahim while she lay on their bed. He then ran out the house and their eldest child, an 11-year-old, alerted their relatives who lived in the

same yard in another house. She was rushed to the Fort Wellington Hospital where she succumbed. The autopsy was carried out on Monday at the Memorial Garden Funeral Home Mortuary, Le Repentir, Georgetown by Government Pathologist Nehaul Singh. The post mortem report revealed that her cause of death was “perforation of the heart due to a stab wound”.

Murdered Amrita Rahim.

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Wednesday November 18, 2020

Kaieteur News

Cops pick up child beggars at city market Two child beggars were on Monday picked up by ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) at a city market, according to a statement by the Child Care and Protection Agency (CPA). This publication was told that two boys, a 9-year-old and a 13-year-old, were picked up and placed in the custody of the CPA. According to the statement, after the 9-year-old boy was handed over to CPA, contact was made with his mother who told CPA that her son was beyond parental control and was away from home for one week. Kaieteur News understands that the child would frequently run away from home and would sleep out for weeks. The child told the CPA officers that he slept at a game shop in the city and that most of his earnings from begging were spent at the game shop. The statement revealed that officers of the CPA are on the case and individuals could be charged for placing a child in a position that needs protection and harbouring a child at such an environment. “Children should not be on the streets begging. A child doing this is a child in need of protection. Help us get the children off the streets. Be part of the solution and not part of the prob-

The Director of the Child Care and Protection Agency (CPA).

lem,” the statement highlighted. When contacted, the Director of the CPA, Ann Greene in a telephone interview with this publication yesterday, stated that the money that the child beggars make, they use it to buy food and drink instead of using the money to go home. She added, “You are part of the problem if you are giving them money instead of asking them where their parents are…and question them.” Kaieteur News had reported that CPA has taken a further leap into removing child beggars from the streets of Guyana, with the assistance of the GPF. Greene explained that the police will be responsible for enforcing the law on persons found guilty of enabling child begging. She

has been stressing the importance of having parents/ guardians and anyone else who allow child begging, or forces a child to beg on the streets, to be charged to the full extent of the law. The agency over the months has picked up a number of child beggars from the streets of Georgetown and they are being housed by the agency. Reports stated that many of them were picked up by traffic lights and other areas around the city. Greene had also stated that having these children on the streets puts them in a vulnerable position. She highlighted that many child beggars find themselves being sexually exploited, among other atrocities. Last week, three child beggars were picked up by patrolling ranks in the same market.

Wednesday November 18, 2020

Nandlall threatens Jaipaul Sharma with libel suit over “malicious” Facebook post Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mohabir Anil Nandlall has informed former Public In-

frastructure Minister, Jaipaul Sharma of his intention to institute legal proceedings if Sharma does not rescind and apologise for a Facebook post he deems malicious and libelous. In the November 17 post, Sharma criticises as hypocritical, the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) Government’s crusade against questionable land deals entered into by the former David Granger administration. Sharma states, “The hypocritical PPP/c MOHAMMED/ BADRAT government going after JAMES Bond and others for questionable land sales using the Attorney General MOHABIR while AG’s office, Guyana Police Force and the DPP are filled with cases about questionable land sales and breach of land development contracts under the previous PPP/

c government and MOHABIR is doing nothing about it.” Bond had been involved in a land deal scandal, over his receipt of US$1 million related to the sale of prime state lands leased by the National Industrial & Commercial Investments Ltd. (NICIL) to a company called GLASS Holdings. In the Facebook post, Sharma goes on to accuse the Attorney General’s law firm, Mohabir A. Nandlall & Associates, of being involved in some questionable transac-

Attorney General, Anil Nandlall tions in which a large “PLOT” of land was transferred a few days after Granger took office in 2015. After Nandlall was notified of the claim, he made contact which Sharma, according to both parties. Nandlall reportedly requested that Sharma provide evidence of his claim. Sharma said he told Nandlall, he read about the details in a Forensic Audit report of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA) by Attorney-at-Law and Chartered Accountant, Christopher Ram. Ram reportedly told Nandlall that he could not recall any such information be-

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Kaieteur News

Former Minister of Public Infrastructure, Jaipaul Sharma ing contained in his report. Both Nandlall and Sharma posted photos of the legal document sent by Nandlall to Sharma, which states “In the circumstances, I hereby demand that you retract that offensive publication forthwith and that you publish on your Facebook account with equal prominence, a post apologizing, unconditionally, to our client and law firm.” Sharma moved to Facebook again, calling on the public to come to his defence. “To my Guyanese Brothers and Sisters,” he said, “I stand by my statement and I am now calling on your support and protection.”

Smugglers shootout with cops, GRA…

‘Jinga Harry,’ other suspect released on bail

H

arrielall Motilall known as ‘Jinga Harry’ has been released on bail, along with another suspect, as the probe continues into Saturday’s shootout with police ranks and law enforcement officers of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA). This information was relayed to this newspaper by Commander of the East Coast Police Division, Kahli Pareshram. The shootout took place just after midnight after the GRA law enforcement unit attempted to intercept an ongoing smuggling activity at a bond in Mahaica, East Coast Demerara. The officers, according to the head of the unit, Jason Moore, came under rapid gunfire from high powered rifles, said to be AK-47s. No one was hit, but the law enforcement officers had to seek cover and call for police backup. One of the suspects was apprehended at the scene and the illegal goods seized. Jinga Harry, who is sus-

Alleged Smuggler Jinga Harry

pected to be one of shooters and the owner of the goods, was later arrested by police. The alleged smuggler, who had told Kaieteur that he is repeatedly being targeted by GRA, is currently before

court facing charges for a similar incident which took place in 2019. Motilall had also been sentenced to prison in 2016 for another shooting incident which involved GRA officers back in 2014.

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday November 18, 2020

Wednesday November 18, 2020

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Kaieteur News

Mercedes aim to start contract talks with Hamilton this week LONDON, CMC – Team boss Toto Wolff said Mercedes is confident of getting a new deal done with Lewis Hamilton when they begin contract talks later this week. Hamilton, the most successful Formula 1 driver in history with a record 94 race wins, clinched a recordequalling seventh world drivers’ title when he won the Turkish Grand Prix on Sunday in Istanbul. But his contract expires this year, and he has indicated he wants to stay at Mercedes.“Flying back from a seventh drivers’ championship, you can’t talk about a contract,” Wolff told BBC Sport. “It wouldn’t do justice to the achievement. “We’re going to give it a few days then we are going

to talk about it.” He added: “Our relationship is much beyond business, it is one of friendship, one of trust. “This one day of negotiations is something we don’t enjoy as it’s the only time where we are not having shared objectives. The best deal is one where both parties walk off not completely satisfied.” Wolff said the two sides have been talking about a new contract for some time now, but they had put off contract talks because they wanted to secure the drivers’ and constructors’ championships first. Now that they have achieved that objective, the Mercedes boss said they only needed to find the time to sit down and have a pur-

poseful discussion. “It’s a bizarre situation because we’ve been talking about it for a while, we’ve really just got to find a day where we sit down,” said Wolff in a Five Live special on Hamilton broadcast on Monday. “I think more than likely we are looking towards the end of the year. “Not that we wouldn’t find time for each other, but I don’t want to put ourselves under pressure to say before Bahrain or before Abu Dhabi we will announce a new contract because there isn’t any pressure. When it’s done it’s done.”Formula 1 heads to Bahrain next week for races on successive weekends before the December 13 finale in Abu Dhabi. Wolff said both sides want to continue together, but it

Wednesday November 18, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You may have had some emotional disappointments lately, but today will restore your faith in love. All you need to do is act. TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) Put on your traveling shoes, Taurus. Fear of the unknown may have prompted you to postpone certain trips. You claimed you were too busy,

but no one really believed this, not even you. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Som ething is currently

compelling you to be more of a world citizen than usual, Gemini. You may find this somewhat disturbing. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Your surroundings are currently changing, Cancer. Perhaps your circle of friends has already undergone a major change. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Leo, you're demystifying the concept of talent. You

used to look enviously at other people and think, "I wish I had a natural ability like that." VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22) Are you thinking of going into business for yourself, Virgo? Being self-employed doesn't au tomatically

mean you will have more freedom. Of course, you will be your own boss, but you will also bear all the responsibility for the success or failure of your enterprise.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Within the next few days, you're likely to gain access to dimensions of perception you never suspected, Libra. Perhaps you will become aware of certain energy phenomena, peak experiences, or other highly sensitive states of consciousness. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Often fiery temperaments like yours are drawn to fight for great causes despite the better judgment of more downto-Earth people. As a result, you have great leadership potential that may emerge today. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Your optimism is likely to receive a little boost today, Sagittarius. A memorable emotional encounter may be the source of some extra zeal. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Perhaps you should suspend your inhibitions for the day, Capricorn, and let your dreams guide you. For instance, you might imagine that the need to make any choices has vanished. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) This is the type of day you enjoy. The climate is positive, and the energy is flowing. It's as though you have a magic wand. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) If the world collapsed today, you wouldn't bat an eyelash. You're perfectly content sailing along on cloud nine! The source of your bliss

just a matter of putting pen to paper. “(Lewis) loves racing and the competition, as does the team and myself…so I see us going for more next year, maybe putting another great year on and then obviously we have this tremendous, challenging regulations change for 2022,” said Wolff. “I see us going for a while.” Wolff hailed Hamilton – whose family hails from the Spice Isle of Grenada – as one of the greats of Formula 1 and said there was much more for him to achieve. “We are all thinking of Michael (Schumacher) very often and his achievements,” he said. “There’s very few great drivers – [Juan Manuel] Fangio in the 1950s and then [Ayrton] Senna and then obviously Michael, who set the record, and now Lewis. “It’s very difficult to compare them, but I guess that with Lewis it’s history in the making and sometimes it’s difficult to really acknowledge that. Only when a career

Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton celebrates on the podium with the trophy after the race. (Reuters/Ozan Kose)

comes to an end, people will say we were part of the his-

tory making and I think this is what’s happening.”

Jamaican Fowler wins... From page 30 proof of the quality of Fowler, who has cemented herself as the best shooter in the world, finishing the past Super Netball League season with 965 goals, the most in the League for the third year

running. “Jhaniele is a true professional on and off the court,” he said. “She has made significant sacrifices to play in the 2020 season and with that she certainly ensured that she made the most of that decision. “We are incredibly proud of what she has achieved at our club. Knowing the professional that she is, I am looking forward to seeing what she can do to evolve her game and take into the next season.”Fowler has broken a host of records in the League, leaving defenders in her wake and was named Super Netball Player-of-the-Year in her first year in 2019. She also played a pivotal role in the Fever’s ascent to their maiden Grand Final appearance.

‘Keep x-factor... From page 29 Cottrell ended the competition with six wickets in six matches at an economy rate of 8.80. Chopra believes, ahead of the next campaign, several changes should be considered “Kings XI Punjab have a reasonable need of a mega auction because they need changes. They have to do something for the fast bowling unit because it will not work out with the ones they have,” Chopra said in his review of the season. “They should leave out Sheldon Cottrell, they should leave Hardus Viljoen also if they are not playing him, and they should leave Maxwell as well,” Chopra added. “They can keep Gayle if he wants to play although he is 41-years old. But the IPL is just a few months away and he was not expensive as well. So they can keep him as he is an X-factor and an intimidating factor,” Chopra continued.

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GBBFF to stage “Resilience” Bodybuilding and Fitness Competition for December 12 at NCC The Guyana Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation has collaborated with the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport to present the hardworking athletes, the bodybuilding and fitness fraternity and the entire Guyana with a bodybuilding and fitness competition. With the country still navigating the covid-19 pandemic the GBBFF and the MCY&S wishes to remind all Guyanese of our ‘resilience’ to withstand the testing of the times. Hence the said competition is to celebrate life, health, fitness and our resilience as Guyanese whilst promoting healthy lifestyle and healthy living. Athletes, backstage personnel and the executive of the GBBFF will undertake to observe all Covid-19 protocols, while on stage athletes will be required to stand 6 feet apart from each other. While backstage, athletes will be required to wear their masks and to maintain the mandatory physical distancing. Judges will be seated 6 feet from each other and will be required to wear their masks. On the night of the competition there will be about 36 athletes competing in the 4 different segment of the competition. These are: 1. Bodybuilding Light weight (all athletes at 165 pounds and lower) 2. B o d y b u i l d i n g Heavy weight (all athletes at 166 pounds and higher) 3. Bikini 4. Men’s Physique Some of the athletes that have already signed up to compete includes the reigning Mr. Guyana Marlon “Bolo” Bennett, reigning Ms. Guyana Bikini Champion Roseanna Fung, CAC finalist Darious Ramsammy, reigning 2020 Novices Bodybuilding Champion, reigning 2020 Novices Bikini and Men’s Physique Champions,

Wednesday November 18, 2020

Kaieteur News

PSL 2020: Karachi Kings beat Lahore Qalandars to win title for first time

Event to be Live Streamed on all popular social media networks Babar Azam finished as the competition’s leading scorer with 473 runs at an average of 59.12. (Getty Images)

Marlon “Bolo” Bennett BBC Sport - Karachi Kings won their first Pakistan Super League with a five-wicket victory over Lahore Qalandars in the final. Babar Azam hit an unbeaten 63 off 49 balls as a Karachi side featuring England’s Alex Hales comfortably chased their target of 135 with eight balls to spare on their home ground. Earlier, Lahore collapsed from 68-0 to 81-4 as they posted a modest 134-7. The tournament was halted in March by the Covid-19 pandemic and resumed with the play-off stages on Saturday.Karachi were playing in their first final, having reached the playoffs on all four occasions since the competition launched in 2016.Lahore had finished bottom of the table in every previous tournament. Having won the toss, Lahore started solidly through Tamim Iqbal and Fakhar Zaman, who made 35 and 27 respectively, before losing three wickets in seven balls.Former England all-rounder Samit Patel - on the day he

signed a new deal with his county side Nottinghamshire - fell for five as Karachi seamers Umaid Asif and Waqas Maqsood claimed 2-18 apiece.Patel’s Notts team-mate Hales made 11 in Karachi’s chase but opener Babar, who was last week appointed Pakistan Test skipper to add to the limited-overs captaincy, played an elegant innings to see the side home.There were 15 English players involved in this season’s PSL, including Chris Jordan, Moeen Ali, Liam Livingstone and Lewis Gregory, who missed the play-offs because they were selected for England’s limited-overs tour of South Africa which starts this week.The 2021 PSL is scheduled to begin in February.Scores: Lahore Qalandars 1347 (20 overs): Tamim 35, Asif 2-18, Maqsood 2-18.Karachi Kings 135-5 (18.4 overs): Babar 63*, Hussain 2-28. Result: Karachi Kings won by five wickets.

Inspired Thiem outshines Nadal at ATP Finals

Guyana Strong Man winner, Carlos Petersen and many more accomplished athletes from every county in Guyana. Reigning CAC Gold Medalist, several times Mr. Guyana Champion and one of Guyana’s top elite athletes Mr. Kerwin Clarke will take up the honors of guest posing for Guyana on the night of the competition. Prizes will see the top three finishers of each segment receiving cash prizes as

follows: 1st Place: $100,000 2nd Place: $70,000 3rd Place: $50,000 And the overall winner of the Bodybuilding segments will receive $200,000. All registered athletes are in full preparatory mode and the GBBFF along with the filming and media crew are working hard to present to Guyana live bodybuilding and fitness competition of the highest level.

LONDON (Reuters) Austria’s Dominic Thiem produced a stunning display of attacking tennis to beat Rafa Nadal 7-6(7) 7-6(4) in a highquality duel at the ATP Finals and seize control of their group yesterday. World number three Thiem saved a couple of set points in the first tiebreak before whipping away a forehand to take an opening set in which there was barely anything between the two. Spaniard Nadal, bidding to win the only big title to elude him, engineered the first break of the match at 3-3 in the second set only for Thiem to reply in stunning fashion. Nadal was on the brink of defeat when he slipped 0-40 behind serving at 4-5 after a wayward smash, but the 20time Grand Slam champion dug himself out of a hole, saving three match points. U.S. Open champion Thiem was unshakeable,

Austria’s Dominic Thiem celebrates winning his group stage match against Spain’s Rafael Nadal. (Action Images via Reuters/Toby Melville) however, and forged his way into a 6-3 lead in the day’s second tiebreak. Nadal clawed one point back, but Thiem finished it off when his opponent dragged a backhand wide, a rare unforced error. Thiem had beaten reigning champion Stefanos

Tsitsipas of Greece in his opening round-robin match in the London Group and will qualify for the semi-finals if Tsitsipas beats Andrey Rublev later. World number two Nadal’s fate will rest on his final group match against Tsitsipas.

Holder, Dawood wants inquiry into lack... From page 27 BAME representation among our officials, and recognize we still have a long way to go as a game to achieve this,” an ECB statement said.“The ECB has now commissioned a review, with board oversight, to look at how we can reform our approach to managing match officials. “This will set out actions as to how we can improve our systems and processes to increase the diversity of umpiring, inspire the

next generation of umpires and match referees, have a world-class umpiring programme and ensure a culture of inclusivity and fairness throughout the umpiring system.” The allegations from Holder and Dawood come following claims of “institutional racism” by former Yorkshire player, Azeem Rafiq, and former England batsman Michael Carberry said he does not “expect anything” from the ECB in fighting racism, which he says is “rife” in the sport in England.

Wednesday November 18, 2020

Kaieteur News

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Holder, Dawood wants inquiry into lack of diversity among English umpires

Athletes won’t be forced to get COVID-19 vaccinations - IOC’s Bach

John Holder (left) and Ismail Dawood

LONDON, CMC – Barbados-born John Holder is one of two former English umpires that have accused the England & Wales Cricket Board of “institutionalised racism”. Holder, who had a 30-year career as a professional umpire before retiring 11 years ago, and Ismail Dawood, a former player in the English county gave, have asked for an independent investigation into England cricket’s governing body from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). Holder said his “suspicion is that there has been a definite policy of only employing whites” to be a mentor for emerging umpires and Dawood said he gave up on his attempts to be an umpire after failing to win promotion to the ECB’s first-class panel. Holder said he raised the

issue, after he failed to get a response to his email. “I have no reason to doubt that there is,” he said. “The fact that several non-white umpires have made enquiries about going on the first-class umpires’ panel, or becoming a mentor or liaison officer, and none have progressed.” Dawood, who stood on the ECB reserve list and umpired first-class matches, said he had heard racist language used in front of senior cricket board staff, which went unchallenged. “If that sort of language was used elsewhere, people would lose their jobs,” he said. “I have absolutely no trust or confidence in the ECB. All the way down to the grassroots it is a complete mess and that is why we need it to be investigated. Do I want to be part of an

organisation who is a complete mess? No. “In one performance review, I was told ‘fine judgements must be made about who best fits in’. The complaints we have made shows the institutionalised, structured racism as well as discrimination, cronyism, bullying and dishonesty that has been part of our lives being involved in the ECB.” The last non-white umpire to be added to the ECB’s firstclass panel was former Barbados and West Indies allrounder Vanburn Holder 28 years ago. There have been none since his retirement in 2010.The ECB said on Tuesday it recognised that the group of professional umpires does not “reflect the diverse ECB we are determined to be”. “We want to see more (Continued on page 28)

‘Keep x-factor Gayle, get rid of Cottrell’ - former India opener insists Kings XI need big changes for next IPL season SportsMax - Former India opener turned cricket analyst, Aakash Chopra, believes Kings XI Punjab could greatly improve its fortunes for the next Indian Premier League (IPL) season by resigning Windies T20 talisman Chris Gayle and dropping pace bowler Sheldon Cottrell. Kings XI finished a disappointing 6th place in the final IPL standings, after missing out on a spot in the playoffs. A good portion of the team’s season had, however, focused on a five-game winning streak, which had put them in unlikely contention for the final four after a 1-7 start. The man at the centre of the winning streak, Gayle, had spent the early days of the competition sitting on the bench, while Australian Glenn Maxwell, who had huge expectations placed on

Aakash Chopra wants Kings XI Punjab to resigning Windies T20 talisman Chris Gayle and drop pace bowler Sheldon Cottrell (right) for the next IPL season to improve their fortunes. him heading into the season, continued to disappoint. He wasn’t alone, however, as Gayle’s international teammate Cottrell also failed

to live up to expectations after commanding a whopping INR 8.5 crore ($US1,156,239) at the auction. In the end, (Continued on page 25)

TOKYO (Reuters) - International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said yesterday that athletes would not be forced to get COVID-19 vaccinations ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, but he said they should as a “demonstration of solidarity” with the Japanese. Bach visited the Athletes’ Village yesterday before concluding his two-day Tokyo trip with a visit to the National Stadium. “We will encourage athletes that whenever possible they have the vaccination because it is better for their health, and it is also a demonstration of solidarity with their fellow athletes and also the Japanese people,” said the German.

Bach’s trip, his first to Japan since the decision to postpone the Games in March, has been up-beat throughout and he has spoken about the great impact a vaccine could have on Tokyo’s ability to host the Olympics next year.More than 11,000 athletes are expected to descend upon Tokyo for the Olympics, which are due to begin on July 23, with thousands more coming for the subsequent Paralympics.However, when pressed whether athletes were going to jump the queue to get any potential vaccine before the Games, Bach was adamant this wouldn’t be the case.“We made it clear from the very beginning that the first priorities are for the

nurses, medical doctors and everybody who keeps our society alive, despite the coronavirus crisis,” Bach told reporters at the National Stadium. “These are the people who deserve to be the first ones to be vaccinated.” Tokyo 2020 organisers are holding a project review meeting this week and hope to decide on a range of COVID19 counter-measures, including whether spectators will be allowed in venues next year. A small group of antiOlympics protesters gathered outside the stadium during Bach’s visit, and their chanted slogans could be heard as he walked alone down the running track and looked up at the empty seats surrounding him.

Tim Paine, Marnus Labuschagne in mass airlift to avert summer disruption

The Australia players sprint during a training session. (Alex Livesey / © Getty Images) ESPNcricinfo - A mass airlift of Australia, Australia A and Big Bash League players into New South Wales has been successfully completed to avoid Cricket Australia having its summer plans severely disrupted by border restrictions imposed on South Australia due to a developing Covid-19 outbreak in the state. While the number of new cases in SA dipped promisingly to five yesterday after 14 on Monday that were traced to an outbreak in Adelaide’s northern suburbs, CA and the BBL clubs moved rapidly to ensure all players left the affected state and also Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania after all three state governments imposed quarantine restrictions on SA. These moves, including a charter flight specifically to transport all players and staff from the Adelaide Strikers to a training camp in Coffs Harbour, will allow for Aus-

tralia players to prepare freely for the looming white-ball series against India, plus Australia A players preparing for warm-up games against Virat Kohli’s touring side and also the Strikers and other SAbased BBL players ahead the tournament’s scheduled early-December start in Hobart. This meant rushed farewells to family and friends for the likes of Test captain Tim Paine, Matthew Wade, Marnus Labuschagne, Travis Head and Cameron Green, but ensured smooth progression of the summer even if the SA outbreak continues to grow. SA’s border remains open to NSW and Victoria, and CA maintains that Adelaide Oval will host the first Test of the summer against India from December 17 onwards. “CA has taken a proactive approach and mobilised a number of people across the country over the past 24 hours to shore up our men’s

domestic and international schedules,” CA’s interim chief executive Nick Hockley said. “I would like to thank the players and staff for their understanding regarding the changes to their travel schedules and for their commitment to ensuring the summer of cricket is a huge success. “I would also like to thank the various leadership groups across Australian cricket for coming together over the past 48 hours and taking quick, decisive action - made possible by thorough, cross-department contingency planning. CA will continue to monitor the situation in South Australia and the resulting border restrictions around the country. “As ever, we will remain agile in addressing the challenges presented by the pandemic and remain more confident than ever of hosting a safe and successful summer across all formats.”

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Kaieteur News

Windies focused on consistency, game awareness - Phil Simmons SportsMax - In a few days’ time when the West Indies bow into action against New Zealand ‘A’ at the Queenstown Events Centre in Queenstown, New Zealand, fans should expect to see evidence of some of the areas that head coach Phil Simmons has had the players concentrating on since they arrived in New Zealand. The West Indies were given a special dispensation to train while they were isolation but have now began more intensive training as they ramp up their preparations for their three T20 Internationals and two Test-series that begins on November 27. Phil Simmons revealed that there are specific areas which the team has been focused on that will hopefully

translate in better performances in what is expected to be a challenging tour. “The big areas are consistency, especially in the bowling and understanding situations, especially in the batting,” Simmons said. We have situations when we have been in control of games and people give away their wickets, so things like that are the main things that we are concentrating on now.” Overall, things have been going well Simmons said, explaining that while some days have been cold there have also been warm days which they players have enjoyed. “When it’s warm, West Indies teams tend to thrive so they’ve been very good. They’re enjoying it,” he said.

Sofia Marathon winners Khapilina, Sbaai provisionally suspended by AIU (Reuters) - This year’s Sofia Marathon winners, Viktoriia Khapilina and Youssef Sbaai, have been provisionally suspended from all racing for doping violations, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said yesterday. Ukraine’s Khapilina and Sbaai of Morocco, who set course records of 2:27:57 and 2:13:03 respectively in the bronze label race in Bulgaria last month, tested positive for a banned substance in an in-competition test, the AIU said. “The AIU has provisionally suspended Viktoriia Khapilina and Youssef Sbaai for the presence of recombinant EPO, in violation of World Athletics Anti-Doping rules following incompetition tests,” the AIU said in a statement.

Wednesday November 18, 2020

FIFA Club World Cup to be held in Qatar in February Liverpool’s Sadio Mane and teammates celebrate winning the Club World Cup with the trophy. (REUTERS/Corinna Kern)

MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - The FIFA Club World Cup, originally planned for December, will now be held from Feb. 1 to Feb. 11 in Doha, Qatar, organisers FIFA said yesterday. The tournament brings together the six continental champions from across the world, with European Champions League winners Bayern Munich the first to have qualified. Last season’s tournament ended with Liverpool beating Brazilian club Flamengo in the final. FIFA did not state if supporters would be able to attend any of the games noting only that “In line with FIFA’s Inter-

national Match Protocol, FIFA and the host country will provide the required safeguards for the health and safety of all involved.”A new expanded 24-team Club World Cup was due to be held in June/July 2021 in China but coronavirus-related delays to Euro 2020 and the Copa America, which will be held a year late, have led to the postponement of that plan. FIFA also opted against moving two postponed women’s age-group tournaments to 2021 and instead will allow the planned hosts to hold those tournaments in 2022. Costa Rica will host the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup and India the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

Jamaican Fowler wins Fever’s prized awards

Jhaniele Fowler and Ingrid Colyer of the Fever celebrate at full time during the Super Netball Major Semi Final match against Giants Netball in Sydney. (AAP: Brendon Thorne)

PERTH, Australia, CMC – West Coast Fever head coach Stacey Marinkovich hailed Jamaican goal shooter Jhaniele Fowler as the best overseas goal shooter to ever play in domestic Australia competition.

Marinkovich congratulated Fowler following another outstanding season, which culminated in her being crowned the Fever’s Most Valuable Player for the second consecutive year and also the Player’s Player Award

for the third consecutive year at the club’s awards ceremony on Sunday. “Jhaniele is a truly deserving winner of the MVP award,” Marinkovich said. “She has consistently performed at the highest level

under immense pressure and against world-leading defenders. Her elite level of execution is a reflection of her dedication, hard work and leadership.” The two awards are more (Continued on page 27)

Wednesday November 18, 2020

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Reforming Cricket West Indies for Improved On-Field Results says Ricky Skerritt At The Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Virtual Lecture (UWI) – November 16th, 2020 Cricket West Indies (CWI) President Ricky Skerritt looked at the legacy of Sir Frank and the future of the game in the region. Skerritt stated in his address, “One does not have to be a historian to be in awe of the true Legends of West Indies cricket and to know that there are individuals who have indelibly impacted and shaped West Indies cricket and the culture and history of our region. Sir Frank Worrell is clearly one such outstanding individual. And it is my distinct pleasure to speak at a lecture series that has been named in his memory.” “As the first black man to be appointed permanent captain of the West Indies, Sir Frank Worrell was entrusted with what must have been the most difficult task in the history of West Indies cricket. I say “most difficult” because he simply could not afford to fail under the circumstances that prevailed at the time, at the end of the 1950’s. He was made captain, some 32 years after West Indies had first been granted Test Match status in 1928. His resounding suitability for the leadership role must have helped the selectors to dispense with the tradition of picking a captain of lighter skin colour, often with an English University background. The socio-political environment itself, over which Worrell had no control, must have placed Sir Frank under immense pressure to succeed. And no one knew it more than him. But it was the manner in which he achieved his successes, rather than the triumphs themselves, for which he is best remembered,” the CWI boss noted. He continued, “It was under Worrell’s leadership that the West Indies team first matured and became a formidable and more collective team, one that was no longer characterized only by individual feats of note. It was Worrell who first molded his team from a mix of brilliant individualists from across our region, into a cohesive unit. No Test Match was more illustrative of the benefit of the teamwork and discipline that Worrell had created, than the famous tied Test at Brisbane when he kept his team on their toes and motivated an exciting young fast bowler, just 23 years old at the time, to stay fully focused during that nailbiting last over. It will be most

fitting when, later this month, a life-sized statue will be unveiled in Barbados, in tribute to Sir Wes Hall, the same young man who showed such maturity in bowling that famous over. The tribute to Sir Wes comes almost exactly 60 years after that thrilling first ever tied test in Australia. Sir Frank and the other heroes who have gone beyond, will no doubt be attending that unveiling ceremony, in spirit.” “It was Sir Frank Worrell, more than anyone else, who laid the foundation for the success of other cricket leaders and teams, who followed. Having won most of the Test Matches in which he captained, Sir Frank would be disappointed to find that of the 194 Test matches played by West Indies in the past twenty years alone, we have lost 104, and won only 41, or 21%. In the same period we have won only 32% of the 434 ODI’s, and 45% of the 124 T20 Internationals we have played at home and abroad. The data would tell him that in the same 20 years, West Indies selectors put more than 150 individual players and 18 different captains on the field to represent the West Indies. This was the same period in which West Indies fell to the bottom of the ICC rankings ladder in all three formats of the game. These past twenty years also saw our selectors pick 28 different opening batsmen, 45 fast bowlers, and 39 spinners in Test cricket alone. The selectors’ turnstiles have been busy in the past twenty years. I remind you that, except for an occasional injury break, Greenidge and Haynes were our only opening pair for at least a decade, and Lance Gibbs was the main specialist spinner for nearly twice as long,” Skerritt stated highlighting the current status of the game regionally. “CWI spent a Quarter Billion US Dollars on our players, coaches and full time staff during the past twenty years. This 250 Million US Dollars does not include the cost of travel, sustenance, and housing our many coaches, players and administrative support people when on tour. So CWI has undoubtedly spent heavily on our teams, without any sustainable improvement in performance. And in contrast to the relatively poor results we have achieved, we have massively

Ricky Skerritt

increased expenditure in personnel by more than 600% in twenty years. Altogether CWI handled in excess of 700 Million US Dollars in the past 20 years, including significant income earned from hosting the ICC 2007 ODI Cricket World Cup. What do we have to show today, after so much expenditure? Certainly not enough returns on the field of play.” “Today’s Top players can become millionaires and we should be happy for those West Indians who have done so. But erratic governance and poor decisions at the administrative level can make the difference between a wellrewarded career and poverty for some of our players. The right to work is a fundamental right. CWI must not affect the exercise of that right by penalizing those players who seek to work elsewhere. Our public duty is all the more complex for that reason alone,” he informed. “‘Cricket First’ is the player-centric guiding star around which CWI’s values, decisions, strategies, and actions must revolve going forward. The most recent review that has come to hand is the Wehby Report on Governance Reform which is currently being studied and discussed for possible utilization by Territorial Board shareholders and stakeholders. In any event, our new ‘Cricket First’ mantra dictates that the only way that we can drive sustainable improvement to our on-field cricket results is with a healthy and focused supporting balance of Organization-wide Creative thinking, Governance reform, and Strategic decision-making. This ‘Cricket First Philosophy’ is slowly but surely becoming the foundation upon which all key CWI strategic decisions and actions are

based. We believe strongly that, for West Indies cricket to get on an upward trajectory, cricket-specific matters have to be prioritized as the #1 organizational focuses over all other matters. The ‘West Indians First’ Policy is focused on empowerment and procurement. It recognizes that West Indies cricket, at its best, has always been a representation of the hopes and aspirations of the people of the West Indies, and an illustration of the heights of excellence that our small Caribbean nations can attain when we work together. The ‘West Indians First’ policy is therefore a timely call to action, designed to help change an organizational culture, through the empowerment of West Indian talent and production.” THE FIVE POLICY ESSENTIALS ARE: a. Our cricket teams must

always be properly named “West Indies” (not ‘Windies’) in recognition of our rich West Indian history and cricket legacy. b. At the core of this West Indians First policy is the development and optimum utilization of expert skill and knowledge, of Caribbean origin where ever and whenever possible. c. The West Indians First policy means no disrespect to the past or present engagement of foreign professionals or suppliers. d. This West Indians First policy enables CWI to employ the best international expertise, but only where there is none of equal quality available of West Indian origin. e. This West Indians First policy also applies to the source of procurement for all goods and services. “All of CWI’s key cricket decisions must be designed to develop that sense of pride and aspiration for our representative West Indies teams that has been too often absent over these past 20 years. In order to achieve a renewed sense of purpose and excellence within CWI, difficult choices and challenging decisions will have to be made.” ‘Cricket First’ encompasses the following key goals: (a) Strengthening of the West Indies cricket teams, and a return to winning ways. (b)Building on the onfield performance on four inter-connected and interdependent pillars – physical fitness,

physical skills, mental skills, and strategic thinking. (c) Designing, implementing, and monitoring performance improvement practices and programs between tours, for achieving excellence during tours. (d)Developing a sustainable and justifiable governance structure and system, off the field, that affects behavior and performance on the field. If CWI’s structure and systems are coherent, and aligned with the principles of: ‘Cricket First’ performance will automatically improve. (e) Establishing a contract of expectations between the Coaches and the Players to improve communication, teamwork, team esteem and team cohesion. (f) Promoting a common philosophy, and working cooperatively and harmoniously with Territorial Boards to improve teamwork and achieve a shared and mutually beneficial purpose. “In today’s complex and rapidly changing world, to be an effective organization that produces winning teams, we must direct all of our resources towards developing appropriate and efficient cricket-specific processes and outputs. I firmly believe that adhering to ‘The Cricket First Philosophy’ and implementing the West Indians First Policy will produce, within the next two to ten years…,” Skerritt pointed during his lengthy presentation.

Ex-footballer Obodo kidnapped Former Nigeria in Nigeria midfielder Christian Obodo was abducted by gunmen in Warri on Sunday.

AFP - Former Nigeria midfielder Christian Obodo, who spent over a decade in Seria A, including spells with Fiorentina and Udinese, has been abducted in the country’s oil-rich Delta state, police said Monday. The 36-year-old was stopped by unknown gunmen on Sunday in the southern city of Warri, police spokesman Onome Onowakpoyeya

told AFP. “The police are on some intelligence lead towards his rescue,” Onowakpoyeya said, but “no contacts have been made with the abductors”.Kidnappings for ransom by criminal gangs are common in Africa’s most populous country, in particular in the oil-producing Delta region. Obodo was abducted in

the same area in 2012, and rescued a day later in a police raid. His kidnappers had demanded a ransom of about $188,000 (149,000 euros). A friend of the midfielder, who was a regular in the Nigeria team between 2003 and 2008, told AFP that this time Obodo was with his girlfriend in his car when he was abducted. “They had stopped to buy bananas by the roadside when the gunmen stopped him, forced him out of his car into theirs, and drove off to an unknown destination,” the man who asked to be identified as Chief Big Sam said. Obodo was 17 when he moved to Italy in 2001 to play for Perugia. He later appeared for Fiorentina, Udinese, Torino and Lecce before moving to Dynamo Minsk in 2014.

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday November 18, 2020

Success Masters overcome Fisherman Masters Vivakanand Ramsaywack (right) accepts his award from Joseph Ramkaran.

The victorious Success Masters team.

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uccess Masters defeated Fisherman Masters by one wicket to win the Seeraj Bhimsain 52nd birth anniver sary softball cricket competition which was contested on Sunday last at Malteenoes Sports Club. Batting first, Fishermen Masters managed 71 for 8 off 15 overs with Ramo Malone scoring 27; Randy Ketwaroo had two for six and Alex Singh two for 14. Success Masters responded with 72 for 9 off 15 overs.

Mustapha Azimullah made 17 while Ketwaroo scored 16. Pooran Singh claimed three for 12 Devanand Kanan two for 12. The event was sponsored by Trophy Stall and Mike’s Pharmacy. A Special award was given to 72 year-old Vivakanand Ramsaywack Captain of Savage Masters for his contribution to softball cricket in Guyana, while overseas based Guyanese Kennedy Ram made a contribution to Success Masters by sponsoring their uniform.

Jamaica Reggae Boyz net 2-1 win over Saudi Arabia

SportsMax - Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz turned the table on Saudi Arabia with a comefrom-behind 2-1 win, in Riyadh, yesterday. The victory comes on the back of the Jamaican national team suffering a 3-0 loss on Saturday, which served to make it a difficult return to international football after a months-long break. Yesterday, it was once again Saudi Arabia that struck first, in the 29th minute. Abdullah Al-Hamdan finished

off a sweeping counter-attacking move that had resulted from a poorly cleared defensive effort. This time, however, the Jamaicans struck back through English-based player Daniel Johnson, in the 64th minute. Loosely marked at the edge of the area, the player’s superbly shot curler nestled into the top corner of Saudi Arabia goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Yami’s goal.Playing with much more confidence than the first en-

counter, the Jamaicans would get the all-important goal in the 34th minute.Striker Javon East caught the Saudi Arabia backline in possession and surged to goal before lifting the ball over Al-Yami. The match marked a special milestone for Jamaica coach and former national player Theodore Whitmore as he was coaching his onehundredth game for Jamaica’s senior team after a stellar career where he played over 100 games.

Jamaican Striker Javon East gets past the Saudi backline to score the winning strike.

Kohli and Co. undergo Test match simulation training in Sydney Players from all three squads were seen taking part in the practice session. (AFP file photo)

ESPNcricinfo - The limited-overs competition awaits them first but the India players, led by captain Virat Kohli, seemed focused on next month’s Tests against Australia as they practised in simulated long-format match conditions with pacers using red and pink balls in Sydney yesterday. The top batsmen and bowlers from across the three squads were seen taking part in the practice session. The likes of Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj were seen bowling to Kohli in a video posted on Twitter by the captain himself. Kohli will feature in just the opening day-night Test, starting December 17 in Adelaide, before flying back to India for the birth of his first child.

The video showed the players using the centre strip of the ground with Test match field and a batsman at the non-striker’s end, which is a deviation from traditional net sessions. Given that the players were kept busy by the IPL for the last two months, the white-ball training has taken a back seat. In another video, posted by the BCCI, Shami was seen bowling in tand em with

Siraj. The 30-year-old Shami, who took 20 wickets from 14 matches for the Kings XI Punjab in the IPL, is a part of all three squads. India will rely heavily on him during the four-match Test series. Siraj, who is only in the Test squad, followed his senior team-mate and was seen

sending down a few deliveries as other senior players watched him bowl. The 26-year-old, who has played one ODI and three T20Is, took 11 wickets from nine matches for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL. On Monday, the star studded batting line-up was seen gearing up for the lively Australian pitches with the traditional tennis ball training after competing on the slow UAE tracks during the IPL. The first two matches of the ODI series will be played at the SCG on November 27 and 29, followed by the third in Canberra on December 2. The first T20I, on December 4, will also be played in Canberra while the last two will be played at the SCG on December 6 and 8.

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GBBFF to stage “Resilience” Bodybuilding and Fitness Competition for December 12 at NCC

Roseanna Fung

Kerwin Clarke

Event to be Live Streamed on all popular media networks

rt o p S

Windies focused Athletes won’t on consistency, be forced to game awareness get COVID-19 - Phil Simmons

vaccinations - IOC’s Bach

Phil Simmons

Thomas Bach, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President wearing a protective mask talks to journalists during a visit to Olympic and Paralympic village in Tokyo, Japan November 17, 2020. (Nicolas Datiche/Pool via REUTERS)

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