K
AIETEUR NEWS
Ramotar vs Kaieteur News libel case...
Glenn Lall
Tuesday Edition November 24, 2020 - Vol. 13 No. 47
stands by position oil block deals were corrupt p. 16
Guyana’s largest selling daily & New York’s most popular weekly
Online: www.kaieteurnews.com Price $80
Online readership yesterday, 109,719
Exxon deal leaves Guyana in a debt trap for decades p. 8
GuySuCo moves to buy 44 tractors at Ministry of Agriculture $33M each unaware of purchase
p. 15
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US company to Businessman set up shore shot dead base facility at during scuffle Land of Canaan with bandit p. 3
p. 2
Sister kills abusive brother to protect sister-in-law p. 18
Vincent Adams contract terminated
p. 3
On oil, the cart is before the donkey That dray-cart drags d o w n t h e d o n k e y. Successive governments have rushed ahead in a beehive of activity with our oil wealth, but they are sluggish to the point of paralysis in doing the things that will nourish that wealth, by watching over it, like a hawk, to get the most out of it. By this, we are talking about our petroleum laws. Our petroleum laws are not outdated, they are ancient, and they allow foreign exploiters and producers to use them to our disadvantage. Those same laws impoverish us and leave us with little to improve our oil prospects. Clearly, the time for rehabilitating our antiquated petroleum laws is now. It must be the highest priority. Other countries, once similar to us, have already
strengthened their petroleum laws for maximum leverage when partnering with foreign oil players. A compulsory piece of any revitalized Guyanese petroleum laws must be arming us with the power to oversee fully, through monitoring and authorizing and verifying to the fullest extent, every aspect of the exploration and production of our oil wealth. The same goes for the related finances, which should be built into new laws and any offshoots of such laws. Last, after having such robust laws, they must be enforced constantly. If we do so, Guyana can become a rich and respected oil haven, and not the tricked and mocked place that it is today. Oil is war, and the sooner that we realize this, the better.
James Bond land deals...
Board meeting
Suriname law demands on land lease competitive transactions clause change - but Guyana left IL C I in oil sector open for abuse never happened - N p. 12
p. 11
Missed ‘The Glenn Lall Show’? Tune in at 11 am today to hear how you have NOTHING to benefit from our oil.
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Kaieteur News
Tuesday November 24, 2020
Businessman shot dead during scuffle with bandit
Dead: Terrence Dickie
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businessman was yesterday morning shot dead during a scuffle with a bandit who invaded his Soesdyke home. The victim has been identified as Terrence Dickie, 53, of Public Road, Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara. According to a police report, the incident occurred just after 00:30 hrs. at the businessman's address where he lived with his wife, Loyola Dickie, 42, a businesswoman, his daughter, and his 18-yearold nephew. It is reported that four identifiable males armed with handguns broke into the businessman's house from the lower f l a t t h r o u g h a northern window, and escaped through a southern door with an undisclosed sum of cash after shooting the businessman. Based on the police report,
Dickie's nephew was awakened by two of the suspects, who pointed a handgun to his chest and carried him to his uncle's bedroom and instructed him to tell his uncle to open his bedroom door. After Terrence opened the door, a fight ensued between him and one of the suspects; as a result of the fight, the other suspect discharged a round which struck Dickie to his chest. The suspects then went to Dickie's wife and demanded that she handed over the cash – they then proceeded to ransack the rooms before escaping. The woman rushed her husband to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead by a doctor on duty. The matter was reported and an investigation was launched. The police have not yet apprehended any of the suspects.
Flight agent beaten and robbed by bicycle bandits
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n Saturday, a flight agent was beaten and robbed of her belongings at her Plaisance, East Coast Demerara home. The victim is identified as Koretta Otho, age 28, of Prince William Street, Plaisance. According to the police report, the robbery occurred at around 22:00hrs. Based on police information received, Otho was standing in front of her yard when two men confronted her, one of which was allegedly armed with a handgun. She reportedly told police that one of the
suspects held a gun to her demanding that she hands over her valuables. Otho reported that after she refused to do so, the suspect dealt several blows to her face and robbed her of a handbag valued $9000, a cell phone valued $45,000 and $31,200 in cash. The report further stated that the men escaped on two separate bicycles. On Sunday, when Kaieteur News contacted the PRO of the Guyana Police Force, Royston AndriesJunor, he disclosed that no arrest was made so far. Investigation into the matter is still ongoing.
Tuesday November 24, 2020
Kaieteur News
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US company to set up Dr. Vincent Adams' shore base facility contract terminated at Land of Canaan A
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aker Hughes, one of the world's leading energy technology companies, is expected to construct an oil field service facility located 14 miles south of Georgetown in Land of Canaan, pending government approvals. According to the project summary which was lodged with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the facility is being developed in response to a call by the government for oil and gas operators to develop and utilize supply bases in Guyana instead of accessing such services directly from Trinidad and Tobago, or the United States of America (USA). In this context, Baker Hughes noted that its shore base facility will see an investment of over USD $8 Million for construction while adding that the lifetime of the project is 15 years or for as long as contracts are available to service the oil and gas operators.
Kaieteur News understands that the construction phase of the project is estimated to take approximately six to eight months. Baker Hughes said that the Oilfield Service Facility will be supported by multiple product lines to supply offshore oil and gas operators. The Oilfield Service Facility is also expected to
serve as an Assembly Maintenance and Overhaul (AMO) facility to clean, inspect, disassemble and assemble tools for completions, wire line and drilling services product lines for delivery to oil and gas operators. For more than a century, Baker Hughes said, it has been at the forefront of designing, manufacturing
and servicing transformative technologies to help take energy forward. The company noted that it operates in more than 120 countries and works in partnership with its customers to deliver better outcomes. Baker Hughes also has operations in Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago, which, like Guyana, are member states of the Caribbean Community. Even as it pursues this new project, Baker Hughes has been developing partnerships with local businesses which share an interest in benefitting from the oil sector. In November 2019, the company entered into a joint venture with John Fernandes Limited to construct a waterfront facility named GPort at Wieting and Richter, Water Street, North Cummingsburg. Outside of these relations, Baker Hughes is a well-known client of ExxonMobil, which benefits from a lopsided deal for the Stabroek block.
US issues new visa restrictions for wildlife and timber traffickers
T
he United States of America had recently issued a first of its kind visa restriction on wildlife and timber traffickers. Wildlife and timber trafficking are serious transnational organized crime activities that threaten national security, undermine economic prosperity, fuel corruption and spread disease, a US State Department press release
said. The press release stated that the new visa restriction, which relies on Section 212(a) (3)(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, is now in effect. The visa restriction would help disrupt the movements and business of transnational criminal organizations, making it harder for them to smuggle illegal wildlife and timber. The Department of State
would also impose restrictions on the immediate family of traffickers who are believed to be complicit or involved in wildlife and timber trafficking. With the implementation of this new tool, the release said, the US continues its leadership in strengthening law enforcement, countering corruption, combating o rg a n i z e d c r i m e , a n d protecting the world.
fter committing his services to t h e Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) since 2018, the Government yesterday took the decision to terminate the contract of the agency's former head, Dr. Vincent Adams. In late August, Dr. Adams had been instructed to proceed on 126 days leave which had ultimately removed him from being part of the review team for ExxonMobil's Payara Field Development Plan (FDP). When Kaieteur News c o n t a c t e d D r. A d a m s yesterday, he reminded this publication that his leave had expired some two weeks ago – the Government had extended it and had asked Adams to await “further guidance.” However, and without any reasoning provided, the contract of the former EPA head was terminated by the Government. When asked whether he would be willing to commit his services to the government in future if asked, Dr. Adams indicated that he is enthusiastic to serve the people of Guyana in any voluntary capacity, if any arises.
EPA's former head, Dr. Vincent Adams “Whatever capacity there is for me to serve the Guyanese people, if there's any such opportunity, then I will surely give my services,” he said to this publication. Dr. Adams possesses over 40 years of experience in both the public and private sectors in environmental, petroleum and geological engineering and geohydrology, as well as executive leadership and management. He has a PhD in Environmental Engineering, MS in Petroleum and
Geological Engineering, MS in Geohydrology, BS in Civil/Public Health Engineering and Diploma in Executive Leadership and Management from MIT Sloan School of Business. He is currently a PhD Candidate in Petroleum and Geological Engineering Dr. Adams acquired 30 years of service in the US Department of Energy's Environmental Management office including 10 years as a member of the Senior Executive Service Corps, heading offices both at headquarters and in the field.
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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
In a recent interview with the state media, AttorneyGeneral and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall put forward his reasoning on why Guyana should be cautious with its progress on updating our archaic copyright legislation. Says Nandlall, according to the article: “A society must be careful in the type of laws that it promulgates. It cannot, it should not, promulgate laws that will impose hardships on the majority of its citizens. It should not promote laws which do not meet the aspirations and the way of life of a majority of its citizens. A DVD for example will have to be sold for approximately $20 USD which is above the [daily] minimum wage in Guyana.” This excuse is not a new one. It was the same poor logic that was employed when the then Ramotar administration – under which Nandlall also served as Attorney-General - sought to excuse the 2012 open government piracy of textbooks printed by foreign publishers as somehow being the public good. Back then, the DVD excuse was also given, drawing upon the time of the popular phenomenon of the sale of pirated DVDs being sold at dirt cheap prices all around Guyana. It was a bad excuse in 2012, the PPP/C government’s refusal to update our copyright laws which are now 64 years old, having being passed in 1956 when Guyana was still ten years away from political independence and still firmly under British Colonial rule. It is a piss poor excuse now that Guyana is scheduled to experience rapid economic growth under an oil and gas economy. Successive governments continue to prevaricate and kick the can down the road when it comes to the very basic issue of updating our copyright legislation, something our sister nations in the Caribbean have done and continue to reap rewards from. When the David Granger APNU+AFC campaigned, one of the key promises it made was to update the legislation, rightfully scouring the PPP for not doing so. Granger himself reiterated that commitment in January 2016, during an event at the Deeds Registry, a promise that he and his Ministers would recommit to year after year without doing any actual work whatsoever towards that goal. According to a glowing December 2017 article in stateowned Guyana Chronicle, for example, we learn of plans to supposedly update the legislation, deferred once again, in 2018: “During the budget debate on Thursday evening, Minister of Legal Affairs, Attorney General, Basil Williams, told the House that several pieces of legislation will be tabled in the National Assembly next year. Among those pieces of legislation is a Copyright Bill.” Last June, during the airing of the television programme, ‘The Public Interest,’ President David Granger had given his word that the government was committed to introducing such legislation. ‘I cannot say for sure when that legislation will be laid,’ he said, ‘but it is a commitment on our part to protect the rights of artistes and publishers of other forms of material. We are committed to suppressing piracy.’ On Thursday night, besides the Copyright Bill, the Attorney-General listed several others to be taken to Parliament by the government, among them the Public Debt Management Bill, Electronic Communication and Transaction Bill, Juvenile Justice Bill, the Gaming Bill and the National Accreditation Council Amendment Bill. This of course did not happen with the administration leaving office while completely abandoning even its pretext of an interest in reforming our Copyright legislation. Now, a new-old government is in place with its new-old rhetoric of why we should but why we shouldn’t put in place this basic tenet of a modern society. The time for rhetoric, the time for prevarication, the time for backwardness on intellectual property rights legislation as a whole is over. Government cannot continue to get it wrong on copyright.
Tuesday November 24, 2020
Jagdeo, PPP/C Government playing ‘doll house’ with Guyana DEAR EDITOR, I wish to respond to the Mr. Jamil Changlee’s letter published in the Kaieteur News on November 21, 2020 and titled ‘Jagdeo has been recognized for his outstanding contribution. First of all, I wish to recognize the critical role played by the Kaieteur News and Stabroek News in facilitating these progressive discussions on how we should rethink our leadership and develop more appropriate pathways towards the development of our country, for all Guyanese. Mr. Changlee, in his letter, was responding to another of my letters: ‘Mr. Jagdeo is a leader of yesterday, not today’. The writer outlined that Mr. Jagdeo’s sterling contribution to “Eco=system Management has been recognized by leaders around the world as an outstanding contribution to humanity and the planet”. He further noted that Mr. Jagdeo’s ability to achieve what he has done in eco-system management should not
be disregarded because of political difference of opinion and that “It would be folly to throw out the baby with the bathwater”. I wish to state that what I am doing is not “throwing out the baby with the bathwater”. As a matter of fact, I am helping us to rethink what is really the “baby” and what is the “bathwater”, as well as redefining the Vice President’s best role at this point. The VP has served in key positions of leadership and he has probably developed a niche area in eco-systems management, climate change and economic development, which is necessary for someone with his background. He now has an area that he can contribute towards, meaningfully. Additionally, he can support the PPP/C’s government from behind the scenes, in terms of budgeting and finance. He is also a shrewd politician and I am not taking that away from him, but he is not the leader that can transform this multi-ethnic society into a cohesive country
where we co-exist peacefully and grow and develop together. Since the PPP/C government has gotten back into office on August 2, there is an obsession to prove that the APNU+AFC Coalition government was more corrupt than the previous PPP/C government. However, a quick due diligence and Google search would reveal that both the PPP/C and the APNU/AFC governments were corrupt. If every government that gets into office does what the PPP/ C is doing, then as a country, we will never progress. The people of Guyana deserve more, they deserve consistency and continuity; they deserve peace and stability. Now back to what is the “baby” and what is the “bathwater”. In this context, the Vice President is not the “baby”, he is a part of the “baby”. The real “baby” are those professional public servants who are being terminated and even disgraced. What Guyana needs is a professional public service, not a “fixed” public service
that can be manipulated. As Guyana expands its opportunities for investments, we need to develop a professional public sector. Investors require a stable environment and there will be no stability if the PPP/C or APNU+AFC focus on the development of one section of the population. For every professional public servant who is laid off, the income for about four to five persons as well as the household of that person, is reduced. Professional public servants are a part of the middle class of the society, therefore because they are busy, they employ other persons to provide services to their families. They may have a taxi driver who takes the children to school, a helper, a babysitter and probably someone who gets paid to keep their home surroundings clean. Also, they may have someone at church or in the community who they assist with transportation to school or support an elderly person. Their mortgage payments may be affected. They may be using part of their income (Continued on page 6)
Changes needed in our education system DEAR EDITOR, Over time, there have been numerous complaints about the quality of students that pass out from our schools. Too many are deficient in Mathematics, English, Comprehension and ability to interpret. It is my humble opinion that we need to be more creative as we approach the education of our children. We should consider that this is the age of cyberspace. I have an interest in the way education is organized and I will make a few comments so that the discussions can commence. Children enter the secondary school system having been grilled to pass the multiple-choice examinations. Many enter Grade Seven (Form One), poor in reading and comprehension. I recall when I was studying for Common Entrance, we had a heavy dose of Comprehension, Reasoning, and Arithmetic. These subjects stimulated and developed the reasoning ability of students. Mathematics trains the child to be logical. It’s my opinion that the Mathematics problem, which we solved at common entrance would be problematic for even the Grade Nine students of today. I have no idea why it is necessary for a child at an early age to accumulate so much data and if I may take the liberty, irrelevant at that time especially since all of this data can be easily obtained from Google. The child needs
to be trained to think, to reason, to comprehend and to interpret. It seems we cannot eliminate the Common Entrance examinations immediately but we should commence a policy debate. Performance in Mathematics and English is generally poor. Is this unexpected? If the child cannot read properly, cannot comprehend and interpret how can he/she perform well in Mathematics? Let’s look at Grade Seven - 14 subjects and the child commences with the deficiencies, which I mentioned. They trek to school with heavy bags. Some develop back problems. Grade Seven should not have more than seven subjects with a heavy dose of Mathematics, English, Comprehension, and Summary Writing (Precws). Other subjects can include Geography, Social Studies, and History. There should be periods set aside for a combination of First Aid, Traffic, etc. We keep complaining about poor performance in Mathematics and English but what are we doing about this? First, more periods should be time tabled for these subjects. Each class must have two teachers for Mathematics and English so that students can be given the attention, which they need. There is the main teacher and the secondary teacher. I am aware of a possible paucity of skilled Mathematics and English teachers. Use the
video and have the two teachers move around the class giving individual attention. Train the minds. Addition of a list of numbers, mental arithmetic, and no calculators, etc. Grades Seven and Eight (Forms One and Two) must have the best teachers. This is the initial training ground. It is my opinion that by the time the child reaches the final term of the Grade Nine (Third Form) that child should be able to self-study and only depend on the teacher for guidance (I have the experience where UG students try to copy word for word what the lecturer is saying and sometimes stop him and ask him to repeat so they could write it all down. They cannot listen and extract). I recall in my days, we would read the examples, study and then attempt quite successfully the exercises, sometimes with some guidance. Some Grade Ten (Fourth Form) self-study with guidance, with the student being able to progress within their capabilities, and desires. Some will move ahead faster than others. We need to re-examine the student/staff quota. I think it should be 25 students to one teacher. This militates areas where the student population is small and forces bigger classes in others. One teacher is placed to teach more than one classes. This is unfair to the students in those areas. Automatic promotion ought to cease. Have summer
classes to upgrade students. Sorting of students is necessary so that teaching can be directed in keeping with the level of the child’s development. Some are slow learners. Cease retirement of teachers at age 55 years. We are sending home the experienced teachers. Reduce the number of Education Officers. I did not see them in schools except once in a while. I have seen schools in deplorable conditions and yards unkempt so I do not know what they are overlooking. Put them into the classrooms. It took me 25 minutes to put down these ideas. Maybe a number of them do not make sense but hopefully, this letter can serve as a basis for continued discussions. However, two last comments i.e. our university must be restructured to suit our development needs…maybe more scholarships for engineers and mathematics, etc. And, please, I used to sing “Born in the land” and other patriotic songs lustily while I also had to sing “God save the Queen”, songs like “We want to build this land that belongs to we” and “Let us cooperate for Guyana”. Today, we have our own National Anthem but our children do not even know these lovely patriotic songs. These songs would help to build patriotic consciousness, which could serve to reduce race consciousness. Rajendra Bisessar
Tuesday November 24, 2020
NIS injustices to contributors are heart-rending DEAR EDITOR, The GAWU was disheartened when it read Mr. Rudolph Singh’s letter titled: “Worked 35 years at GuySuCo but got no NIS pension”, which appeared in yesterday’s edition of the Stabroek News. The experience of Mr. Frank Williams, which we must sadly share, is not a new phenomenon. Many sugar workers and workers generally have and are experiencing similar situation arising from the poor recordkeeping of the NIS. The GAWU, over the years, has continually
represented these matters to the scheme with varying degrees of success. The injustices meted out to many contributors in their golden years after their working life, is downright shameful and an indelible stain on the NIS. Our union, as it has done for many workers who have approached us, is willing to provide further representation to the NIS. We urge Mr. Williams or Mr. Singh to contact us at telephone numbers 227-2091/ 2, 225-5321 or 223-6523. Seepaul Narine General Secretary, GAWU
Don’t be afraid to change the Govt. in 2025 DEAR EDITOR, Guyanese have changed governments in hopes that they will enjoy a better life. However, this is unlikely to happen under the new PPP/C Government. It is crystal clear that the incompetent Ali and Jagdeo Government continues to traverse the old trajectory. One that hurts Guyanese for over 50 years. This is heartbreaking. It is unbearable to witness the human misery, economic turmoil and cruelty Guyanese continue to face under this new government. I fully understand the pains of my fellow Guyanese and I am very saddened. We all can see that the inferior Ali/Jagdeo Government is fundamentally similar to every aspect of the APNU (PNC). The PPP/C continues to trample our lives like the APNU. There is no fundamental difference between the two. Both the APNU and the PPP/C cabinets lack fundamental skills. This is undisputed. Quality health care continues to be a problem for the poor. The poor die daily from preventable ailments because of a lack of quality health care. Under the new PPP/C Government, we witnessed how a sports minister mutated into a health care minister. This is how the PPP/C continues to
take advantage of Guyanese. We also witnessed how a COVID -19 talk show host mutated into an expert at the Ministry of Social Protection. Mr. Jagdeo cannot appreciate that this Ministry needs highly specialized skills because of a lack of knowledge and vision. Mr. Jagdeo even induced the former Minister of Social Protection to mutate into the current Minister of Education. Mr Jagdeo behaves like the Hindu god known as Lord Hanuman who carries the world in one hand. Mr. Jagdeo needs to be realistic. I am appealing for this man to treat the Guyanese people right. It is about lives. These are fundamental problems within successive Guyanese Governments that continue to hurt the poor and truncate lives in all of our history. Also, the PPP/C heavily criticized the APNU about the 50% salary increase it awarded itself but the PPP/C quietly enjoys this same astronomical increase. We can all remember when the APNU rewarded itself with the 50% salary increase and it gave the poor people of Guyana a meager 5% increase in salary. Today, the PPP/C is doing exactly the same. The PPP/C gave the poor a meager $ 25,000 COVID cash grant
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Kaieteur News
An undercover operation is needed at our wharves, Customs DEAR EDITOR, On these lazy and sporadic damp November days, I sometimes get a glimpse of a TV show called ‘Undercover Boss’. It is where the leadership, of companies or Governments, go undercover in disguise and function as an employee unknown to other employees, to see how things really work. It is revealing and sometimes embarrassing what is found. In this holiday season with the quantity of barrels and boxes flooding into Guyana over the next several weeks, I would encourage Dr. Ashni Singh, Godfrey Statia and Bharat Jagdeo to go undercover for a day and look at our Customs importation and export processes. We do not need GRA Managers and Commissioners doing this - it is their convoluted processes. We need our leadership to see how ill-
prepared we are; how archaic our processes are; and the total inefficiency of our Custom operations at the wharfs/ bonds. Please walk with a few extra dollars in case you are asked for a raise, by the blue or white shirts. “Those who fight corruption should be clean themselves” – Vladimir Putin. Guyanese, we have created one of the largest inefficient bureaucracies (GRA) in this nation with over 1300plus employees (more than half the size of the GDF) nationwide for tax collection and enforcement, Customs enforcement and licensing. I must confess Mr. Statia was helpful and returned my call within hours on an issue several months ago. One of his Commissioners, in the presence of her deputy, reminded me only Jesus Christ can remove her from her role. Time to shake this up, Mr.
Vice President. I am starting to suspect also the ASYCUDA system is not as reliable as we are led to believe - it was down two of the four times I was at Customs, for at least an hour. Many of our politicians are insulated from the chaos at Customs and GRA licensing counters since their drivers or messengers run the errands for them. I see folks from Berbice and Linden having to spend hours to collect a package, waiting or begging for Customs inspection. Clearly, if you give a raise, you get to the front of the line. I refuse to give a raise, I only tip for good service. My Customs officer claimed to have lost my document for one hour. Why GRA is involved in licensing business and automobile befuddles me - privatize it and collect the fees/ taxes.
GRA’s sole role should be the issuance of TIN, collect taxes/fees and the enforcement of our tax laws. It is time to decentralize Customs, to eliminate collusion and improve efficiency. We have difficulties in managing imports and likewise exports - 11.5 tonnes of cocaine is a glaring example. There is a lack of accountability at the departmental level. Many employees go to lunch at the same time. So you wait. They close early each day to balance the cash received. Utter nonsense. Drive electronic payments to eliminate fraud and improve efficiency. GRA works for us, we do not work for them. Oh, I forgot that is what they think. Automation is lacking, manual for most public services - piles and piles of (Continued on page 6)
Shameful that Diaspora academics were ging in Guyana. Was the won by the democrats. Diaspora editor tacitly sup- Guyanese-American academsilent over rigging ics and the editor of SN porting rigging in Guyana? DEAR EDITOR, How shameful that Guyanese academics, in the Diaspora and at home, supposedly the intelligentsia and crème-de-la-creme of a society, were silent during the attempt to rig the 2020 election. Hardly a word to chastise riggers and fraudsters. What kind of education did these academics receive and what kind of morality are they imparting on young minds? I support Freddie’s excoriation of UG academics on their silence during the fivemonth ordeal to rig the March 2 General Elections (Nov 17, 2020). A couple months ago, I had also assailed UG academics for losing their voice during the five- month ordeal. How can people give respect to these academics? Freddie also chided, and rightly so, Guyanese academics in the Diaspora for not speaking out against the attempted fraud. Only a handful of us, and all from one ethnicity, from the Diaspora condemned the brazen attempt to rig the outcome of the March 2020 election. One must never allow
fraud and injustice to go unchallenged. A basic quality obtained in a college education is to oppose wrongdoings, especially stealing an election. Yet UG academics and almost all of them in the diaspora were silent to rigging. There were a few, yours truly included, who lent their voice against the rigging, but only a few of us. Our voice helped to sustain the international pressure on the Guyana regime to respect the will of the electorate. Freddie is also right to rap the editor of the Diaspora series of SN for not featuring the views of overseas Guyanese on the rigging. That editor should have encouraged Guyanese in the diaspora to express their views on electoral fraud. She could have collected and collated opinions on the 2020 fraud from among the diaspora as I did. The editor of SN Diaspora series has the temerity to focus on election issues in America but totally averse to the bold-face attempts at rig-
How can one speak out against attempt to undo the voters’ verdict in America but mum on what happened in Guyana from March 2 to August 1? For those who were dumb during the rigging, it is still not too late to condemn attempts to rig the 2020 election. Freddie has to be saluted for the courage and principled position he took against fraud. He has tremendous support in the Diaspora for the position he took against fraud and for assailing those who were involved in the rigging process. In my travels around Guyana and the NY-based Diaspora in conversations with so many, Freddie has the support of the diaspora and local Guyanese in slamming the academic community over their silence on the issue of rigging. Academics should emulate him. The country needs more Freddie Kissoons. In America, academics spoke out against attempts to undo the outcome of the presidential election that was
Diaspora series should also have summoned the courage to condemn rigging in Guyana. One must not be silent to fraud because the party one supports would have been the intended beneficiary of electoral rigging. One must take a principled position against election rigging regardless of the intended beneficiary. Academic integrity deserves no less. Vishnu Bisram
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Kaieteur News
Tuesday November 24, 2020
Local political characters straight out of Hollywood’s ‘Front Page’ DEAR EDITOR, A strange, unprecedented thing is happening here. I watch senior people in the PPP/C government and Coalition opposition operating in perfect harmony. It is how both struggle to make a straight story from what is palpably coiled and crooked with oil. Curious they are. Both sell themselves as being on the people’s side, while pre-occupied with oil sideshows and side dealings that are part of a grand political conspiracy. The deceits that they share publicly are seen through, laughed at, and ridiculed. This is how PPP/C and APNU leaders have been, with one trick after another in crafty underhanded unity. Oil foxes at work, they
are. The PPP/C standard bearer though no laws broken, no corruption. By such reckoning, no laws are broken with what is a de facto third term; so, too, it is the type of corruption definition scorned by accepted dictionaries. Alongside, there is the Coalition opposition partnering with the PPP/C in Guyana’s unfolding long nights of darkness. The APNU opposition is a study in the benign. Its honcho says his party knows nothing and settles for stealthy supporting silence in collaboration with the PPP/C on oil. Silence is golden; the gold that comes from black oil. It is what tars conscience and character into the unrecogniz-
able. Look at them today: no conviction, no conversation of substance or truth on the nation’s oil. I observe political loonies and their sidekicks, and I detect dubious verbal gadgetries about no laws and no knowledge; I discern the cleverly careful. Already this is the dirty, ugly story of our oil lacking in integrity, with leadership lines devoid of any credibility. If one were to return to that vulgar time and placeGuyana’s Elections 2020something powerful would strike right in the forehead. It was that before, during, and after all the squabbling and confronting, very little was said by either the PPP/C or APNU on oil. That is, nothing material, nothing other than some frail, going
An undercover operation is ... From page 5 paper. Lack of trust when you must interact with five employees to get a transaction completed, going from window to window. Setting up a business is also an arduous hurdle for Guyanese. Seven days to register a business name; two more for a business TIN. Putting GRA to oversee our oil audit costs and production is like asking the chicken to watch the camoodi, a dumb idea - cat will eat our dinner. Buying a piece of property, the legal way will be an all day journey around Georgetown and paying fees. Guyanese, we are living in a world that has passed us by… we are not prepared to compete globally. Remember our
biggest trading partner is the US. As said before, if you are running a race, compare yourself to the fastest person if you intend to win, not the next best thing. We had 54 years already folks. A UG professor with 10 students can do a quick time and motion study of our Customs processes and make recommendation for improvements as part of their research. Likewise, our Government needs to continue significant investment in automation. If we do not know how, ask a company like Nippon Express/Amazon/DHL/FEDEX for help. One of their large fulfillment centers handles more packages/containers in a day
than we do in Guyana for one year. Let us get modern Guyana, else we cannot really compete. Yes, we Guyanese are highly resistant to change. We moan about our British colonial past, but we have copied many of the processes left us 50 years ago and just made them worse. Ashni, if you want a modern economy start with GRA/ Customs and the Finance Ministry - help us Guyanese find it easy to do business with our Government, not just foreigners. We contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handleWinston Churchill. Everton Morris
through motions, positions that were fleeting and extremely cautious. It was if each party, fighting to the death for power, was seeking ways to protect the other. In this political leadership macabre dance, there is no stepping on each other’s toes by the PPP/C and PNCR, even when it means making themselves into objects of extreme derision. They pretend at public rivalry and enmity through duplicity. Those are the worst of farces for the best of reasons: black gold by the billions of barrels from blocks secretly arranged for bank loads of booty. It is only a matter of time before Guyana is Nigeria, Angola, and Venezuela rolled into one, with leaders left to go down that road unquestioned and unchecked. PPP/C leaders think that they are smarter than the Americans; they will learn the hard way. In the games played, the PPP/C starts the charade: when Coalition firebrands agitate, the public is informed
of land deals and tonsorial criminality; those silence. And fulfilling its own cunning oil roles, the APNU charges ahead with dual citizenship, public servant representation, and drugs. I wonder who is snorting what. But it is part of the smokescreen of saying something to appear to be doing something. Meanwhile, in the highest councils of both Government and Opposition, there is mutual agreement: concoct oil cover stories, and evade truth and reality. It is one big con by con artists: one man claims everything is in order and done the right way. That would be the PPP/C talking head. The other one steps up to say he knows nothing, and he is the supposed leader of something, of what I know not. If this is not a political brotherhood, an oil Mafia, then there is no god, no truth, and no standard. These leading politicians are slick and smooth, just like Walter Matthau in that vintage Hollywood media farce, “The
Front Page”. What is not of falsity is of lunacy; and what is not of either is of leadership lechers making losers out of all Guyanese. But they do make a spirited effort. From the PPP/C side: Mesmerize them with a $25,000 handout; mislead them with empty promises; deceive them with political cleverness: charge a man there, fire another over there, and jail another somewhere. It is the three-card game that prospers from oil money games. I wouldn’t trust those scoundrels to take out the garbage, since they would market it as surefire pandemic cure; and if that fails, then as perfume. On the part of the PNCR-led coalition, there are these troubling signs of the early onset of dementia: amnesia, paranoia, hysteria. This is the round-theclock comedy contortions that make the rounds in this country. Some may grin. I do not; I grimace. GHK Lall
Jagdeo, PPP/C Government playing... From page 5 as capital to support an entrepreneur in the family, to increase the family income. It means that when the government terminates the services of professional public servants, they are weakening the middle class of certain groups. Also, the level of critical thinking, innovation and creativity that is required to transform Guyana and to make the public service fit-forpurpose, the government would need all the Dr. Mark Bynoes that can be found. Additionally, the Vice President is telling this nation that the PPP/C government cannot find an “honest interlocutor” in APNU+AFC with whom to engage, this is unbelievable coming from someone at his level. The PPP/C is playing political games at this critical juncture of our development. Let the government extend an invitation to the APNU+AFC and let them decide who and how they will engage. Another point, Mr. Jagdeo and the PPP/C has rewritten Guyana’s entire history and reduced it to the events around the March 2, 2020 elections, but at some point, we need to move on. Meanwhile, the Vice President gets a pension, a salary and benefits while the business sector is struggling to make
loan payments and keep their employees and the masses are struggling to put food on their table - women and our young people are suffering. I am sure that Mr. Jagdeo cannot remember what it feels like to eat bread and butter or drink sugar water with some lime in it. We are also in the middle of a pandemic. The PPP/C needs to stop campaigning and transition into a government and govern this country. They are playing ‘dolly house’ with Guyana. There is much work to do to prepare this country for the level of governance required with this new growth trajectory. The international investment landscape has changed dramatically in recent years and international investors have become more focused on transparency in transactions. For example, investors from the United States, United Kingdom and multi-national companies that are doing business outside of their home countries are particularly keen on laws relating to corruption and are subject to much scrutiny both in their home countries and outside. The US, for example, has the ‘Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 (FCPSA)’ which is a US Federal Law that prohibits US citizens and en-
tities from bribing foreign government officials so as to benefit their business interest. The UK has the ‘UK Bribery Act of 2010’, which extends to both public and private corruption and there is strict liability for companies that fail to prevent bribery and in recent years, there has been greater global enforcement of these laws and regulations. It is therefore important at this point that the government develop a public and private sector that understand the scale and depth of international investment, which the country has embarked on, and facilitate increased understanding and competence in laws and regulations, transparent procurement practices, checks and balances, develop more precise accounting rules, improve our reporting and auditing capabilities, just to name a few. We have a lot of work to do towards developing a more transparent, responsible, and reliable approach to providing goods and services. Finally, I will end with this quote, someone once said that: ‘People want change, yet they want things to remain the same’. Audreyanna Thomas Citizen
T N U L B . . . T B N U T L N T B . U . L . L T B . N . U . N U T L N B . U . T . L N T U N B . N U . L U L LUNT. B . T . . T T N N B U B . U . L . L T B . B . . N . . . T U T L N N T U U L N L B U . B . . L . . . T B T . . N . N T U L N LU B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . NT LUNT...B NT...BLU N U L B . . B . U . . T L . N T B . . U N . L N T B U N . . L . U T L B . . N B . . . T U . L N T B U . . L . UN T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L B U UN .BLUNT. . . L . T B . . N . T U . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . LU ...BLUNT LUNT...B NT...BL T B U . . L N . T B BLU T...BLUN BLUNT... UNT...B . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B BBLU T...BLUN BLUNT... ...BLU . T . N . N T T U L U L N L B U T...BLU U B . L . N . B T . . . N T U N N N L U U U B L . L B T LUNT.. UNT...B BL B Tuesday November 24, 2020
Kaieteur News
Good governments do not sign secret oil deals. Good governments do not give away the wealth of their citizens. Good governments do not leave their country in debt for generations to come.
Whether PPP/C or APNU+AFC, we have not had good governments managing our oil wealth.
PAGE 07
Kaieteur News
PAGE 08
Tuesday November 24, 2020
ExxonMobil deal leaves Guyana in a debt traps for decades
Former Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman
F
rom beginning to e n d , t h e Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) governing the oil rich Stabroek Block, has some of the world's most oppressive provisions, which ensure the lion's share of the nation's wealth is tumbling by the billions into the pockets of ExxonMobil and its shareholders. Also cunningly interwoven into the Stabroek Block deal that was signed by former Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman are traps that will leave Guyana shackled by debt for
decades to come. One such trap involves a provision that allows ExxonMobil to recover any and all interests it racks up on loans borrowed to fund the development of oil projects in the offshore concession. The interests accumulated can be recovered even if they are gold plated. Several globally respected organizations such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have said there is no economic logic for allowing this and had advised the Government to prohibit oil companies from recovering
the interests and other financing costs. Former University of Houston Instructor, Tom Mitro, had agreed with such a recommendation as he contended that this arrangement leaves Guyana open to the abusive use of debt by the operators, since Guyana is essentially standing all the costs. The new oil producing state is also shackled to
other exploitive provisions which state that the country will essentially foot the bill for any legal fees that Exxon incurs for action brought against it by the state. Also, if there is any environmental damage, Guyana would have to prove in the courts that it was a clear case of not mere negligence but “gross negligence” so as to prevent the company from recuperating all costs. And that is not all – should Guyana even consider implementing laws that could affect the profits ExxonMobil is expected to make, the
nation will have to compensate the company for its losses. Furthermore, every cent the oil giant spends on hiring and training locals as well as monies it has to expend on the safe removal of all equipment used in the extraction and production of the oil will have to be repaid by Guyana. As a result of these and many other similar provisions, Tom Sanzillo, Director of Finance at the I n s t i t u t e f o r E n e r g y, Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), told Kaieteur News, Guyana will not have enough money
from the oil projects to save significantly as well as to cover budget deficits. In fact, the Director said that Guyana will find itself owing ExxonMobil US$20B at the end of 2025. It is a cycle of debt that is expected to continue for not only the Liza Phase One project, but all others to follow. ExxonMobil and its joint venture partner, Hess Corporation have already said that the discovered resources can support 10 oil projects. The oil giants have every intention of making this a reality.
Tuesday November 24, 2020
Kaieteur News
PAGE 09
The blow-blow parade continues
T
he Minister of Education is again in the news, this time distributing the uniform and school's supplies vouchers. It is kind of bizarre that no date has yet been set for the reopening of schools, but parents are receiving the uniform allowance. The voucher which is being distributed is a mere G$4,000. But from the fanfare with which this pittance is being handed out, you would have thought it was a G$25,000 pay-out for each school child. But why are these vouchers being distributed now? Is it that the Minister knows something which has not been made public as yet? Is it that schools are going to be reopened soon? From the way things are going, it is not likely that schools can be fully reopened this year. For the past seven days there have been 264 new cases. Of these new cases, at least 12 persons are going to die. Three persons succumbed yesterday and new hot spots, including Region Six, have now developed. The airports were reopened for more than one month now, and during this time cases around the world have climbed. The situation in the United States is now worse than it was during the Spring and Summer months. If anything, our airports should be closed rather than remain open. And there is
Dem
boys seh...
W
ho needs a p u b l i c relations firm when you can have the Private Sector Commission (PSC) as your unofficial spokesperson? The PSC has come to the defense of Palm Court. Instead of addressing whether the allegation made against Palm Court has merit, the PSC is accusing the National COVID-19 Ta s k F o r c e o f b e i n g discriminatory and of unethical conduct. The PSC says that there are a number of other places which are violating the COVID- 19 regulations which are not being targeted and that the
reason also to keep our children out of school until this pandemic abates. The pandemic has not yet peaked in Guyana. The situation is getting worse. It is therefore baffling why the government should be distributing school vouchers at this time when it would be disastrous for schools to be reopened within the next two weeks. The Christmas term will end within the next three weeks and so it makes no sense to be attempting to reopen schools. The Ministry of Education would be inviting a more disastrous situation if it should now announce the reopening of schools. But do not count anything out. The Irfaan Ali administration is as wild as can be! This is wildness galore, as is evident by their continued refusal to tighten the social restrictions in place. The Ministry of Education has reopened classes for Grades 10, 11 and 12. It made a mistake when it decided to allow the return of dormitory students of those grades. This should never have happened, given the spread of the virus in elderly and care homes in other countries. All school dormitories should have been closed. It was a mistake to reopen them and the Ministry should learn from that mistake and shut these schools down. Students cannot sleep with masks on
and sleeping in a dormitory is a high-risk activity. The Christmas Season is upon us and this is the time that the Ministry chooses to distribute the uniform v o u c h e r. U n l e s s i t i s announced that schools will fully reopen soon, a lot of that money is going to be spent between now and whenever the Ministry does decide to reopen schools. Education is in a crisis in Guyana. It was in a deep crisis before the pandemic with more than half of the students who wrote primaryleaving examinations doing poorly and more than half of those who wrote the CSEC examinations doing poorly. This is the main reason for the problems with employment in the country. People are leaving school without the requisite qualifications and therefore do not have the basis to go and pursue training in institutions where they can acquire a skill in order to get a job. There is no reason why the distribution of the uniform voucher should be a photo-opportunity for politicians. The schools are quite capable of distributing the vouchers, despite not having done so for five years. There is more important work for the Minister of Education than to be observing the uniform voucher distribution. New York City was among the first to reopen public schools. Last week,
De PSC is a blow-blow fuh Palm Court Task Force made public the warning letter before it was received by Palm Court. Dem boys wan know in which country de PSC living. People does get knock-off in Guyana and learn about it fuss in the newspapers. And dem boys seh that Palm Court not entitled to any special treatment and even if dem get targeted dem nah gat nuttin to fear once dem operating within de regulations. Dem boys nah believe that de COVID-19 Task Force bin pun de prowl fuh check wah going on at Palm Court. Dem boys suspect that is some 'big one' advised
de National Task Force and it is that advice that dem acting pun. That is what dem boys think. Dem boys seh Palm Court nah gat to worry about nutting. De present COVID regulations will come to an end soon and from de way things going it look like everything gan open up, including de bars. De world shutting down. But Guyana opening up! So dem boys seh that warning letter is more like telling Palm Court dat dem gan be open fully fuh business soon. Talk half and watch who gan deh at Palm Court on New Year's Eve.
amidst a surge in cases, New York City announced it is shutting down its public schools. Ontario is now on a 28 days lockdown which effectively kills Christmas for the millions which live in that province. Parents in Guyana are not eager to send their children to school at this time. It is not only the
children's health that is of concern. It is also the fact that the fastest way for infections to spread in households is when children bring these infections into the homes from schools. Given that there are many elderly persons living in extended families, it is simply too risky to be reopening schools at this
time or any time soon. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
Kaieteur News
PAGE 10
Tuesday November 24, 2020
THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN
James Bond: From London with love T
he Scottish James Bond is dead, but the Guyanese James Bond continues to make the news. Bond is in the news daily. I got a call from the Guyanese 007 last week, and you are not going to believe what he said when I answered the phone. The phone rang, I said hello, and he said: “Freddie this is James, James Bond.” This is the typical way the Scottish Bond used to introduce himself. I was driving and I admit that I do answer the phone at times when I am driving, but when he called I was on Regent Street and passing in front of me was a traffic rank on a motorcycle. I did indicate to
Bond that I would contact him. I forgot. Days passed and I did not retain his number. If he is reading this, please call again. If anyone who is reading this knows him, tell him I am available to speak with him. If he is reading this, then he must know a strange thing happened last week. I got an email with an attached photo of me, him and Mark Benschop. The sender, who did not identify himself, wrote that it was taken outside of Oasis Café. No date was given. I would be happy to send it to James. He can tell his grandchildren that guy in the middle was crazy Freddie Kissoon. I knew the three of us took
the shot, but I can't remember the date and never saw that photograph until last week. Both Bond and Benschop look handsome. No wonder the girls went after James as in the 007 movies. He may lose those lovely ladies if he loses those millions he is alleged to have taken, courtesy of Colvin Heath-London (hereafter referred to as London) with love. When I looked at that photo, I think of how wretched I am. James now has added 220 million Guyana dollars to his assets. Mark migrated to New York, married an American woman, has fathered American children, and took his Guyana born son with him. Me, I stayed in Guyana, fought the PPP, PNC, AFC and the racists on both sides of the divide. But I can't say I am unhappy though I wouldn't mind about point nine percent of some of that money James is alleged to have pocketed. I would like to know whether he called to discuss the power struggle between David Granger and Volda
Lawrence in which he is backing Lawrence or to talk about Operation Peter's Hall from which he will need all his wits to escape the tentacles of His Majesty's prison. If you are a supporter of either the PNC or AFC, or both, when you read about the licence to kill that NICIL was giving away, then you need to exorcize the stupidity and asininity from your drowning soul and face the reality that the APNU+AFC was operating out of a sarcophagus of m e s m e r i z i n g corruptibility, and that is one of the factors that caused them to lose a free and fair election that was free from fear until Clairmont Mingo, Keith Lowenfield, Roxanne Myers, Claudette Singh and the former Commissioner of Police stepped in. The Scottish Bond has fought some formidable enemies and won but the Guyanese Bond may lose both the battle and the war. There are two types of firepower coming 007's way.
First, two businessmen are purported to have implicated James with arranging transactions in which 007 secured some whopping sums. Secondly, the licence to move and groove that James
Frederick Kissoon got fromLondon seems to have come from the cemetery. The man in the lock-up at the time of writing, London, is reported in the media as explaining that a person who leased lands and properties by NICIL could have in turn subleased and sublet such assets without approval from NICIL because by way of a
decision in 2018, NICIL allowed such a transaction. If true, then 007 operates courtesy of London and 007's licence to sell is valid. But NICIL has issued a statement questioning the integrity of London. It means London may sue his former employer. NICIL is asserting that the minutes of a NICIL meeting that changed the procedures for subleasing and subletting are fake. NICIL has since contacted the police. This means that if London is not truthful, then 007 is in further trouble. Obviously, it means, London is in trouble too. If London agreed to lease lands to 007 and he in turn subleased same, collecting $220 million, and there is nothing legally wrong with that, then why did I spend 26 years giving public service to UG and don't have $200,000 much less $220 million. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
Tuesday November 24, 2020
Kaieteur News
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Kaieteur News
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Tuesday November 24, 2020
James Bond land deals...
Board meeting on land lease clause change never happened - NICIL T
he state-owned N a t i o n a l Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) yesterday refuted claims by its former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a Board meeting purportedly held to authorize an amendment to its land leases. That amended clause resulted in the large scale transfer of prime state lands situated at Peter's Hall, now under investigation by the current administration. Colvin Heath-London, who was released on bail yesterday, had sought to clear his name of fraud allegations by pinning the blame on his predecessor, the late Horace James. His attorney, Nigel Hughes had supplied
documents – a 'Board Note' and 'Stamp of Approval' – allegedly outlining the decision taken at a NICIL Board meeting back on January 15, 2018. But, according to the recently appointed NICIL Board, that Board meeting never occurred. NICIL claimed too that the documents released by London's attorney, appear to be fabricated as they lacked the normal format used by the company. “This unsigned document has been carefully examined by NICIL, and it has been concluded that is it neither a document emanating from NICIL nor is it part of the minutes of any Board Meeting of NICIL,” NICIL explained. The company revealed
The purported 'Board Note' provided by Heath-London attorney, Nigel Hughes
that Board Meetings are “recorded and minuted” by the Company Secretary in a particular style and format and all such minutes and records are kept in the Company Secretary's possession. It said too that the documents released by Hughes were “absolutely inconsistent with and does not meet the standardized format of NICIL Board Meeting minutes or any NICIL document.” “The said document is titled a 'Board Note' from a meeting of the board of NICIL. There is no document in NICIL's records which is styled a 'Board Note',” NICIL explained, adding that the content of that document and the decisions contained therein
Dead: Horace James
Former NICIL CEO, Colvin Heath-London
are not recorded in “any minutes of any meeting of the Board of NICIL on that date or at all.” Hughes subsequently issued another statement, outright rejecting NICIL's claims. Attached with that statement were two other documents – invoices for land lease payments made by Chinese national Jianfen Yu on July 7, 2020 for the 30 acres of prime land at Peter's Hall that were sub-leased to him as a result of the amended land lease clause.
Yu received the leased lands from Life 1 Pharms I n c . a n d A - Z Pharmaceuticals Medical Supplies and Equipment Inc. in identical deals said to have been drawn up and executed by People's National Congress Reform (PNCR) member, James Bond. Hughes questioned that if there were no recorded minutes of that Board meeting where the decision was taken to amend the lease, “why was NICIL issuing invoices to sub
lessees for rent for documents and decisions it contends it was unaware of.” NICIL, however, clarified that the receipts attached to London's response were issued by NICIL's accounts clerk “upon being directly instructed to so do by Mr. London while he was Chief Executive Officer (Ag) of NICIL in July 2020.” The accounts clerk, NICIL said, has since provided a statement mirroring same to the police. Addressing the alleged forged 'Board Note' being pinned on Horace James, the company outlined that he was not a director in 2018 and neither was HeathLondon. “It should also be noted that the members of the Board of Directors of NICIL in January 2018 at the time the alleged 'Board Note' was created were Dr. Maurice Odle, Mr. Oswald Barnes, Mr. Berkley Wickham, Ms. Sonya Roopnauth and Mr. Joseph Harmon,” the company explained. “It must be emphasized (continued on page 19)
The invoices issued to Chinese National Jianfen Yu by NICIL for lease payments
Kaieteur News
Tuesday November 24, 2020
PAGE 13
Illegal mining leads to degradation of Micobie Village Area - GGMC gives dredge operator removal order
T
he Micobie Village land in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) is facing serious degradation due to illegal mining being conducted by a dredge operator. The environmental damage the village is now subjected to was highlighted by the Amerindian People's Association (APA), who stated that their Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Specialist and Forest Policy officer, Communications and Visibility Officer and other officials accompanied a councillor of the Micobie Vi l l a g e C o u n c i l a n d managed to capture the mass degradation of the area. It was disclosed that four hydraulic dredges were seen upon their visit and when they approached, the dredges, along with the workers, were moved to the other side of the river. The illegal miners also hid
excavators in the bushes, which they discovered. Drone images released by the APA shows a significant portion of the land already w a s h e d a w a y, a l m o s t reaching the forest areas. The Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) was notified and a removal ordered was issued to the dredge operator last Thursday. The removal order stated that all dredges and excavators were to be removed from the area by yesterday. It was also expressed that despite being asked to move the dredges from the area, they were still there. An official of the APA told this newspaper that it is common for persons who operate illegal dredges to do such when given orders to halt operations, adding that they would often continue their illegal mining in the night time when there is no one to monitor.
In light of this, a team from the Micobie Village Council and officers from GGMC were placed in the area to actively monitor and ensure that the dredge owner does not conduct any more illegal mining in the area. Kaieteur News learnt that when the order was served, the dredge owner was not present and the General Manager had refused to sign the order. The Ministry of Natural Resources also received reports of the illegal mining and issued a strong condemnation against the activities. The Ministry noted the investigation conducted by the GGMC and said that the issue has been ongoing for quite some time. “The investigation has ascertained several facts which point to the accuracy of reports and the destruction of the river bank, among other breaches of the Mining
Two of the four hydraulic dredges
One of the excavators hidden in the bushes
Sections of the degraded lands
Act Chapter 65:01. Specifically, the investigation concluded that the operators have no permission to be at the current location, hence there has been an immediate issuance of cease and removal orders,� the Ministry said in their statement.
They also warned that persons found guilty of such can be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. A d d i t i o n a l l y, t h e Minister of Natural R e s o u r c e s , Vi c k r a m Bharrat's vision for a renewed strategic approach for the extractive sector was mentioned, stressing that it
will ensure proper regulations for mining are implemented along with high environmental standards. He has since mandated adequate monitoring to ensure there is compliance, which will contribute to sustainable legal extractive activities within the sector.
Kaieteur News
PAGE 14
Tuesday November 24, 2020
Health Ministry rejects claims of them singling out Palm Court for breaching COVID-19 measures
T
he Ministry of Health (MOH) yesterday refuted
claims made by the Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC),
Nicholas Deygoo-Boyer, which stated that they were singling out the Palm Court
Bar and Restaurant for breaching the National COVID-19 measures.
Chairman of the Private Sector Commission, Nicholas Deygoo-Boyer
Director of the National COVID-19 Task Force, Colonel Nazrul Hussain
The popular nightspot was served with a final warning letter by the Director of the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF), Nazrul Hussain on Thursday, which stated that they were blatantly disregarding the COVID-19 measures. It was not specified in the letter what exact breaches were made but it was noted that the operators were previously served with a letter on October 30. Hussain in his letter threatened to revoke the establishment's licence if they were found breaching the measures once more, adding that their privileges can also be suspended. Kaieteur News understands that the establishment has denied these breaches. In light of this, DeygooBoyer in a statement condemned the actions of the NCTF, urging them to withdraw the warning letter. “The Task Force must be aware, as it is public knowledge that hundreds of businesses operate in a similar manner to that of Palm Court. Hence, this action would appear to be biased and discriminatory and the letter should be withdrawn forthwith,” Boyer said. He called on the head of the task force to give a reason for their actions, adding that the PSC was considering removing itself from the task force. Boyer contended that Palm Court is one of the oldest and “most internationally recognized” restaurants in Guyana, but the task force decided to discredit that. He also claimed that the letter was leaked to the media before
even being issued to the establishment. The Health Ministry in a statement yesterday defended their issuance of the letter, maintaining that they would have sent a first letter of warning to 42 businesses and of that number, 20 received final warnings due to continued breaches. Further, they adamantly denied involvement in any leakage of warning letters to the media. “The PSC plays a vital role as part of the Task Force and the Ministry believes that the matter concerning the Palm Court Restaurant and Bar could be resolved mutually and collaboratively as done by other businesses that were written to,” the Ministry stated. Both the MOH and the NCTF urged the PSC to not decide on withdrawing from the Task Force, lamenting that the Government purposely chose an inclusive approach in the composition of the NCTF and Guyana's COVID-19 response. Prime Minister, Mark Phillips, had announced last month that the government will take a firm stance against businesses breaching the COVID-19 measures. He had expressed that upon discovery of a breach, a first warning will be given to business owners who fail to comply and upon the second warning, their businesses can and will be shut down. Currently, the Official Gazette of COVID-19 measures for the month of November strictly outlines that bars and rum shops are not permitted for opening and indoor dining, and social gatherings are prohibited as well.
Kaieteur News
Tuesday November 24, 2020
PAGE 15
GuySuCo moves to buy 44 tractors at $33M each - Ministry of Agriculture unaware of purchase
GuySuCo is reportedly moving to buy 44 tractors from the US at $33M each
T
he state-owned Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), which manages a number of estates in Demerara and Berbice, is reportedly moving to upgrade its fleet of equipment. According to persons familiar with the situation, GuySuCo's board is expected to shortly consider a major purchase from a foreign supplier of 44 tractors. The price tag on the Cameco tractors, according to information, is around $33M for each. An official from the Ministry of Agriculture
yesterday said that the matter has not been brought to the attention of the ministry. In any case, the official said, the matter will still have to engage and get the greenlight of GuySuCo's board before it comes to the ministry and then to the Cabinet of Ministers for approval. Kaieteur News could not immediately make contact with GuySuCo's Chief Executive Officer (ag), Sasenarine Singh. Online searches identified Cameco equipment as being ideal for the (continued on page 20)
Man in prison wrongfully identified as escapee
Today for a rebroadcast
UR IIOO E T E KAI99.1 RRAADD 5
99.
UIBO ESSEQ RA | A R E M DE ICE e BERB a Differenc
Senior Journalist Jounalist Kiana Wilburg
with The Radio
The
Glenn Lall
Show:
K/News Publisher, Mr. Glenn Lall
Tell it Like it is!!! Prison Escapee: Donald Baird
T
he Guyana Prison Service (GPS), has wrongfully identified a man in Lusignan Prison as an escapee. That inmate was Mark Emmanuel who is on remand for armed robbery. In its initial press release, GPS stated that he was among three inmates who escaped the holding bay on Saturday using a string of bed sheets to scale one of the fences.
Prison Escapee: Phillip Jhogroo On Sunday, the GPS sent out another release stating that it was two prisoners who had escaped and not three. Those two did not include Mark Emmanuel but r a t h e r m u r d e r- a c c u s e d Phillip Jhogroo and Donald Baird. GPS has since apologized for the mistake. A n y o n e w i t h information that may lead to the arrest of the two escapees can contact the nearest police station.
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Kaieteur News
PAGE 16
Tuesday November 24, 2020
Ramotar vs Kaieteur News Libel trial...
Glenn Lall stands by position oil block deals were corrupt K
aieteur News Publisher, Glenn Lall, told the High Court yesterday that he is of the firm belief that the Kaieteur and Canje oil block deals signed under the Donald Ramotar administration was corrupt. Lall was at the time responding to questions in the libel action brought against the newspaper and its principals by former
President Ramotar. The case which is ongoing before Justice Navindra Singh at the Georgetown Court is expected to conclude by March 12, 2021. Ramotar has sued Kaieteur News for its expose on the questionable circumstances under which the oil deals were signed. The newspaper had published several advertisements showing the
stark similarities between how the Ramotar administration and Senegal, an oil-rich West African country dealt with oil deals. Both countries allocated oil blocks to companies with no known experience in the oil industry. In Senegal, the oil blocks were signed away to a convicted drug lord; in Guyana, the owners of the oil blocks were unknown until
the newspaper tracked down the contracts. However in the lawsuit, Ramotar claimed that the advertisement portrayed false, slanderous information which resulted in immeasurable damage to his character. He is suing Kaieteur News; its publisher, Lall; and former Editor-inChief Adam Harris for in excess of $10 M for libel. Lall who had previously
Kaieteur News Publisher, Glenn Lall
Justice Navindra Singh provided the Court with a witness statement, took the stand yesterday, where he essentially stood by his position on the oil deals when he faced a series of questions from attorney for Ramotar, Chandrapratesh Satram. Satram appeared in association with lawyer Rajendra Jaigobin. During the proceedings, Satram raised several questions about the contents of the advertisement, which was published under a bold c a p t i o n , “ WA K E U P GUYANA!” “According to this, you are basically saying or telling the Guyanese people that the Kaieteur and Canje oil blocks were signed away and that they were signed away by President Ramotar?” the lawyer asked holding up an exhibit of the newspaper ad. “Yes, sir,” Lall said firmly. “You are also saying that the same way the two blocks was signed away in Guyana, it was done by President Aliou Sall in Senegal? The ad is basically saying the oil deals were bad?” Satram followed up. “Yes, I believe that,” Lall replied, “Yes it was given away.” “And it is your view that it was given to people who were not qualified own them?” the attorney enquired. “Yes, perfectly,” Lall responded. “The ad also said that the person who received the oil block sold it for US$100M?” the lawyer asked.
Former President, Donald Ramotar “I believe it is much more than that,” Lall responded passionately. “This ad says that the blocks were sold away to make profits for the people who received them and the people who gave them away as well as their beneficiaries. Is that correct?” posited the lawyer. “Yes, obviously,” replied the publisher. “This ad said someone else stood to benefit; that the blocks were given away secretly and in a corrupt manner; is that so?” asked the attorney. “I think so, I believe so,” replied the publisher. Satram followed up “So, you are saying that the deals were bad?” “Of course, they were dirty,” Mr. Lall told the Court “And you are saying that the President Ramotar failed to follow the correct process?” Satram added. “Of course,” Lall responded. “And as a result, the country loses billions?” the lawyer queried. “Yes, perfectly,” Mr. Lall said. In reference to similar ad t i t l e d “ WA K E U P GUYANESE BROTHERS AND SISTERS” the lawyer asked whether Lall was again speaking about the sale of the two blocks for US $100M. The witness responded (continued on page 20)
Tuesday November 24, 2020
Kaieteur News
PAGE 17
Deal for US$90M Hilton Hotel in Mc Doom inked An artist image of the front façade of the planned hotel
Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond; Go-Invest CEO, Dr. Peter Ramsaroop (r); and CEO of TOTALTEC Oilfield Services, Mr. Lars Mangal at the Ministry today.
T
he receipt of p l a n n i n g approval and the signing of an MoU by the M i n i s t r y o f To u r i s m ,
Industry and Commerce, the Guyana Office for Investment (Go-Invest) and Chairman and CEO of T O TA LT E C O i l f i e l d
Services has green lighted the construction of a US$90 million international hotel. Minister Oneidge Walrond; Go-Invest CEO,
Sophia couple busted with $1.5M in narcotics, on bail
The items that were seized
T
he Sophia couple that was on Friday last busted with $1.5M in narcotics was yesterday granted bail when they appeared before a city Magistrate. The defendants, Nyron Wilson, 33, and 19-year-old Nadira John, of 804 'C' Field Sophia, Georgetown, made their appearance in the Georgetown Magistrate's Courts before Principal Magistrate Sherdel IsaacsMarcus to answer to two drug related charges.
The couple denied both charges that were read to them. The first charge stated that on November 20, at Sophia, Georgetown, they had 1,016 grams of amphetamines in their possession for the purpose of trafficking. The second charge alleges that on the same date and at the same location, they had eight grams of cannabis. The Magistrate granted the couple bail in the sum of $75, 000 each for the first charge and $5,000 bail each
for the latter charge. The matter was adjourned to December 21, 2020. Kaieteur News had reported that ranks from the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) busted the duo with $1.5M worth in suspected marijuana, amphetamines (ecstasy) and methamphetamines at their home. According to a CANU press statement, the drugs were discovered during a raid in the bedroom of a house located in Sophia.
Dr. Peter Ramsaroop and Lars Mangal of TOTALTEC signed the agreement yesterday at a simple ceremony held in the Ministry's boardroom. The hotel is earmarked for Houston/Mc Doom, East Bank Demerara. “This is just a tangible expression of the confidence that investors have placed in Guyana, and we are quite excited that we have one of
the hotels that we have promised. We have the branded hotels ready to go, and this is quite an exciting time,” Minister Walrond said. More than 25 Guyanese contractors and suppliers are expected to be involved in the execution of the work, which will bring significant spin-off benefits to hundreds of Guyanese. “We see it as a great
opportunity for Guyana to build further local capacity in terms of supporting multiple sectors; first and foremost, the tourism sector but we also see this as an opportunity to support the very dynamic and fastemerging oil and gas sector as well,” Mr. Mangal said. Investments will also be made to train staff to serve in the hospitality and catering (continued on page 23)
Kaieteur News
PAGE 18
Tuesday November 24, 2020
Parika woman kills abusive brother to protect sister-in-law
A
woman, on Sunday, plunged a kitchen knife into her brother's heart, killing him instantly, in a bid to protect her sister-in-law from his abuse. Currently in police custody for murder is Lashena Morgow, 31, and dead is her brother, Alex Morgow, 20, both of Parika, East Bank Essequibo. According to police Alex Morgow, a fisherman, was stabbed to death around 17:45 hrs. at his one flat wooden home. The police report detailed that the woman committed the act in retaliation to him beating his common-law wife, and that she was intoxicated when she committed the act. Investigators reported that Morgow's wife, Joyana Atkinson and his sister went to the Parika market earlier that day to do some shopping. On their way back they stopped at a friend's
The suspected murder weapon
The Stab wound to Alex Morgow's chest Arrested: Lashena Morgow
house, where they began imbibing Guinness. They reportedly spent two hours there before heading home. Upon their arrival, Morgow confronted his wife about a meal she had
prepared for him. His wife said in an interview with Newsroom that Morgow asked “This is the rice you cook for me?” She responded with a question, “What happen to the rice?” Morgow then instructed her to “feel the rice” which she did. According to Atkinson, the two began arguing over
the rice which led to him pushing her to the ground. He then began beating her but his sister, who was intoxicated at the time, intervened and scolded him for his actions but he pushed her away too and reportedly told her to 'stay out of his business.' The woman allegedly headed to the kitchen,
returned with a knife and stabbed him to region of the heart. The man then stumbled out of the house and collapsed to the ground. An alarm was raised and police ranks were summoned to the scene. They arrested Lashena Morgow and recovered the suspected murder weapon in
her handbag. The man's body was removed and taken to the Leonora Cottage Hospital where it was further examined by a doctor before it was sent to the morgue. During the interview with Newsroom, Atkinson broke down in tears and said that she feels sorry for her sister-in-law's actions and blamed it on the alcohol.
Tuesday November 24, 2020
Kaieteur News
PAGE 19
Several hotspots identified in Region Six as COVID cases continue to rise T
he areas of Vryman's Erven, New Amsterdam, Siparuta/Orealla, Angoy's Avenue and East Canje Berbice have all been identified as hotspots for the novel coronavirus. Regional Chairman David Armogan during a press briefing with reporters via the Zoom platform confirmed at the time of the briefing that there are presently over 129 cases of COVID recorded in Region and some of the new cases have emerged from the identified hotspots. Presently, there are medical teams in the communities of Siparuta and Orealla carrying extensive testing. In addition, a decision was made to cut off the movement of people from those two areas either by boat, river and land so as to contain the spread of the virus. "Almost every person is being tested in those areas," Armogan said. Additionally, Armogan has disclosed that the areas of Vryman's Erven, New Amsterdam, Canje and Angoy's Avenue, New Amsterdam are currently being monitored since those areas have chalked up quite a number of cases over the past
- 152 cases as of Monday night
Region 6 Chairman, David Armogan few days. "We gotta be very careful in the Vryman's Erven area so we are doing more testing there and also there are also a few cases in Angoy's Avenue and Canje have one or two cases there too", he said. In light of the rising cases, the Regional Chairman disclosed that there is presently an isolation facility at Springlands "in which some of the cases have started to show signs, there are some people who are testing positive but not showing signs; they will be quarantined in the Siparuta area and the rest that have difficulties, we will bring
them out to the facility at Springlands." He added that they are working with the National Task Force and with the CDC to "see what we can do because if we are locking down these areas, we will have to take food supplies and other supplies that the people would need." Meanwhile, Armogan stated that with the rising cases, the situation has to be looked at in a serious manner and the monitoring of the areas with spikes of the cases will be done. He, however, said that presently, there may not be a lockdown for the region but if the situation continues to get worse, then they will be recommending to the National Task Force to have a regional lockdown. He revealed that the first case recorded out of Siparauta originated from a child who came out of that village out to Springlands, that child he said was already sick and a test was administered which returned positive. It was based on that case that they decided to begin doing mass testing in the village and by extension
Board meeting on land lease... From page 12 that in January 2018, neither Mr. Horace James (deceased) nor Mr. Colvin HeathLondon were Directors of NICIL,” NICIL continued. The purported 'Board Note,' lists both men along with Joseph Harmon as present at the meeting when the decision was made. Hughes had claimed that it was James and not his client who functioned as the CEO at the time of the execution of the leases in question. Heath-London, he said, was at the time the head of the Special Purpose Unit (SPU). According to the purported 'Board Note,' NICIL's CEO Horace James had informed Heath-London of plans on stream for the Peter's Hall area to be designated as an industrial park in support of Guyana's new oil and gas sector. In the document that James “opined that national's inability to secure capital to facilitate business alliances such as joint venture arrangements may be stymied. It was therefore put
forward by the CEO (Horace James) that lease transactions should be amended to facilitate subletting thus creating a more competitive platform for local companies and nationals to benefit from this new business opportunity.” Further, it was reportedly decided at that very Board meeting that the NICIL CEO would “treat with commissioning of valuation and survey reports, preparation of leases to qualified applicants to facilitate onward subletting by all approved leases” and further, “Industrial Parks Lease Transactions to be formulated immediately for the Peter's Hall area and such areas as Berbice and Demerara were also slated as possible industrial park developments sites to be commissioned.” Both Heath-London and Guyana's former Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, are accused of playing a hand in not just the giveaway of the prime state lands at Peter's Hall on the East Bank of
Demerara, but also at Ogle on the East Coast of Demerara. Though these prime lands were worth billions of dollars, NICIL vested large parcels in the hands of a number of investors, receiving a fraction of the payments in some cases and in others, none at all. Guyana's State Lands Act clearly stipulates that whenever state lands are leased, the lease agreement must indicate that the lessee “SHALL NOT” part with lands (possession) or “SHALL NOT” assign the interest in the said agreement without the consent of the state. It states, too, that in the event that there is going to be a transfer to a third party, the state reserves the right to step in and repossess the lands, reverting ownership back to the state. However, that very clause was altered in the lease agreements currently at the center of these investigations. The leases were altered to say that “the lessee may divest the land, may part with possession, may assign it to a third-party interest.”
Orealla. "As we continue to do contact tracing more and more areas will be identified and if it escalates to a level where we will have to lock down then we will have to recommend that to the national task force. That is the decision we can make here at the regional level", he said. He disclosed that
presently, a pregnant woman from Siparuta is presently hospitalised with the virus at the Georgetown Public Hospital and an 87-year-old man also from that area died from the virus. He revealed that police presence in those areas have since been increased and the regional administration is working closely with the
Commander to ensure the enforcement of the gazetted guidelines. "I was advised by some people not to do this but it is important we do this (highlight the hotspots) so people will know how to operate in certain areas. I think for the benefit of our region, I think people should know where the hotspots are," he said. As of last evening, 152 cases were recorded in Region Six.
PAGE 20
Kaieteur News
Tuesday November 24, 2020
Glenn Lall stands by position... From page 16 in the affirmative. “This ad refers to the transfer of properties by big brother Donald and contains two images of what appears to be bandits or a thief,” the lawyer suggested. “Yes, sir,” Lall agreed. “It was saying essentially that he took part of the US$100M?” questioned the attorney. “I believe that he did, yes,” the newspaper publisher replied. “It is saying essentially that President Ramotar is a corrupt man that he collected part or some of the US $100 M for signing away those two blocks?” the lawyer added. “I believe so, I don't know much he collected but I believe so!” Lall declared. “So, you are making a comparison with Guyana and Senegal that the politician in Senegal collected money and what happened in Senegal is happening in Guyana?” the lawyer said. “ Ye s , s i r ” L a l l responded. “And, you called for President Granger to launch investigations into the deals?” Satram continued
with the line of questioning. “ Ye s ! ” L a l l s t a t e d , adding that he is now calling for an international investigation into the deals. “This is because you believe a crime was committed?” Satram asked. “Yes sir, a crime against the people of this nation,” Mr. Lall said firmly. “Have you ever written to President Ramotar to explain himself?” the lawyer asked. “I had written to Ramotar and all the players to explain their rationale behind this. I received no explanation,” the witness explained. “So, you didn't receive the explanation, he sent you?” asked Satram. “No, sir,” the witness said in reply. “Or, you didn't accept his explanation or care for what he had to say?” the lawyer continued. “He never said anything,” Lall added. Next, the attorney turned his attention to the series of articles carried by Kaieteur News on the oil blocks in 2020. “Since the start of this trial, you published a number of articles about the Kaieteur
and Canje blocks …” the lawyer began to ask but he was interrupted by Lall's attorney, Nigel Hughes. Hughes objected to the line of questioning on the point of relevance. He noted that Ramotar's legal team could not insert the new information as part of the evidence unless they were dealing with the issue of contempt. However, Satram argued that he was referencing the new articles as a matter of showing the general conduct of the newspaper publisher. Justice Singh agreed with the contention that the new information will have to be entered via a different means. The Judge suggested that the new information could be part of another litigation for libel. As such, Lall was briefly questioned about the newspaper articles titled the “Fleecing of Guyana Series.” Alluding to the series, Satram asked Lall if he referred to the deals as suspicious or as “daylight robbery.” However in this case, the publisher said that it was oil experts that said so, and not the newspaper.
GuySuCo moves to buy 44... From page 15 s u g a r - c a n e i n d u s t r y. However, this newspaper was told that the recommendation for the use of the Cameco tractors as against the locally-available John Deere ones was made some time back with a representative of GuySuCo travelling to the US to meet with the company. John Deere tractors are reportedly selling for less than half of the $33M price stated for the Cameco tractors. The purchase, if
approved, will add up to a significant $1.5B for GuySuCo. The industry, once the mainstay of the economy, has fallen on hard times, after a crippling price cut from the Europe market, and then loss of the preferential market there. A lack of capital, poor agriculture and corruption was blamed and the previous Government under David Granger shuttered four estates – Skeldon, Rose Hall, Enmore and Wales. It had led to a loss of
7,000 workers with entire communities complaining bitterly of the fallouts. The Irfaan Ali administration has, however, vowed to reopen the estates and make them profitable again, albeit in private hands. In fact, the government has asked for investors to make proposals. GuySuCo has been accused of being top-heavy with its management, with cronyism and corruption blamed also for its financial woes.
Tuesday November 24, 2020
Kaieteur News
PAGE 21
Suriname law demands competitive - but Guyana left transactions in oil sector open to abuse S
u r i n a m e ' s Petroleum Laws demand that there be competitive transactions between contractors and sub-contractors in the oil and gas sector. In fact, the laws explicitly dictate that every transaction between a contractor and subcontractor must be concluded on the basis of valid competitive international prices and other conditions which would be reasonable and fair. This competiveness means that there would be higher levels of transparency between the contractors, sub-contractors and the
President of Suriname, Chandrikapersad Santokhi
government, which would be offered at the best prices. This rigid rule is not only absent from any legislation in Guyana, nor the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) between the government and ExxonMobil, but also the draft Local Content Policy that was finalized by United Kingdom consultant, Dr. Michael Warner. Notably, Kaieteur News had exposed in a series of articles how Dr. Warner had ignored and removed key recommendations, meant to give Guyanese an advantage in the oil sector from a draft Local Content Policy written
Health Ministry records 21 new COVID-19 cases
T
he Ministry of Health (MOH) yesterday reported 21 new COVID-19 cases. This information was presented in their daily dashboard update which
shows the new total number of confirmed cases as 5,154. It also shows eight patients in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit, 85 in institutional isolation, 881 in approved home isolation and 31 in institutional quarantine.
Guyana's COVID-19 death toll stands at 146 deaths to date. Additionally, 4,034 persons have recovered from the virus and 27,807 persons have been tested nationally.
by Trinidadian expert Anthony Paul. In that series, it was exposed how ExxonMobil was a client of Dr. Warner. International oil and gas consulting agency, Chatham House had indicated the importance of integrating procurement rules with local content efforts. This organization had stated that this would ensure that procurement rules,
guidelines and strategies be employed in the sector, to which a significant portion of local services and products are utilized by foreign companies in the oil sector. Several PSAs around the world have embedded in them, strict procurement rules, which must be followed by oil operators. This is the case with African
nation, Ghana, for example. Guyana's contract however, mentions nothing about procurement laws that ExxonMobil must follow. Further to this, Guyana has no legal provision in place which dictates that competitive pricing must be used between contractor and subcontractors. This leaves the country open to abuse from oil companies.
PAGE 22
Kaieteur News
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Tuesday November 24, 2020
Tuesday November 24, 2020
Kaieteur News
Region Three Police launch National Road Safety Week with Church Service
(from right) Region Three Commander, Errol Watts and PRO of the Guyana Police Force, Royston Andries-Junor along with two Police ranks. The Guyana Police Force (GPF) Region Three Division, yesterday held an Interfaith Church Service at the Leonora Police Station Recreation Hall to commence this year’s National Road Safety Week of activities. This year’s Road Safety Week is observed under the theme “Stop speeding, Don’t Drink & Drive, Stay Alive.” In attendance were the Region Three Commander, Errol Watts; the Regional Chairman, Ishan Ayube; Regional Vice Chairman, Omesh Satyanand; the Public Relation Officer of the GPF, Royston Andries-Junor; officials from the West Demerara Road Safety Association; members of the GPF; and special invited guests. The event saw a number of activities taking place namely: prayers from the dif-
ferent religious groups, scripture reading, special songs from ranks and a mini exhibition. Opening the launch was the Officer in Command of Traffic, Inspector Eon Isaacs, who spoke of the several activities the department will be undertaking during the week. Inspector Isaacs explained that the traffic ranks will ensure that road users adhere to the rules and regulations that governs the usage of the roads. In addition to that, he stated that this year saw an increase of road accidents as compared to last year, noting that this year saw 227 accidents in the Region Three while last year saw 211. Plans to combat this traffic lawlessness included ranks educating all road users on the safe usage of the road by distrib-
uting fliers, pamphlets, hosting seminars for drivers and placing ads in both the print and electronic media. He added that the enhancement of road signs and markings will be done. Meanwhile, also addressing the gathering was Commander Errol Watts who disclosed the importance of the Christmas patrol. He noted that throughout the region there are police booths set up to ensure the slow-down of traffic and to reduce the number of deaths on the roads and also to ensure that persons entering the region are protected. In closing, he promised that the Division is going to police the region very effectively and efficiently, and the safety of the people is be guaranteed under his leadership.
Training for COVID-19 vaccine administration expected in two weeks By Anara Khan Training for health care professionals who will administer the COVID-19 vaccines is expected to commence in two weeks. This was announced by Minister of Health, Hon. Dr Frank Anthony during the COVID-19 update earlier today. The Minister said the government is putting systems in place to ensure the country’s healthcare system is prepared to store and administer these vaccines. “We have experienced staff in the field who have over the years been doing vaccinations… we have a number of persons around the country who are already
trained to do vaccinations and keep records so what we are now going to train them on is the anticipated use of the COVID vaccine and what would be required to transport and store it as well as the side effects.” Meanwhile, Minister Anthony stated that while the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a conditional recommendation against the use of the drug Remdesivir, the local guidelines committee will decide whether the drug will continue to be part of the treatment for COVID-19 patients. “Because these clinical trials are the more accurate way of judging whether a medication works or not, the
findings from these trials are then incorporated into guidelines. It is the same for Remdesivir,” he said. Dr. Anthony explained that a clinical trial for the drug in the United States showed that it reduced the hospital stay. However, the “Solidarity Trial” which was conducted by WHO and included thousands of persons from across the globe showed no significant change. As such, the international organization does not recommend the use of the drug in the treatment of COVID-19. Minister Anthony said it is now up to countries to determine whether they will use Remdesivir. (DPI)
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Kaieteur News
Tuesday November 24, 2020
Increased road fatalities take center stage..
As Minister Benn launches National Road Safety Week At the launching of National Road Safety Week yesterday.
Taking center stage at yesterday’s launch of National Road Safety Week was the issue of a 37% increase in road fatalities this year when compared to 2019. This year’s national road safety week is observed under the theme “Stop Speeding, Don’t Drink and Drive, Stay Alive” and the launching took place at Parliament Park located on the corner of Brickdam and High Street, Georgetown. During the feature address, Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn said that “we find ourselves in particularly tragic and alarming circumstances related to the great and accelerated loss of life due road accidents.” The minister noted that according to statistics he received, there has been a 37% increase in road fatalities this year when compared to 2019. Benn explained that this is quite alarming, because Guyana has had several
lockdowns due to the Covid19 pandemic. There is also a curfew in place which saw less vehicles travelling on the road. Despite these measures, Benn noted that the death rate due to accidents has gone up alarmingly. The statistics, Benn said, showed too, that the most dangerous period to be on the road ways is between 18:00 hrs. and midnight. This is because majority of the road fatalities took place during period. He also pointed out that motorcyclists and pedal cyclists accounted for a large number of all road deaths so far. Benn added that the age group 25 to 42 years accounts for 60% of all road deaths and that the largest number of persons who die by gender are men. He highlighted as well the cause of these fatalities ranges from absence of
brakes, lights, casual use of the roadways, drunk drivers, drug users, etc. Motorcyclists are known for riding without helmets, he continued. In attempt to reduce the road fatalities Benn called for a campaign to be launched. “There should be a campaign for pedestrians to avoid using dark clothing at nights,” said Benn. He said “that there need for more police presence on the roadways during the period when most accidents occur (between 18:00 hrs. and midnight).” The minister also revealed that his ministry has already bought 100 helmets which he himself would like to share out to errant road users particularly motorcyclists as part of a campaign to create awareness. Benn said that he also asked for 50 more speed guns to be made available for traffic ranks.
Deal for US$90M Hilton Hotel in Mc ... From page 17 departments. “The oil and gas sector is one area where we are continuously striving and looking to place more people and build more capacity locally. The intent of this project is, of course, to continue to support local development in terms of having more Guyanese suppliers and contractors involved in very unique high-tier development projects,” Mr. Mangal said. He add ed it is further
aimed at, “decommissioning
more and more activities from happening outside of Guyana and bringing them o nshore to Guyana, to be supported by Guyanese working with Guyanese in Guyana.” The 289-room hotel will include the 161-room Hilton Garden Inn and 128 suites. It will feature a variety of onsite dining options, conference facilities, a pool, and 24hour fitness facility while bringing 'the best of modern, smart, Scandinavian minimalistic concepts' to
Guyana. This investment comes after an Expression of Interest (EoI) was advertised by the Government of Guyana. The project is led by 658 Guyana Holdings and managed by 1,503 Partners, who are joined by TOTALTEC Oilfield Services Guyana Incorporated and GREC Investment Group as key stakeholders. Hilton Hotels & Resorts is an international brand with 575 hotels across six continents. (DPI)
Tuesday November 24, 2020
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Kaieteur News
Dressel and Peaty smash own world records at ISL finals (Reuters) - World and Olympic champions Caeleb Dressel and Adam Peaty smashed their own short course world records on the final day of the International Swimming League (ISL) season in Budapest on Sunday. American Dressel, who last Monday became the first man to swim the 100m Individual Medley in under 50 seconds, sliced a further six tenths off his record of 49.88 with a new best of 49.28. The 24-year-old, racing for the winning Cali Condors team, has now gone nearly a second faster than anyone else in history with the previous best before him being Russian Vladimir Morozov who set a then-record 50.26 in 2018. London Roar ’s Peaty touched the wall with a time of 55.41 in the 100m breast-
stroke, beating the record 55.49 the 25-year-old Briton set in the same pool a week ago. Energy Standard’s Belarusian Ilya Shymanovich finished second, his time equalling Peaty’s previous record. “It feels like every race is a world championship or an Olympic final, it’s incredible,” said London Roar general manager Rob Woodhouse. “Seeing all these world records is just amazing.” Dressel, a double Olympic gold medallist in 2016 and winner of seven world championship golds in Budapest in 2017 and a further six in Gwangju in 2019, set two world records on Saturday in the 100m butterfly and 50m freestyle. Dutch swimmer Kira Toussaint, Peaty’s London Roar team mate, set a women’s
Adam Peaty of Britain reacts after his race at last year’s World Championships. (Reuters/Kim Hong-Ji/file photo)
50m backstroke world record of 25.60 on Nov. 14. Teams, with many of the world’s top swimmers, have been racing behind closed doors in Budapest since Oct.
Tuesday November 23, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Your imagination might conjure stories or pictures that you want to memorialize through writing or painting,
but a lack of self-confidence might discourage you. TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) Attendance at some kind of group event might seem especially appealing today. However, Taurus, worries about your family might distract
you so that you don't benefit from it the way you should. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Let's face it, Gemini. Today you're likely to find your chores and errands exceedingly boring. You could find yourself watching the clock, feeling like an hour has gone
by and then realizing it's only been ten minutes. CANCER (June 21–July 22) You might be distracted by daydreams of a trip you're planning to take, Cancer. A friend could phone and want
to discuss it, which doesn't help. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You might not have heard from a close friend in a long time and worry a little, Leo. Perhaps this person wasn't well the last time you talked.
VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22) An older visitor might come to your door today, Virgo. You aren't likely to be too thrilled about this, but you will be able to play the good host any-
way.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Mundane tasks, including errands and answering correspondence, might bore you all day, Libra. You're likely to be restless and strongly tempted to chuck it all and go somewhere to enjoy yourself. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Financial issues may interfere with your self-expression today, Scorpio. Perhaps you need a little more money before proceeding with a project that means a lot to you. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) A charismatic person might contact you today and want your help with something. Emotional issues regarding family might have you feeling gloomy. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) T Worries about relatives or friends could plague you throughout the day, Capricorn. Perhaps you aren't sure what's wrong and so you feel helpless. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Small group functions and social events might not prove as satisfying as usual today, Aquarius. You may not be in the mood. You might feel pressured to mingle when you'd rather sit on the couch. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Pride might get in your way today, Pisces. Perhaps you will be asked to do a task that you consider beneath you. Perhaps the people around you are feeling persnickety.
Caeleb Dressel of the US celebrates winning the race. (Reuters/Antonio Bronic)
16 with Energy Standard, Cali Condors, LA Current and London Roar reaching the finals. The Condors also had Olympic women’s 100m breaststroke champion Lilly King set a U.S. record in the distance with a time of 1:02.50. With the Tokyo Olympics postponed until 2021, and
other competitions cancelled around the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ISL gave more than 300 swimmers a focus and the chance to team up and race again. Athletes remained in protective ‘bubbles’ with regular tests for the new coronavirus. There were no positive results registered at the event.
“It’s been such a fun time, this whole bubble,” said Dressel. “This is the most fun I’ve ever had swimming in my life. To have that for six weeks is truly special.”
MLS: Dallas, Sporting... From page 27 have won the encounter in additional time for Sporting, finishing after a wonderful flick from Khiry Shelton in the 91st minute to make it 3-2. However, there was even more drama to follow, Chris Wondolowski heading in a 97th-minute equaliser from close range after Cristian Espinoza’s cross. Sporting goalkeeper Tim Melia would be the hero in the shoot-out, saving spot-kicks from Oswaldo Alanis, Jackson Yueill and Espinoza as Johnny Russell, Ilie and Shelton scored. Melia became the first goalkeeper to shut out an opponent in a traditional penalty shoot-out in MLS Cup play-offs history. In the Western Conference semi-finals, Sporting will face Minnesota United, who beat the Colorado Rapids 3-0 thanks to a brace from Kevin Molino.
NFL Roundup... From page 26 beating host Minnesota in Minneapolis. Dalton completed 22 of 32 passes for 203 yards, three touchdowns and one interception for the Cowboys (37). Ezekiel Elliott had 21 carries for 103 yards to go along with a receiving touchdown. The loss spoiled a standout performance by Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins, who completed 22 of 30 passes for 314 yards and three touchdowns. Adam Thielen had eight catches for 123 yards and two touchdowns for Minnesota (4-6), which had a three-game winning streak snapped. (Field Level Media)
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Tuesday November 24, 2020
Kaieteur News
NFL Roundup: Hill just what Saints need to top Falcons Taysom Hill rushed for two touchdowns and the host New Orleans Saints won their seventh consecutive game by defeating the Atlanta Falcons 24-9 on Sunday afternoon. Hill made his first NFL start at quarterback as Drew Brees began at least a three-game absence due to rib and lung injuries. Hill completed 18 of 23 passes for 233 yards and had scoring runs of 2 and 10 yards among his team-high 51 rushing yards as the NFC South-leading Saints improved to 8-2. New Orleans plays its next three games on the road, including a rematch with the Falcons in two weeks. Alvin Kamara added a rushing touchdown and All-Pro receiver Michael Thomas caught nine of Hill’s passes for 104 yards. The Saints sacked Matt Ryan eight times, including three by Cameron Jordan and two each by fellow end Trey Hendrickson and tackle David Onyemata, as the Falcons fell to 3-7 overall and 3-2 under interim head coach Raheem Morris. Washington 20, Bengals 9 The Washington Football Team broke a two-game slide and dispatched visiting Cincinnati at Landover, Md., in a game marred by a left knee injury to Bengals’ rookie quarterback Joe Burrow. Burrow was carted off the field after the injury early in the third quarter. He went down after getting hit below the waist while another defender hit him high from the opposite side on a throw. Players from both teams offered words to Burrow as he was treated and taken off, including Washington quarterback Alex Smith. With the game still in progress, Burrow tweeted: “Thanks for all the love. Can’t get rid of me that easy. See ya next year.” Smith, just two years removed from his own gruesome leg injury, completed 17 of 25 passes for 166 yards with a touchdown and an interception in his first home start this year for Washington (3-7). The Bengals (2-7-1) went with Ryan Finley (3 of 10, 30 yards, interception) after Burrow’s injury. Colts 34, Packers 31 (OT) Rodrigo Blankenship kicked four field goals — including a game-ending 39-yarder with 7:10 to go in overtime — as host Indianapolis rallied to defeat Green Bay. Packers receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling fumbled a screen pass from Aaron Rodgers on the opening possession of OT to give the Colts the ball deep inside Packers territory.Philip Rivers was 24 of 36 for 288 yards, three touchdowns and an interception for the Colts (73), who outscored the Packers 20-3 in the second half and overtime. Rodgers was 27 of 38 for 311 yards, three touchdowns and an interception, one of four turnovers for Green Bay (7-3). Chiefs 35, Raiders 31 Patrick Mahomes passed for 348 yards and two touchdowns, including a 22-yarder to tight end Travis Kelce with 28 seconds left, as visit-
ing Kansas City rallied for the victory over Las Vegas.It was the sixth time in his career that Mahomes, who completed 34 of 45 passes, led the Chiefs from behind in the fourth quarter or overtime for a victory. He had plenty of help as Kansas City (9-1) won its fifth straight game. Kelce caught eight passes for 127 yards and a touchdown. Derek Carr completed 23 of 31 passes for 275 yards, three touchdowns and
yards with two touchdowns and a pair of interceptions for the Eagles (3-6-1), who had 315 total yards and three turnovers en route to losing their second consecutive contest. Panthers 20, Lions 0 Carolina posted its first shutout in five years and second-string quarterback P.J. Walker orchestrated enough offense to down visiting Detroit in Charlotte, N.C. Walker, a former XFL player
who wore a protective wrap on his right thumb, completed 18 of 33 passes for 178 yards. He was sacked five times. Detroit (4-6) finished with just 185 yards of total offense. Steelers 27, Jaguars 3 Ben Roethlisberger passed for 267 yards and two touchdowns as visiting Pittsburgh overcame a slow start to remain unbeaten with a win over Jacksonville. Pittsburgh (10-0) remains the
New Orleans Saints quarterback Taysom Hill (7) runs with the ball against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first half at Raymond James Stadium. (Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports)
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) attempts to pass the ball against the Washington Football Team during the second quarter at FedExField. (Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports)
an interception for Las Vegas (6-4). Browns 22, Eagles 17 Sione Takitaki returned an interception for a touchdown and Olivier Vernon had three sacks and a safety to lift Cleveland past visiting Philadelphia at rainy FirstEnergy Stadium.Nick Chubb rushed for 114 yards and Kareem Hunt scored from 5 yards out for the Browns (7-3), who are off to their best 10-game start since going 8-2 in 1994. Cleveland’s victory over Philadelphia snapped a five-game losing streak in the series.Carson Wentz threw for 235
making his first start in the NFL, completed 24 of 34 passes for 258 yards and one touchdown. He was intercepted twice, both times in the end zone after the Panthers had the ball inside the Detroit 10-yard line. The Panthers played without starting QB Teddy Bridgewater and standout running back Christian McCaffrey, who both missed due to injury. Carolina (4-7) snapped a fivegame losing streak by winning for the second time this season at home. Lions quarterback Matt Stafford,
lone unbeaten team in the NFL. Roethlisberger was 32 of 46 with touchdown passes to Chase Claypool and Eric Ebron. Diontae Johnson had 12 catches for 111 yards. Benny Snell added a touchdown run. Titans 30, Ravens 24 (OT) Derrick Henry’s 29-yard touchdown run with 5:21 left in overtime Sunday capped a Tennessee rally from a 21-10 third-quarter deficit as it stopped host Baltimore at M&T Bank Stadium.Henry, who finished with 133 yards on 28 carries, jump-
cut from left to right around a tackler and sped into the end zone for his second walk-off score of the year. It finished a 73-yard drive that started after the Ravens (6-4) went three-and-out with their overtime possession. Ryan Tannehill completed 22 of 31 passes for 259 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for Tennessee (7-3). Lamar Jackson connected on 17 of 29 throws for 186 yards with a touchdown and a pick for the Ravens. Baltimore forced overtime when Justin Tucker converted his third field goal of the day, a 29-yarder with 15 seconds left in regulation. Chargers 34, Jets 28 Justin Herbert threw for 366 yards and three touchdowns to lead Los Angeles to a 34-28 victory over winless New York on Sunday at Inglewood, Calif. Keenan Allen caught a franchise-record 16 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown for the Chargers (3-7) as Herbert became the first NFL rookie to throw at least three touchdowns in five or more games. He was 37 of 49 without an interception. Joe Flacco completed 15 of 30 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns for the Jets (0-10), who extended their longest single-season losing streak in franchise history. Los Angeles built a 31-13 lead on Herbert’s third touchdown pass of the game, a 13-yarder to Allen, with 5:33 left in the third quarter. Texans 27, Patriots 20 Deshaun Watson passed for 344 yards and totaled three touchdowns while Houston’s beleaguered run defense held firm in the victory over visiting New England at NRG Stadium.The Texans (3-7) amassed 399 yards and averaged 7.1 yards per play. Ka’imi Fairbairn booted field goals of 36 and 46 yards in the second half to help keep the Patriots (4-6) at bay. New England twice rallied to within four points in the second half but could not secure the lead. Cam Newton passed for 365 yards, including a 42-yard touchdown to Damiere Byrd in the third quarter, his first touchdown toss to a Patriots wide receiver this season. Broncos 20, Dolphins 13 Melvin Gordon III rushed for 84 yards and two touchdowns, Phillip Lindsay ran for 82 yards, and host Denver snapped Miami’s five-game winning streak.Drew Lock overcame an early interception to throw for 270 yards on 18-for-30 passing. Tim Patrick had five receptions for 119 yards for Denver (4-6), which ended a two-game losing streak.Tua Tagovailoa was 11-for-20 passing for 83 yards and a touchdown for the Dolphins (6-4) before being replaced by Ryan Fitzpatrick in the fourth quarter. Fitzpatrick was 12-for-18 for 117 yards and an interception, which came in the Broncos’ end zone with 1:03 left to end a comeback bid. Cowboys 31, Vikings 28 Andy Dalton threw a go-ahead touchdown pass to Dalton Schultz with 1:37 to go, and Dallas snapped a four-game losing streak by (Continued on page 25)
Tuesday November 24, 2020
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Kaieteur News
Kagiso Rabada on biosecure bubbles: ‘It’s almost like luxury prisons we are in’ Kagiso Rabada poses after reclaiming the Purple Cap, IPL 2020, Qualifier 2, Abu Dhabi, November 8, 2020 © BCCI
ESPNcricinfo - South Africa’s cricketers are gearing up for a summer inside “luxury prisons” as they move from one biosecure bubble to the next for series against England, Sri Lanka, Pakistan (away, potentially, and at home) and Australia. Although Kagiso Rabada expects it to be difficult, he hopes the squad can keep perspective about their privilege. “It can be quite tough. You can’t interact. You’ve basically lost your freedom. It’s almost like luxury prisons we are in. But we have to remind ourselves that we are fortunate,” Rabada said.
“People have lost their jobs, people are struggling at the moment, so we must be grateful for the opportunity we have been given to make some money and to do what we love. “And we don’t get treated too badly. We stay in great hotels. We get the best food. It’s like a spoilt kid not getting what they want at the candy store. It can be quite tough because you are surrounded by four walls the whole time and that can be a factor mentally. But just remind yourself of all the good things that are happening and once we start playing, it will take away from the deso-
late times.” Rabada has just returned from the IPL, where he was in a bubble for 11 weeks, having spent the previous six months in some form of lockdown imposed by the South African government to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic. The extended period of isolation did not appear to have any adverse effects on his game. In fact, one could argue the opposite. Rabada finished the IPL as its top wicket-taker, raising questions over how much he needed a break, and how he will fit in more time off in the future. “The break helped to refresh the body and to take the mind off of a lot of things,” he said. “But I don’t know if long extended breaks will happen in future because cricket is getting more and more. I’m not sure how much of it is due to a long break, but I don’t think it will happen a lot in the future. I don’t think we will get breaks that long unless we get Covid-20.” The bad joke aside, with a packed schedule on the horizon, Rabada hopes to work with the national management team to ensure he gets regular time off to stay at his best. “When I first got in, I just really wanted to play every game and it’s not that that ambition has gone but now it is about being smart with it,” he said. “You have to realise there is a long career ahead, there is a lot of cricket and it’s
about how can I stay fresh. It is going to take some good communication between myself, coach, fitness trainer and medical staff. I definitely do have a say [in when I get time off]. It’s about me taking advice from the medical staff and medical staff hearing me out.” But it is also about making sure playing cricket stays fun. Rabada put down some of his excellence at the IPL to the nature of the tournament, which is both sexier and not as “serious” as international cricket. “There’s a lot more superstardom hype,” he said. “There are big media and content creation teams. There’s a huge following. International cricket is more serious. Although we do have fun in international cricket because you are with guys that you know and we have jokes in the team, it’s a lot more serious. The IPL has a bit more fun to it, without saying that there is no fun in international cricket. Of course there is, but I think international cricket is held in a higher prestige.” What both forms of the game - T20s’ extravaganza and international cricket have in common for now, is that they are being played behind closed doors which Jofra Archer said takes away some of the enjoyment. Rabada agreed but seemed to suggest that spectators did not have a real impact on results. “The crowd plays its role.
Kagiso Rabada excelled in the end overs once again © BCCI
A big role. We have our supporters and they add to the drama. But at the end of the day, if I am running in to Joe Root, or whoever, it’s a contest between me and him,” Rabada said. “The crowd can get you going but at the end of the day, no one is bowling the ball for you.” Still, the closed doors and long stays in hotel rooms all make for a “quite bizarre” situation where team-mates don’t see each other, socialising is limited and everything is sanitised. “We have to train in groups now. There’s a group of non-contacts and a group of close contact,”
Rabada said. “The team is doing well at sticking to the strict rules that have been set in place. It’s challenging and really bizarre.” And for South Africa, things have already got complicated. Two players returned positive for Covid-19 test results since arriving in Cape Town, causing their intra-squad practice match to be cancelled. Another round of tests will take place in the lead up to Friday’s series start, which will mark a return of international action in the country for the first time since March. Let the summer of luxury prison-time begin.
MLS: Dallas, Sporting Kansas City advance after play-off drama SportsMax - Dallas and Sporting Kansas City advanced in the MLS Cup playoffs after thrilling penalty shoot-out wins on Sunday. Ricardo Pepi’s 93rdminute equaliser for Dallas cancelled out Jorge Villafana’s opener for the Portland Timbers at Providence Park. And after a marathon 16 penalties, Dallas prevailed 87 in the shoot-out as Jimmy Maurer saved from Villafana for the match-winning moment. The opener came in the 82nd minute, Diego Valeri playing a pass to put Villafana in behind and the defender powered a finish into the roof of the net. Valeri’s assist was his 10th direct shot involvement in the match – four shots and six chances created – the most by a Timbers player in an MLS Cup play-offs match, according to Opta. Just as Portland looked
set to advance, Dallas equalised in the 93rd minute, Ricardo Pepi, 17, finishing a rebound after Timbers goalkeeper Steve Clark managed to save his initial effort onto the post. It was the fourth time this MLS season that Portland had conceded a second-half stoppage-time equaliser. No other team has allowed more than two. Valeri hit the post in the dying moments of extra time as the third penalty shoot-out through seven play-offs matches followed, already equalling the most traditional shoot-outs in a single postseason in MLS history. After the first 15 penalties of the shoot-out were scored, Villafana was denied by Maurer, who sent Dallas through. Los Angeles FC or the Seattle Sounders await Dallas in the Western Conference semi-finals. Sporting Kansas City ad-
Dallas and Sporting Kansas City advanced in the MLS Cup play-offs after thrilling penalty shoot-out wins.
vanced after a thrilling penalty shoot-out win over the
San Jose Earthquakes at Children’s Mercy Park, where
their encounter finished locked at 3-3.
Gianluca Busio looked to (Continued on page 25)
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Tuesday November 24, 2020
Kaieteur News
RHTYSC launches 30th Anniversary - Prime Minister Mark Phillips and Special Magazine Minister Mustapha receive first copies The Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, MS on Thursday last officially launched its 30th anniversary magazine by handling over the first copy to Prime Minister Mark Phillips at his Camp Street Office. A copy of the forty four pages magazine was also handed over to Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, a longtime friend of the RHTYSC, MS. The RHTYSC, MS is widely considered Guyana’s leading youth and sports organisation and is the only one to have ever received a national awardMedal of Service, for service to the county in the fields of education, sports and youth development. Club Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster and his deputy Simon Naidu served as Editors in Chief and researchers for the magazine which would be distributed free of cost across Guyana, the Caribbean and North America. The Magazine was printed at the F and H Printery in Georgetown and Foster noted that the main objective was to document the
remarkable history of the club, since its formation in September 1990 by three times Guyana and Commonwealth Youth Service Awardee, the ST. Francis Community Developers. From a very humble birth, the RHTYSC has grown into a dynamic organisation which undertakes seven hundreds activities annually under a wide range of sub-headings including sports, education, culture, youth development and community developments. The Magazine, Foster stated would serve as a personal souvenir for club members as they reflect on the achievements over the last thirty years. The RHTYSC since lifting its first cricket title in 1992 has gone on to win a total of ninety eight tournaments at the different levels. A combined one hundred and five RHTYSC members have played for Berbice, Guyana and the West Indies at the different levels. Among the articles in the magazine are messages from
Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha receives his copy.
the President Keith Foster, the Secretary/CEO and the
Club’s official cricket sponsors. Other articles
includes Major Achievements in 1990-2020, year by year accomplishments, pictorial reviews, founders of the club, outstanding executives over the years, future leaders for the RHTYSC and profiles of each of the Club’s ten cricket teams. Special articles also feature the RHTYSC female West Indies players and other club members Esuan Crandon, Royston Crandon, Jonathan Rampersaud and Assad Fudadin. The RHTYSC also unveiled its 30th anniversary all time cricket teams for both male and female. The all time male eleven consists of Renwick Batson, James Fraser, Assad Fudadin, Royston Crandon, Neil Williams, Khemraj Mahadeo, Andre Percival, Delbert Hicks, Esuan Crandon, Eon Hooper and Shawn Pereira. The female all time team is Marian Samaroo, Meliane Henry, Shemaine Campbelle, Shabika Gajnabi, Sherika Campbelle, Sheneta Grimmond, Jackie Singh, Nikita Toney, Plaffina Millington, Dian Prahalad and Erva Giddings. Prime Minister Mark
Phillips, who recently received the RHTYSC highest award, the Dolphin Award of Excellence, also contributed an article on the importance of discipline, while the club’s two youth ambassadors Denicia Henry and Marissa Foster also did articles on “How badly do you want success” and “Education and Sports” respectively. The club also highlighted its relationship with numerous sponsors and friends. The club would like to express thanks to all the sponsors who made the 30th anniversary Magazine a success including Namilco, Farfan and Mendes Ltd, Bakewell, Panthera’s Solution, Star Sports, Trophy Stall, HA Snacks Co.Ltd, Berbice Cricket Board, PPDI, Ansa Mcal, Karibee Rice, Bounty Farm, Bissan Trading, V-Net Communications, GNNL, Baksh Travel Service and RL Rental. Persons interested in receiving a copy of the magazine can call Simon Naidu on 337-4562 during working hours.
Rossi reflects on “emotional” factory Yamaha exit
Valentino Rossi is hugged by a team member during the Post-race farewell at Yamaha Factory Racing pit box. (Yamaha MotoGP) Motorsport - Nine-time grand prix world champion Valentino Rossi has spent 15 years of his career with the works Yamaha squad, first joining it in 2004 and returning in 2013 following a disastrous two-season stint with Ducati in 2011 and 2012. Winning four of his titles with the factory Yamaha team and 56 grands prix in the premier class, Rossi’s final outing before switching to Petronas SRT in 2021 yielded a 12th place finish. His final campaign, blighted by missing two races due to a positive COVID-19 test,
yielded a single podium at Jerez, as he ended the season 15th in the standings. When asked what he will miss most about his team, Rossi said: “People. I think the technical situation doesn’t change a lot, but 15 years of my career and of my life, I have a lot of friends in the team, a lot of good relationships, especially the human side. “I think anyway the rest doesn’t change a lot.“Today was an emotional moment when I came back to the pits, especially because the story is finished not just with the team but with some very important people of my box,
Post-race farewell at Yamaha Factory Racing pit box. (Yamaha MotoGP) like Alex Briggs, Brent [Stevens], a lot of people. “So, [it] was good to come back in the box because was an emotional moment.” Rossi will only take three members of his current team - crew chief David Munoz, data engineer Matteo Flamigni and rider coach Idalio Gavira - with him to SRT next year. Looking ahead to next season, Rossi admits he has a lot to work on as a rider - particularly qualifying - while also pressing Yamaha to improve on its troubled 2020 challenger. “I have to work a lot on myself, we have to
improve some areas like the qualifying, which now is so important,” Rossi added. “And also we will push as always on Yamaha to try to make a good job during the winter to try to improve some areas, because in the last years we were strong at the beginning of the season but after we struggled compared to our competitors in the second half because they were able to fix all the new things. “And in the end with Yamaha, the end of the season is not easy. “So, next year will be a hard challenge, we need to arrive ready from the first race.”
Tuesday November 24, 2020
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Kaieteur News
Jamaica’s Olympic hopefuls welcome financial support from JOA SportsMax - Olympic hopefuls for the Tokyo Olympic Games have expressed delight about an expedited JMD$40 million injection by the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) under its ‘Olympic Invest’ programme, to fund their preparation and qualification. Among them was 2016 Olympian Yona Knight-Wisdom, who underlined the impact on preparation created by the COVID-19 Pandemic. “2020 has, of course, been difficult for everybody, but particularly for athletes in so many ways spending so much time away from normal training, losing the chance to earn prize money from competitions and also the exposure that big events can bring. So it’s great to finally be back in full-time training, preparing for whatever 2021 brings,” said the diver based in the United Kingdom. “But to have the financial backing of the JOA will help to give me that extra bit of motivation to work hard every day and be ready to compete to my highest level when the time comes,” the 25-year-old added. Kinght-Wisdom created history in becoming the first athlete to represent Jamaica in Olympic diving competition at the 2016 Rio Games. He explained that additional JOA funding will allow him to focus unilaterally on competition. “This investment will allow for me to get more physiotherapy to
Yona KnightWisdom, Tafari Whitter and Alton Brown were among the Olympians that were grateful to the JOA for their assistance.
help look after my body, as well as to help pay for day-to-day training expenses such as travel, which means I can focus on the important things,” he said. “Hopefully this support will allow all of us to represent Jamaica to our highest level in Tokyo, because I believe a successful Olympics will bring joy and lift the spirits of the island as we come out of this terrible pandemic.” Tafari Whitter of Skateboarding Jamaica Limited, who is hoping to become the nation’s first Olympic
skateboarder believes the funds being made available will ease difficulties created by COVID-19. “I am very proud of the JOA family on the fast track of 40 million dollars for athletes’ preparation, due to COVID making things hard for most of us,” said Whitter. “The JOA family managed to still keep things under control throughout these rough times and that is why I am so thankful and grateful for the opportunity of being part of history. Love you Jamaica. Let’s go to Tokyo. I am so, so proud of the
JOA family.” Martial artist Alton Brown has his sights firmly set on Olympic competition in karate. He is the numberone ranked male karate athlete within the Caribbean and number two in his division across Pan America and number 22 in the world. “I have my eyes firmly set on two objectives; qualification and medal success at the Tokyo Games and legacy within Jamaica Karate following the Games. This additional funding from the JOA will have a vital impact on my ability to
continue to pursue and successfully reach those goals,” Brown said. “The movement towards qualification at these Games has been four years in the making and would not be possible without the JOA’s support at key moments throughout this journey. In addition, the efforts of the Jamaica Karate Federation, under the leadership of Tony Robinson, have been instrumental in getting us to this moment.” Brown explained that the rigors of qualification demands monetary support. “Since 2018, the financial burden to the athlete of participating in the karate qualification process for Tokyo has been unprecedented, with almost 20 events taking place across five continents,” he shared. “We have adapted well to the COVID-19 Pandemic, utilizing relationships we hold with national teams across the Caribbean and Europe to continue development. This funding will not only allow us to be present at the final qualification events from February 2021, but also maximize the relationships we hold with other national teams, to ensure vital partner training opportunities necessary to continue to produce world-class results. “The world is taking note of Jamaica Karate and this additional funding will allow us to finish the race and make Jamaica proud,” said Brown.
FIFA ban African football head for Alia Atkinson closes strong as London Roar finishes third in 2020 ISL five years after ethics investigation MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - The head of African football, Ahmad Ahmad, has been banned from football for five years by FIFA following an ethics investigation by world soccer’s governing body. Ahmad, who is president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), had intended to stand in an election in March in which he would have faced a number of challengers. FIFA said in a statement the independent Ethics Committee has found Ahmad guilty of offering and accepting gifts and other benefits, and misappropriation of funds. FIFA had “sanctioned him with a ban from all footballrelated activity (administrative, sports or any other) at both national and international level for five years,” it said. It also fined him 200,000 Swiss francs ($200,000). Ahmad declined to comment when contacted by Reuters. Former CAF general secretary Amr Fahmy, who died earlier this year from cancer, had been dismissed after he made corruption allegations against Ahmad last year in a document sent to FIFA.
The document, sent on March 31, 2019 by Fahmy to a FIFA investigations committee and seen by Reuters, accused Ahmad of ordering his secretary-general to pay $20,000 bribes into accounts of African football association presidents. They included Cape Verde and Tanzania. The document also accused Ahmad of costing CAF an extra $830,000 by ordering equipment via a French intermediary company called Tactical Steel. The company denied any wrongdoing and said it had won the contract on merit. Furthermore, it accused him of harassing four female CAF staff, whom it did not name; violating statutes to increase Moroccan representation within the organisation; and over-spending more than $400,000 of CAF money on cars in Egypt and Madagascar, where a satellite office has been set up for him. Senior CAF officials, speaking on condition of anonymity at the time of his dismissal, said Fahmy was fired in reprisal for compiling the document with the allegations against Ahmad. Ahmad was questioned by French authorities in June, 2019 after he was taken from
his Paris hotel and questioned by officers of OCLIF, the French police agency fighting financial crime and corruption, French media reports said. In August last year, FIFA general secretary Fatma Samoura was appointed “general delegate” for Africa and took control of a large part of CAF’s affairs. In February, at the end of that process, a review of CAF’s finances by Price Waterhouse Cooper (PWC) was highly critical of how the African organisation’s finances had been managed. A copy of the 55-page report was seen by Reuters and outlined a series of concerns about CAF’s book-keeping. “The accounting records of CAF are unreliable and not trustworthy,” said the PWC report.Based upon the procedures performed and documents reviewed, several red flags, potential elements of mismanagement and possible abuse of power were found in key areas of finance and operations of CAF. “Given the serious nature of certain findings and red flags identified from the preliminary due-diligence, we cannot rule out the possibility of potential irregularities.”
Alia Atkinson capped off her strong 2020 ISL campaign.
SportsMax - Alia Atkinson capped off her strong 2020 ISL campaign with two second-place and a third place finish during the weekend finals when last season’s runners up, London Roar, finished third. Cali Condors won the ISL title with 561.5 points, over 2019 champions Energy Standard 464.5.Notwithstanding the Roar’s thirdplace finish, Atkinson gave it her best shot in debut season for the team with a secondplace finish in the 100m breaststroke, an event she held a season-leading time in until Sunday’s final when Lilly King clocked 1:02.50 to eclipse the Jamaican’s 1:22.66 set
during the semi-finals just over a week ago. Atkinson was second in 1:03.56 just preventing a Cali Condors 1-2 finish when she held off Molly Hannis who touched in 1:03.57. The Caribbean breaststroke queen was third in the 50m breaststroke final on Saturday in a fast 28.88 seconds. The event was won by King in 28.77 followed by Benedetta Pilato in 28.81. Atkinson was also a member of London Roar’s 4x100m medley relay team that finished second in to the Cali Condors, who clocked a fast 3:44.52. Atkinson was timed in 1:03.56 on her leg as the team finished in 3:45.14.
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Tuesday November 24, 2020
Kaieteur News
David Warner says Australia ‘trying not to engage’ in verbal volleys ESPNcricinfo - Last time when India toured Australia, there was a lot of on-field chatter between the players but David Warner says this time Australia may adopt a different approach. Instead of engaging Indian players in verbal volleys, they will try to keep their emotions in check and fight it out on skills. However, he also hinted that once Virat Kohli leaves after the first Test, to be with his wife for the birth of their first child, and Ajinkya Rahane takes over the captaincy, Australia may re-consider their strategy. “For me, personally it’s about getting in the contest, so that’s basically when you’re out there, you’re trying to feel for something,” Warner said. “Last summer, I was coming off the back of the England tour, so I really had to knuckle down and try and concentrate as much as I could, and try and get into a battle out there and contest with the opposition. I managed to find that in a different way and it worked, and for me, it’s about trying to find that balance again when I’m out in the middle. “[It’s] different this year. We start with a white-ball series against India, generally the other way around, which is going to be exciting, and Virat is only playing seven of the ten games, so for us, it’s about going out there as a team and trying to control our
emotions and play them on skill.”But how will he react if Indian players have some words to say to him? “I’ll always draw from that, mate. To try and get engaged, that’s the way they like to play as well. We saw that last time when we toured India. They really engaged us like that. We’re learning over time and trying not to engage in that. Probably try and reverse the effect by trying and ignoring it, trying to take it on board and using it against them by using your bat. It’s probably something I’ve learnt over time. And you don’t know the effect it can have on your team-mates as well. You’ve got to be a bit more humble in that respect. “Obviously with Virat missing, and well done to him to go home and be by his partner’s side for the birth of his first child… he’s a great guy, Jinks [Rahane]. He’s calm and very measured in his approach. He’s got a very good cricket brain. When you take Virat out of there, I don’t want to say this the wrong way, but he’s obviously passionate, aggressive, he plays with that fight when you’re out there. “Jinks is calm, collected, measured. It’s like chalk and cheese with two of them two and as a player to try and engage him on the field, as we’re talking about engaging, and getting into that contest as players, we obviously got to
Virat Kohli and David Warner exchange words. (Getty Images) think about how to do that especially with Ajinkya as captain. The great thing from India’s perspective is that you’ve got three if not four very good players who could captain the team at any time. With him, he’ll bring a calm and measured approach with his nature.” While Kohli will not be available for the last three Tests, India will be without Rohit Sharma for the whiteball leg. Sharma is currently recovering from a hamstring injury he suffered during IPL 2020 and has been included only in the Test squad. Warner believes Sharma’s absence is a big loss for the visitors, but at the same time, he also thinks the visitors have got enough in-form re-
placements. “He’s a big piece of their team they’re going to be missing, but they’ve got great inform guys, KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan and Mayank [Agarwal],” Warner said. “These guys played in the IPL, so you’ve got guys in good touch and great talent and depth in Indian cricket to take that position of Rohit. He’s a big hole in their team up the top, but you’ve got guys who can replace him who are in form that will do a good enough job, if not better, as we saw in India.” Warner himself had a successful outing in the IPL despite a slow start to the season. In the first ten games, he scored 335 runs at a strike rate of 124.07. It was then he de-
cided to open up his front leg and give it a whack. The next six matches brought him 213 runs at 155.47. “Yeah, definitely,” he said when asked if he would continue in the same aggressive manner in T20Is. “What do you want to see? 100 off ten overs or something? (laughs). In the one-day stuff, I’ll still come out and play the way I normally do. There’s probably going to be no change to that. And the T20 stuff is what people saw there. “To answer the question, of how I played at the backend of that tournament, we had to play that way on those wickets. You couldn’t just play yourself in. You had to take on that first six overs against the new ball.
Here in Australia, it’s a bit different in 50-over cricket, you can still play the normal way you do and I think I showed that last year, the way I played against Pakistan and Sri Lanka. I played pretty much the same way as I did during the backend of that IPL. I won’t be changing my game and will go out and tackle it the way I always do. “There’s obviously a risk element but there’s a cricket smarts element to it as well. For myself, it’s about getting off to a good start and taking calculated risks in that middleovers period if we’re talking about 50-over games. For me, it’s about making sure that I’m batting as much as I can and at a good strike rate as well.”
More than 80 women sign up for CWI Coaching Foundation Course SportsMax - Women’s cricket will take centre-stage in the coming week as Cricket West Indies (CWI) continues to unfold its plan to grow the game and create more opportunities for females who are keen to develop their skills and help increase participation in the sport, at all levels. CWI will deliver a series of free events — featuring several former players and administrators — which include an Online Women’s Foundation Coaching Course for over 80 present and past players, an interview series with special guests that explores the past, present and future of West Indies women’s cricket, as well as several Cricket Development Workshops held in Antigua. The aim of these initiatives is to engage, inspire and recruit more female players, coaches and course facilitators. CWI President, Ricky Skerritt, will address the participants at the start of the virtual training session on Tuesday evening. In response to a question following his speech at the recent UWI Frank Worrell Lecture series, Skerritt promised that West Indies Women’s Cricket would soon see an increased attention and
for women’s cricket with the inaugural ICC Women’s Under-19s and Cricket World Cups on the horizon, we want to ensure that women and girls from across the Caribbean feel that they can be part of the game in a playing, coaching or administrative capacity at any level as their involvement is crucial to a thriving and sustainable cricket pathway,” Brabazon said. “The response to this week’s
Online Foundation Course has been overwhelming with over 80 women signed up to take part in the event which is a clear reflection of the passion that exists for the game.
The course will be held online, via Zoom, over two evenings due to the present COVID19 restrictions. “We will also be releasing a seWomen’s cricket will take centre-stage in the coming week when CWI will deliver a series of free events — featuring several former players and administrators. focus which he said should help vitalize Women’s cricket and strengthen the female cricketer’s pathway from grassroots to the international stage. The President highlighted the
recent appointment of Courtney Walsh, as one of the key steps already taken. Chris Brabazon, the CWI’s Coaching Development Manager, will be part of the CWI team who
will be delivering these events in collaboration with Territorial Boards, Ministries of Sport and a host of past greats and contributors to West Indies cricket. “In what is a hugely exciting time
ries of interviews and presentations that highlight the rich heritage of women’s cricket, the current landscape and t he future direction
which will bring together some of the ‘best of the best’ to share their views including newly appointed West Indies Women’s Coach, Courtney Walsh, Jimmy Adams, Merissa Aguilleira and Anne Browne-John.”
Kaieteur News
Tuesday November 24, 2020
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Mix Up storm to victory in Samantha Vickiere dominoes tourney
Wayne Griffith accepts his prize from organiser Samantha Vickiere.
The runner’s up Executive display their trophy with sponsor Odessa Primus (left).
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i x U p maintained t h e i r consistency as they stormed to victory in the final of the S a m a n t h a Vi c k i e r e dominoes tournament which culminated on Sunday night last at Favourite Sports bar, Meadowbrook. Phantom took as early lead in the final, followed by Executive, but Mix Up recovered well to establish a
sizeable lead before taking the title. Phantom chalked up 15 games, while Executive and Mix Up made eight apiece in the opening round. Phantom continued their dominance in the second sitting, scoring 14 games to take their total to 29 while Executive managed 13 to finish the sitting on 21 and Mix Up made 10, taking their tally to 18.
Phantom and Executive marked 13 games each in the third sitting to take their total to 42 and 34 respectively, while Mix Up scored 15 to take their total number of games to 33. Mix Up proved too good for their opponents in a crucial fourth round as they chalked 17 games to carry their total to 50, while Phantom and Executive made 10 and six games
respectively to finish the round on 52 and 40 games in that order. Mix Up took the lead in the fifth and penultimate round as they marked 12 games to finish that sitting on 62 games, while Phantom mustered six games to take their score to 58, while Executive scored 12 games to finish the sitting on 52 games. Mix Up made 14 games
in the sixth and final sitting, taking their overall points to 76. Executive also managed 14 games and Phantom eight; both teams finished on 66 games each, but Executive took the runner up spot after making more sixes. Wayne ‘Harry’ Griffith, who is also a football referee, made the maximum 18 games for the winners, while Ganesh Sankar scored
17. Ariel O’ Oliveira top scored for Executive with 14 games, while Selwyn Prescott and Rawle Peters contributed 12 and 11 respectively. Orin Sandy scored 14 games and Theon Ambrose 11 for Phantom. Griffith was named man-of-the-match. The competition was sponsored by overseas based Guyanese Odessa Primus. (Zaheer Mohamed)
Ibrahimovic stars as Milan beat Napoli
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BC Sport Z l a t a n I b r a h i m o v i c ’s superb form continued as the veteran forward scored twice to help unbeaten Serie A leaders AC Milan to victory away at Napoli. The 39-year-old now has 10 goals in six league games this season, but left the field with what looked like a hamstring injury in the second half. He gave Milan the lead with a header from the edge of the box before turning in an Ante Rebic cross after the break. Dries Mertens pulled one back for Napoli just after the hour mark. But on-loan Chelsea midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko was sent off for the hosts two minutes later. Norway winger Jens Petter Hauge wrapped up the win for Milan in added time with his first Serie A goal to maintain the leaders’ unbeaten start.
Zlatan Ibrahimovicn has scored 11 goals in all compeitions this season. (Getty Images)
RHTYSC launches 30th Anniversary Special Magazine - Prime Minister Mark Phillips and
President of the Confederation of African Football Ahmad Ahmad before the African Qualifiers draw. (REUTERS/Mohame d Abd El Ghany)
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Minister Mustapha receive first copies p.28
FIFA ban African football head for five years after ethics investigation Prime Minister Mark Phillips receives the first copy of the magazine from RHTYSC Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster.
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Mix Up storm to victory in Samantha Vickiere dominoes tourney p.31
Captain of the victorious Mix Up Wayne Griffith accepts the winning prize from sponsor Odessa Primus in the presence of his team mates.
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