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AIETEUR NEWS

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Gruesome murder of Berbice teens... Thursday Edition

Overseas team concludes investigation; report expected soon

October 15, 2020 - Vol. 13 No. 41

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Online: www.kaieteurnews.com Online Price $80 readership yesterday 111,555

Senegal Gas fields vs Guyana Canje Block

Experts say Senegal Guyana lost US$ billions could have gained by avoiding US$ billions through open, public competitive bidding tender for of gas fields Canje Block p.

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Stand up for what is rightfully yours!

Fellow Guyanese – for months now, we have shared, on a daily basis, information on how you are being gangstered by our politicians when it comes to our oil wealth. Now we call upon our fellow citizens to wake up, rise up, and lift up their voices.

Shout and scream at political leaders who have linked arms to do what big-time gangsters do to the trusting and vulnerable – cheating and robbing you of billions of US dollars.

This is the present and future snatched away. This is your children's and their children's prosperity being stolen.

Fellow Guyanese – do not sit down silently and do or say nothing. Do something. Call out these thieves, who steal your bright promise and force you to continue digging drain and cutting cane, while they bank the billions. Do not do this to yourself and your children.

You have been robbed before. Do not sit back helplessly and quietly allowing criminal leaders to rip-off and rob again.

Leaders are hoping that these exposures and items that we carry daily will fade away.

They will not.

They watch nervously to see if the Guyanese people who they are taking advantage of will react. The choice is clear: do nothing and continue to live in the gutter, or stand up for what is rightfully yours!

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Murder Volda Lawrence Govt. to make 12 Brickdam 19 Ex-cop used passes through monthly 10 cubic convict lockups finally uniform to appeals court on fraud metres of water 62-year completed after conduct p. p.

20 charges 16 free to pensioners sentence seven years robbery p.

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Senegal's President and his brother gave away two gas blocks, getting billions in US dollars for themselves.

Guyanese - why are you allowing our leaders to do the same here?

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Kaieteur News

Thursday October 15, 2020

Kaieteur News

Thursday October 15, 2020

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Guyana lost US$ billions by avoiding open, public tender for Canje Block G

overnments around the world make big money when they award oil and gas contracts by open, competitive bidding processes. They also ensure that when such a process is upheld transparently, the best and most eligible companies are chosen to do the job.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) published a report in the year 2000, which estimated the Guyana-Suriname basin to hold 13.6 billion barrels of oil and 32 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Newer finds and estimates have already surpassed that amount.

Guyana’s Canje Block alone was estimated earlier this year to hold 5.1 billion oil-equivalent barrels.

By refusing to wait, and take the time to study the basin and develop a

Former President, Donald Ramotar foolproof open bidding process, Guyana likely forfeited billions of dollars in upfront revenue.

Guyana’s neighbour Brazil has had many licensing rounds, and its experiences give a glimpse of what Guyana could have gotten if it had put the

procurement of its blocks through a competitive bidding process.

Brazil has made billions of US dollars from public auctions alone. Brazil typically sets a minimum bonus for the award of certain rights. In one case one year ago, the country set the minimum signing bonus for one block at US$356M. This is because the country knows and skillfully markets the value it possesses, to companies which are capable.

The opposite happened when the Canje Block was applied for and awarded.

There was no competitive bidding process, and the block was awarded to a company with nothing of value to its name.

The application for the block was made in March 2013. The company was incorporated in Guyana, in

April of 2013, which means Mid-Atlantic Oil & Gas Inc. made an application for a block when it was not even formed.

The processing period lasted two years, and suspiciously culminated

seizure of Anadarko’s contracted seismic vessel in 2013.

Notably, he made the award just weeks before E x x o n M o b i l ’s f i r s t discovery was announced in May 2015.

advertisement carried in Kaieteur News of May 8 which screamed “ B R E A K I N G NEWS…U.S. OIL GIANT EXXON STRIKES OIL IN GUYANA…” Knowledge of this find

Brazil typically sets a minimum bonus for the award of certain rights. In one case one year ago, the country set the minimum signing bonus for one block at US$356M. This is because the country knows and skillfully markets the value it possesses, to companies which are capable. The opposite happened when the Canje Block was applied for and awarded.

There was no competitive bidding process, and the block was awarded to a company with nothing of value to its name.

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with an award on March 4, mere weeks before the 2015 General and Regional Elections. Then President Donald Ramotar claimed that the processing delay was due to Venezuela’s navy

He claimed that the Government did not know that there was a discovery.

However, the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C)’s election campaign strategy included an

could have been used in Guyana’s favour.

H o w e v e r, t h e opportunity was forfeited and years later, officials continue to be silent on what transpired.

Overseas team concludes investigation; report expected soon Gruesome murder of Berbice teens...

ranks were able to access the scene and only then could have determined that the boys were not killed at the spot where they were found.

The Force had said that a full-fledged team that consisted of 75 police ranks, the Major Crimes Unit

MURDERED: Haresh Singh, Joel and Isaiah Henry

D

etectives from the Guyana Police Force (GPF) will soon expect a detailed report from the fivemember Regional Security System (RSS) team who provided assistance to investigators with their probe into the gruesome murders of three West Coast Berbice teens – an incident that sparked nationwide protest action.

Providing this update on the sidelines of an event y e s t e r d a y w a s Commissioner Nigel

Hoppie, who told reporters that the team concluded their stint and departed Guyana last week. However, whether the details of their report will be made public remains unclear.

Commissioner Hoppie sought to reiterate the Force's commitment to “leave no stone unturned” as the investigation continues.

He noted that the police are pursuing a series of new leads but declined to disclose same.

Providing a further update, he stated that the

police are still awaiting official results from crime scene samples that were sent overseas for testing.

The Force had hit a bump in their investigations after it was revealed that the teens were killed elsewhere and their bodies dumped at Cotton Tree. Detectives had encountered difficulties accessing the crime scene due to the several days of violent protests by the people of West Coast Berbice.

However, after the chaos subsided, investigating

(MCU) from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters along with ranks from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and Government Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh on Thursday conducted a “methodical” eight-hour search in the

backlands with the hopes of finding anything of evidential value to the investigations.

Ranks on the ground also received aerial support via a helicopter from the GDF. The team led by the Regional (continued on page 13)

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Kaieteur News

Thursday October 15, 2020

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

Publisher: GLENN LALL - Tel: 624-6456 Editor: Sharmain Grainger Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

Why only Westmount, why not Guyanese?

As we recently revealed, Westmount Energy Ltd of the UK bought 1,550,000 shares from JHI, which was one of the groups that was secretly gifted a sizable piece of the Canje Oil Block. This investment by the UK firm represents 61.8 per cent of its assets at the close of 2019. Something is wrong here, terribly wrong on several accounts.

When any international investment company of standing makes such a huge share purchase, it had to have had comprehensive access to all underlying documents relative to the rich Canje Oil Block. Companies with investment records to uphold in the highly competitive environment of portfolio management and investment expertise do not go about their business blindly. Information is crucial, and the more the better for wiser, more prudent decision-making.

Westmount Energy had to be in that position, would have demanded it, as a non-negotiable component of any investment weighed and measured.

This means that the movers and shakers at Westmount Energy would have been privy to the entirety of the geologic and engineering bases, and all other related studies, behind the prospects of the Canje Block, as well as detailed information on financial prospectsand its principal shareholders. This would have been through Offering Circular, Offering Memorandum, or prospectus, as available.

This is said because the Westmount(s) of the world do NOT invest whimsically. They invest carefully, which means that the Canje Oil Block is a sure thing, which explains the company’s 61.8 percent asset holding, this betting of almost the whole house on one prospect. At that percentage, there is an incredible level of confidence on Westmount’s part, which conveys that the returns are as good as guaranteed. In such circumstances, the skills and prowess of a stellar investment manager are not of the highest premium, since even a dunce or a dummy could - and would - look good by making good on such a huge roll of the dice on Guyana’s reportedly fabulously rich Canje Oil Block.

This is both good and bad. It is good for Westmount Energy Ltd. and its well-placed investors. It is infinitely bad for Guyana and Guyanese citizens. This is happening all the way over in Europe, with investment strangers, but here in Guyana, all Guyanese are kept in the dark about any details, any documents, any directions and decisions relative to that same Canje Oil Block and its similarly enchanting sister, the Kaieteur Block.

We at this publication have a serious problem with this Canje Oil Block, and its latest disposition on which we focus fiercely today. If Westmount Energy is afforded what had to be comprehensive and complete access to all documents and underpinnings concerning the Canje Oil Block, what about us here in Guyana? Why are Guyanese citizens and owners of this Canje Oil Block not treated with the same courtesies and standards?

Why are we not given any information or any access to what we need to know? Why are probing Guyanese inquirers and potential Guyanese investors locked out and treated like lepers with what belongs to them? Moreover, why are our financial heavyweights in the beverage industry, the agricultural sector, the manufacturing and commercial realms not invited to bid, even to know anything, about the Canje Oil Block? And why were the mysterious and hidden people, local political and familial cronies and conspirators all, were so criminally considered, secretly invited, and given their orders under the table through backdoor arrangements? Who in the political leadership ranks, the ones who had to have made such far reaching decisions, connived and came up with arrangements that plundered Guyana’s oil wealth for their own benefit (and their future generations) and cheated Guyanese poor, vulnerable, hopeful?

We would be interested in what PPP leaders have to say about this. We still want to hear from APNU leaders something, anything, on this. The standing problem is that nothing is forthcoming about the Canje Block, and of which the same could be said for its Kaieteur sibling. PPP and APNU+AFC leaders are loud and assertive on everything else, but on Canje and Kaieteur, they pretend dumbness and impotence. Guyanese deserve better. We are not even treated as outside children. We are outcasts in our land and with our own oil.

It is time GuySuCo focuses on becoming Guyana’s clean and green energy company DEAR EDITOR, As the Guyana Government contemplates the reopening of shuttered sugar factories, one understands that it is not an economically feasible determination but a largely social accommodation. Yes, revenues from the exponentially growing economy can be spent on social programmes to ensure a better life for the redundant sugar workers and understandably so.

The failure of the current sugar industry business model across the Caribbean is quite apparent if one takes a cursory look at the functioning remnants of the industry. Just look across the Caribbean and you will see the carnage that has taken place in the shuttering of sugar factories. Jamaica has only two of nine factories in operation after two spates of privatization, which were sweetened by generous tax concessions and lots of EU money poured into a Cane Expansion Fund and generous EU budget supported activities. There is every indication that only one factory will remain operating in Jamaica at the end of this year. The cessation of the EU preferential sugar market on October 1, 2017 made it untenable for the high cost producers to continue operating; they ceased production. Surprisingly even Appleton Estate, the home of that great Appleton rum now owned by Campari International Ltd just closed their sugar operations. In the other Caribbean locations,

Belize Tower Hill factory which produces added value electricity and plantation white sugar is the “success” story along with Worthy Park in Jamaica and Portvale in Barbados. In summary, the enduring aspects of the industry is valued-added branded packaged sugar sold locally in the countries and exported to other islands and overseas markets and the rum distilleries that continue to grow and expand.

From the 2000’s, Guyana conducted detailed and well documented feasibility studies and followed the lead of Belize but in a more ambitious stance and built a new state-of-the-art factory with production capacity of 116,000 tonnes sugar per year at Skeldon (the estate that historically had the best tonne cane per tonne sugar TC/TS). The plant boasted the first diffuser in the Caribbean and was to produce value-added products; plantation white refined sugar, ethanol and cogenerated electricity. The project was a colossal failure both financially and psychologically and pushed GuySuCo into a state of suspended animation and may have contributed to the indecisiveness in shuttering the uneconomical highercost factories within the group and the attempts to sell the remaining factories including Skeldon to a market that does not exist. The company plunged further into debt as a result of production shortfalls, reduced revenues and higher production costs. GuySuCo

then consolidated the remaining estates with good potential for development and kept the lower cost factories Albion, Blairmont and Uitvlugt in operation.

The revenue shortfall continued to plague the industry and this was exacerbated by untimely delivery of cash flows which is incongruous to any agricultural operation.

Projects held in abeyance are a plantation white refined sugar plant and cogeneration power plants. Marketing and sales of branded and packaged Demerara sugar is proceeding but a more aggressive marketing strategy may improve market share. The sustained accumulated debt racked up

by GuySuCo is sufficient evidence of an industry that is on an expired life cycle.

Business pivot Guyana must find a more disruptive technology and sustainable business model.

The pivot to new markets, products and or services must substantially expand revenues and be built on the existing foundation of GuySuCo. Bookers Sugar Estates, which later morphed into GuySuCo at nationalization was noted as the region’s lowest cost producer and a bedrock for training and development of artisans and professional managers. These are the core competencies that need to be recalibrated, transformed and realigned towards a new mission and vision. Clean and renewable (Green) energy presents that opportunity.

The Guyana’s Green State

Development strategy projects that agriculture of which sugar is a major contributor makes up about 25% of the GDP and the modelling predicts that agriculture will in future contribute 40% of the country’s GDP. However, it is recognized that such dramatic change in added value from agriculture will require substantial capital investments; this projection conceptually fits into the new business model for the clean and green energy industry.

The technology is available to make the change but engineering redesign of the plants will require much work to move away from the BackPressure turbines and lowpressure boilers to Condensing Extraction turbines and high-pressure boilers fuelled by clean fuels and biomass such as natural gas and bagasse. It is time to focus on becoming “Guyana’s Clean and Green Energy Company.”

Guyana will develop a Clean and Green Energy industry and make sugar a by-product of the reengineered business process.

Revisit the “Green State Development Strategy: 2040” (2019) consultancy group and find a pathway towards actualizing the stated strategy. The Green State Development Strategy is a key reference document that provides a strategic direction to a new green economy, the implementation of which will require massive capital investment, new investment models and will provide new (Continued on page 6)

Ryhaan Shah responds to Freddie Kissoon again DEAR EDITOR, Friends who read ‘Kaieteur News” have called to tell me that Freddie Kissoon has “cussed” me out yet again in his column of October 14, 2020.

Kissoon finds that his self-hatred places him at a disadvantage in the context of Guyana’s burning issue, racism. When the Indian Guyanese community is able and willing when under attack to state clearly who their attackers are – a very normal human reaction Kissoon views their truth as racism.

His self-hatred places him at a further disadvantage in that he has, for all of his adult life, embraced, praised, and placed even as gods in the heavens, several African Guyanese who he proudly boasted were his closest friends and allies. This “racelessness” is his main

plank in his flawed determination of who is racist and who is not.

It was also why his chosen friends, in turn, embraced Kissoon as a useful ally in their stance against the Indian Guyanese community and as a decoy that helped them mask their own world view, i.e., they cannot be deemed racist if the Indian Kissoon supports them.

Kissoon now feels betrayed by these friends when the truth is that he, during all those years, failed to see them for who they were.

(I understand that he has also “cussed” them out individually through his columns.) It took the fivemonth imbroglio when they supported the attempts to rig the March general election before the entire world to unmask them for Kissoon who now has to publicly admit that his judgement of

their character was wholly flawed. His continued attempt at the false equivalence of comparing me to his oncechosen friends who supported those attempts at rigging is perhaps a last ditched effort to deflect from his public humiliation at finding himself in the wrong.

He also has to admit that there were many of us who always saw those friends of his for who they were and had said so, much to Kissoon’s chagrin. While his world view is determined by his selfcontempt, it was our ethnic consciousness that helped the Indian Guyanese community to see the truth of those around us and helped in our defence of ourselves.

It is very unlikely that Kissoon will give up his selfhatred despite it being a stumbling block to his world view even to the extent of placing him at a decided

disadvantage in assessing the true character of those he embraces as friends.

His self-contempt is the one characteristic that actually fully defines him and now that he finds himself friendless and on the wrong side of history, his pain and devastation at seeing his once-close comrades as unprincipled and immoral is quite understandable.

It is the likes of Kissoon and his sempiternal inability to rise to the important national issues at an intellectual level that makes me very tired of Guyana. His columns prey on the fears and prejudices of his readers rather than enlighten them and in our preferred “cussout” culture, he undoubtedly takes pride in being much admired for being cock of that particular coop.

Sincerely, Ryhaan Shah

Thursday October 15, 2020

Worried about the reopening of schools DEAR EDITOR, Permit me to share my opinion with school reopening possibly for grades 10 and 11. I have noticed in the media that the Ministry of Education and the GTU are having talks on the possibility of reopening of schools in Guyana. It concerns me as a parent and teacher. Sometime in September 2020, a note was dispatched to head teachers to indicate which of their teachers are interested in returning to school for face to face meeting.

For our school, it generated little interest. I can’t understand why the government would be asking teachers of their opinion when it is clear they don’t want to make the call on opening.

They are using teachers as scapegoats because if there is an outbreak, which is bound to happen, the MOE will take itself clean out and say it was the teachers who asked to return to school.

Younger generation teachers will most likely indicate a return.

But those who are elderly

and those with medical conditions will be fearful. This is a life and death situation for them and besides if they caught the virus at school, it will be taken to their homes.

Amazingly, there are no consultations with the teachers on their opinions.

They are just left in the dark while the uncaring MOE is pushing to have the teachers’ lives at risk. Just look at the number of teachers in Region One who caught the virus earlier in the year and I understand that they were distributing hampers. The vast majority of students use public transportation to get to school.

The catchment area is wide for the schools. They can easily pick up the virus and bring it to school and spread it silently.

The mask wearing and social distancing in minibus is a disaster, should we put our children in the realm of public transport? Who will see the children change their masks regularly and where will they get a mask to change regularly? Is mask wearing for extended use safe? It is a well known fact that children don’t really show symptoms of

COVID and so they can be super spreaders. In Canada, teachers were asked to do either face to face or online teaching. Schools reopened and for schools, which opted for face to face or a combination of both, they are now faced with outbreaks in several schools in Ontario.

Schools are closing again in Northern Ireland, in New York, Czech Republic, France, Essex in the UK because of alarming outbreaks. There are many other cases around the world where the opening of schools has lead to massive outbreaks and there are now rushing to close again. The Government of Guyana cannot control the case load of the virus currently, will they be able to handle it when there are thousands of cases?

Our fellow CARICOM countries are not taking this gamble to open schools but Guyana with limited capacity is on this destructive path. I personally feel that the Government has not been handling the pandemic well in Guyana. They will and must take the blame for their uncaring actions.

Concerned Parent and Teacher

Could I be wrong in thinking that “Massa day done”?

DEAR EDITOR, I admire the boldness and clarity of thought of Ms. Audreyanna Thomas. I read her letter written as Citizen, Audreyanna Thomas, Masters of Jurisprudence, Rule of Law for Development, Rule of Law Advisor/ Advocate, rather than as Corporate Communications Officer at GuySuCo. In her letter in Kaieteur News of October 9 entitled, “Electoral fraud being investigated by the police and DPP, at this stage, is unlawful”, she draws from her knowledge of the law, which she studied. I found her explanation very thoughtprovoking and interesting and wondered if by any chance her interpretation of the law had anything to do with her being fired from her job “with immediate effect” as stated in Stabroek News,

Saturday, October 10. I prefer to think that we could not have sunken to such abysmal depths of dysfunction as to seek to get rid of a worker, known for excellence, because she chooses to express her thoughts on what is written in the law!

I want to believe that freedom of expression is still the privilege of every Guyanese, and hope that serving at an entity does not mean suppressing all

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Kaieteur News

constructive criticism and being subservient to “Massa”, whoever he/she may be in whatever season or Institutional setting. Could I be wrong in thinking that “Massa day done”?

I join with Martin Luther King Jr. in admonishing “... let justice run down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream.” (Amos 5:24 Holy Bible) Claudia Heywood

Termination of Employment Relations Regulated by Law DEAR EDITOR, The Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act, No. 19 of 1997 regulates the termination of employment in Guyana, without discrimination, and equally applicable to Public and Private Sector employment relations This Act, provides for a contract of employment without term limit, may at any time, be terminated. Employment contract terms may in reality be written, oral or implied; but always it should be fully written and duly signed by the parties.

This law provides for termination of an employment contract as follows: i) by mutual consent of the parties – the employer and the employee; ii) by either party: - for good and sufficient cause; - by notice to the other party; iii) on any ground of redundancy which relates to operational requirements of an enterprise. (Section 12) (I will address this applicable provision in the law separately, in a follow-up letter/communication) Unfair Dismissal (Section 8) The following reasons are not valid or constitute good or sufficient cause for dismissal or for disciplinary action against an employee:§ race, sex, religion, colour, ethnic origin, national extraction, social origin, political opinion,

family responsibility or marital status; § pregnancy or reason connected with pregnancy or medically certified illness; § absence due to compulsory military service or any other civic obligations in accordance with any law; § participation in lawful or legitimate industrial action; § refusal to do any work normally done by an employee engaged in lawful or legitimate industrial action; and § complaint or participation in legal proceedings against an employer.

A dismissal or disciplinary action is unfair, if it is based on any of the above listed grounds or if the employer fails to give written warning or suspension without pay for misconduct that is not so serious as to warrant dismissal (Sections 11 and 18).

It also constitutes unfair dismissal if an employer under Sections 11 or 18 of this Act:§ fails to give written warnings for any misconduct that is not serious so as to attract dismissal, but may terminate the employment for the same or similar offence or misconduct in the following six months; § terminates the employment of an employee for unsatisfactory performance unless the employer has given the

employee instructions as to how the employee should perform his/her duties and a written warning to follow the employer’s instructions and the employee continues to perform unsatisfactorily; § dismisses an employee when it is reasonable for the employer to take other disciplinary actions instead, including in order of severity regard being had to the nature of the violation, employees’ duties, nature of any damage, previous conduct and circumstances of the employee:- a written warning; suspension without pay.

A complaint that disciplinary action is unreasonable may be made to the Chief Labour Officer for determination (Section 18).

An employee also has the right to seek redress from the High Court for unfair dismissal or unfair disciplinary action (Section 19).

Summary Dismissal (Section 10) An employer is entitled to dismiss an employee without notice or payment of any Severance or redundancy allowance or terminal benefit for a serious misconduct which relates to the employment relations and has a detrimental effect on the employer’s business.

Sincerely, Samuel J. Goolsarran

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Kissoon’s attack on ethnic consciousness is not the solution for Guyana DEAR EDITOR, In his KN column of October 14 (“Ryhaan Shah, Melissa Ifill and Guyana’s sempiternal ethnic consciousness), Freddie Kissoon further digs into his two main but false assumptions, made earlier in his October 8, KN column: (i) that ethnic consciousness, at least for those who proudly embrace it, reduces persons to that one dimension and predetermines their thinking and behaviour, and (ii) ethnic consciousness cannot coexist with a moral self and a pro-social self. In sum, Kissoon’s view is that those who espouse their ethnicity and culture must be without the DNA code for free will, situational thinking,

polychromatic vision, and good character.

Kissoon chooses to ignore the reality and the contradiction that Shah (whom I do not know personally) responded to his October 8 column by asserting that her pride in her ethnicity and culture “in no way stands in contradiction to my moral and principled sense of being which has been instilled in me by my religion, culture, and my familial relationships.” And that Dr. Ifill (whom I know personally) respects and, at every opportunity within her scope, fights for the rights of Guyanese regardless of their race, gender and creed. As such, his question with reference to her (“Should

non-African employees and students at UG feel they will be treated fairly when the deputy head of the institution openly exclaims that she lives her life as a black woman?”) is both baseless and a dud.

Outside of Kissoon’s ulterior motives for flogging this horse and for trying to diminish persons, an issue of some interest may lurk.

It is found in his endorsement of ethnic pride.

Ethnic pride is among the highest manifestations of ethnic consciousness. None of the two will abate in Guyana.

They will both defy political and economic suppressants. So, even should Guyana have a government of national unity,

people will still self-recognize and celebrate their ethnic identities. Likewise, even should oil revenues give us a real good life, we will not, nor should we, lose “the DNA” for ethnic pride.

And this consciousness will not be limited to those who publicly and proudly declare their ethnic and cultural essences. It will infuse the silent majority as well. The solution to ethnic consciousness in Guyana and worldwide is not, as Kissoon believes, to disparage or disregard it. The solution is to accommodate it in a way that no one is disadvantaged or disrespected because of it.

Yours faithfully, Sherwood Lowe

Crossover votes a prerequisite for winning elections in Guyana DEAR EDITOR, I write to address one “substantive difference” identified by Mr. Vincent Alexander in his reply (KN 1013-20) to m y e a r l i e r intervention where I proffered my views on the nature of our political impasse, which, I stated arose out of our African and Indian-Guyanese Security Dilemmas.

Vincent insisted that even if the African Ethnic Security Dilemma (AESD) had objectively been removed (the PPP no longer has an inbuilt absolute Indian ethnic majority), the subjective perception remains.

“People have to be dealt within the context of their reality, even if their reality is a false perception. It is their reality anyhow that will inform their behaviour and relations.”

I completely agree with Vincent and, in fact, have often made this point by quoting the well known “Thomas’ Theorem” in sociology: “if men define situations as real, they are real in their consequences.” The point, however, is those perceptions were formed historically either through the lived experiences of

African Guyanese or through their socialization in families, schools or formal or informal institutions.

And can be “unlearnt” through the same processes going forward.

Leaders in the African Guyanese community have a big role to play in changing these perceptions to create possibilities for a less fractured politics.

Take the results of the last three elections vis-à-vis the AESD. For what it is worth, I was one of those who had publicly advocated from 2009 onwards, for the PNC to moderate its image to take advantage of the declining Indian Guyanese population eroding the PPP’s absolute majority, which was the basis of the AESD. In 2011, the PNC moved in this direct i o n t h r o u g h a leadership change from a baggage-laden Robert Corbin to the more urbane David Granger.

It then deepened this move by subsuming its name through coalescing with the WPA, GAP and some paper entities to form APNU. This move served to increase its stature in

the African community by bringing in the moral capital earned by Walter Rodney.

From 34.07% of the votes in 2006, as APNU they increased that to 40.81% in 2011.

The AFC meanwhile had garnered 8.83% in 2006 and increased this to 10.3% by going frontally for the Indian Guyanese vote in Berbice with Moses Nagamootoo on their ticket. AFC and APNU now had a majority in Parliament and the PPP was only able to secure the presidency through the peculiar plurality rule of our constitution.

The next step - to coalesce with the AFC for the 2015 elections - might have seemed inevitable but was facilitated by the new image of the PNC-as-APNU. And the APNU+AFC coalition did win the 2015 elections by securing 50.3% of the ballots. What this demonstrated was the PNC could win elections if they moderated their stance visà-vis other ethnic groups and were able to secure cross over votes - whether on their own or in a coalition.

W h i l e Vi n c e n t i s

claiming that these three elections are insufficient “evidence of ethnic political fluidity”, unlike David Granger’s PNC, the PPP has won the 2020 elections with - at maximum - their core ethnic base below 40% by encouraging that same “ethnic fluidity” that Vincent dismisses.

Leaders in the African Guyanese community have to educate their core constituency that David Granger and his coterie, who were handed leadership of the PNC, have only themselves to blame for frittering away the moral capital of Rodney’s legacy and the cross-over Indian votes brought by the AFC through their ineptness (at best).

Guyana can now practice the democratic politics of “in and out” rather than the toxic one of “over and under” if leaders can take advantage of the new opportunities presented by the new demographics.

We will return to the other points made by Vincent subsequently, since this letter has probably already taxed our readers’ attention span.

Sincerely, Ravi Dev

Thursday October 15, 2020

Was the Designz printing bid lowest and most qualified?

DEAR EDITOR, Regarding the front page reports (Oct. 13 and 11) on Local Government Minister giving a company founded by his son a contract, there is no allegation of wrong doing or corruption. Were rules violated on nepotism (preferential treatment) and procedure (bidding)? If the youngster was getting contracts under the previous regime based on his bids, why should they be discontinued now? Because his father is

now a Minister, should he be punished? Was the Minister and his son wrongfully scandalized in this report of such a small contract of $485K? These are not the sums that tend to interest traditionally corrupt officials.

Corrupt politicians are after the big bucks in millions of American dollars as in the oil blocks reported by KN over the last few days.

Such corrupt persons should not hold a place in the (Continued on page 23)

...It is time GuySuCo From page 4 exciting higher paying jobs for Guyanese.

The combined heat and power (CHP) plant will operate all year round and provide steam to the factory. Bagasse from the factory will be dried and fed into the boilers meeting the characterization of Green Energy. A 90 MW power plant can add over US$80M in revenues annually. When the plant is supplying steam to the sugar factory, it will be operating at 90% efficiency.

The fact is that agricultural industries in particular sugar with a crop growth cycle of nine months cannot operate on cash flows that do not match its production/cash flow demand cycle. Any protracted disruption in the supply chain creates mismatch in cash flows and will wreak havoc on critical time sensitive inputs such as fertilizers and factory spare parts, etc. and lead to a significant decline in quantitative and qualitative efficiencies.

In June 2020, I attended a Green Institute Webinar forum entitled The Resource Curse and Democracy: Lessons for Guyana presented by Prof. Michael Rosson which helped to crystallize my thoughts on the approach to Guyana economy diversification.

This has led me to believe that a comprehensive programme built around the core competencies of GuySuCo can provide the basis of an expanded sustainable development programme.

However, from information gleaned from scanning the many online reports, the entire industry needs to be restructured and realigned to recreate a new integrated technological, financial investment and governance framework.

Engineering design needs to be done to match the

power infrastructure with the sugar market demand, sugarcane requirements, the steam flow and ethanol product flow streams. This is not an abstract idea but comes out of my years of proven technical performance record and business development expertise within the industry and my relentless pursuit to find a sustainable solution to factory closures in Jamaica, St. Kitts and Guyana. But we must remember that it is the market that determines the existence of businesses and it is the cost of production versus price and quantity of products that determine economic viability. If electricity and input supplies become the main product/ service, there is a ready and expanding market and the current sugar operations already have these basic technologies and capacity to build a skilled workforce within its power generation systems.

Additional revenues from the sale of bagasse to the power plant will provide financial resources to help stabilize the agricultural operations.

Branded and Packaged sugar Demerara or plantation white refined and bagged sugars will add revenues for premium products. In view of the contraction of the Caribbean sugar production, the arising market opportunity must be re-evaluated along with the work done by the Sugar Association of Caribbean, Caribbean Development Bank and COTED around the tariff space facilitated by the CET to arrive at a new collaborative market potential with Belize. Excess sugars can be converted into ethanol to supply the local E10 fuel market.

Yours faithfully, Gordon Alert (BBA, MMI) Sugar Technologist, Business and Management Consultant

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L B T LUNT.. UNT...B BL B Thursday October 15, 2020

Kaieteur News

In Senegal, corrupt leaders have carted off US$12B in oil revenues for themselves.

Guyanese leaders have betrayed our people with the deals, which they signed in respect to the Canje and Kaieteur Blocks.

Guyanese: GET UP and Get LOUD! No political gangsterism here!

None of this @#$%&* with this oil!

No more begging at stoplights and cutting cane!

PAGE 07

Kaieteur News

PAGE 08

Thursday October 15, 2020

Experts say Senegal could have gained US$ billions through competitive bidding of gas fields N

o one in their right mind would want to sell a property for way less than it is worth and allow the buyer to make a million times more in profits after selling it again.

With this fundamental reasoning in mind, expert on oil sector corruption, Alexandra Gillies, categorically states that civil society activists should always be alarmed when governments allow prime assets to be given to unqualified companies for nothing, as opposed to going through a competitive bidding process which would garner billions of dollars in revenues for the citizenry.

In a detailed analysis that was published by the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI), Gillies cited the case of Senegal which gave two of its prime gas blocks to a crooked businessman for free. He later sold both offshore concessions for billions of dollars in profits that will fill the pockets of his children and grandchildren for life.

Gillies said that Frank Timis, a RomanianAustralian businessman with a corrupt past and no

Expert on Oil Sector Corruption, Alexandra Gillies

Map showing the two controversial gas blocks off the coast of Senegal experience in offshore exploration, created a company called PetroTim in 2012 and registered same in the Cayman Islands. After creating that company, Gillies noted that he used it to gain the rights to two offshore concessions, Saint Louis and Cayar, the same year.

Two years later, he created another shell company called Timis Corporation, registered

same in the British Virgin Islands, and hired the brother of the Senegalese President, Aliou Sall, to run the show. It is important to note that the President's brother also has little to no experience in deep water exploration and production.

Less than two months after registering the new company and hiring the President's brother, the company started selling out the interest in the gas fields

as it lacked the finances to do honour to the exploration programme.

Gillies noted that Timis Corporation sold 60 percent of the shares to American oil company Kosmos in 2014 for over US$400M. That same year, Kosmos found major natural gas reserves.

The United Kingdom (UK) oil giant British Petroleum (BP) subsequently joined the partnership and acquired 30 percent of the blocks' interest which saw Timis getting more than US$200M. In 2017, BP then bought out Timis Corporation for US$250M. That company had held the remaining shares in the gas blocks. BP also agreed to pay Timis at least US$12B in royalties over a 40-year period. In total, Timis made approximately US$900M in cash within five years of acquiring the blocks and today, the 55-year-old is set for life with at least US$12B more to follow.

Taking the foregoing into consideration, Gillies categorically stated that an open and well-run competitive tender would have attracted a capable company to explore the blocks. She said that when governments decide to go another route, it should always arouse suspicion and be investigated. Gillies added that when a probe is done, there is oftentimes an element of corruption that would be detected.

Controversial businessman, Frank Timis

President of Senegal, Macky Sall

Aliou Sall, the brother of Senegal's President

Thursday October 15, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 09

We want back our oil blocks!

T

he PPP/C and the APNU+AFC should not be allowed to negotiate any further agreement concerning the country's oil wealth. The agreements which have so far been inked by these parties represent a grand betrayal of the people.

The APNU+AFC signed the worst agreement in the history of oil agreements.

One independent nongovernmental organization, Global Witness, assessed that Guyana left US$55B at the negotiating table in Texas.

When one adds to this the massive sums which were foregone at the negotiating table for the Payara Development Plan and the give-away of the Canje and Kaieteur Blocks, it would amount to more than US$200B which a US financial institution now says it can lend to Guyana.

There would have been no need for Guyana to borrow any money if it had obtained a good deal for its oil. The country's leaders have also shortchanged the country with agreements signed in the bauxite and gold mining sectors.

Those who had harboured hopes that Bharrat Jagdeo would have renegotiated the oil agreements to deliver substantive revisions were disappointed.

Not only did the PPP/C, of which he is a part, betrayed the country over the permit for the Payara Field Development Plan, but the explanation and justification given by Jagdeo was pitiful and absurd. Those explanations which he gave

Dem

boys seh...

D

em boys hear all kind of things in dem lifetime.

But dem never hear so much nonsense as wah de GPSU talking. Imagine dem seh dat all nurses must be made frontline workers. So what is the use of a definition of frontline workers? If all nurses is frontline workers why have a special allowance for frontline workers?

But dat is how dem union does operate these days. And dem gat nuff of dem workers does follow dem.

about not leveraging the negotiations over the permit to obtain substantive revisions of the oil contract, should convince even his most loyal fans that even he should not be involved in any future negotiations.

But who is there to trust?

The people should not trust their leaders to secure the best deal when dealing with the country's natural resources.

It is time for the people to demand the holding of a referendum calling for a rejection of the agreements inked and to demand a renegotiation of the ExxonMobil deal and the return of the Canje and Kaieteur Blocks.

It is time for the people to say to its leaders that we cannot trust you anymore with handling such critical negotiations. It is time that the people mandate the government what needs to be done.

After all, is the government not simply a Board of Trustees for the people? Does the essence of democracy not involve the government acting in accordance with the directives of the people?

The most ideal form of democracy known is direct d e m o c r a c y. I n d i r e c t democracy, people vote directly to approve or disapprove decisions of the government.

However, in modern societies direct democracy is impractical. You cannot bring all the people together in one single location in order to vote on a measure.

Perhaps with advances in ICT, this can be done virtually. But for the time

being, direct democracy is impractical.

But why should the people of a country hand over full authority for the country's decision making to a handful of leaders. Look what our leaders have done with our oil blocks – Stabroek, Canje and Kaieteur! Look at their missteps in relation to the negotiation of the permits for Liza Phase 1, Liza Phase 2 and Payara!

Our leaders cannot be trusted any longer. They were silent when they are supposed to be levelling with the people. They negotiated secretly many of these oil deals and tried to keep them secret. It was because of pressure from this newspaper that they relented and made the agreements public.

But lo' and behold, presented with a golden opportunity to make things right, they have fumbled the ball again. So why should the people trust them anymore with negotiating the country's oil wealth?

There is one route still open to the people. It is the closest thing to direct democracy. It is called a referendum. In a referendum, the people are asked to give their direct consent for certain measures. This often has to do with issues concerning changes to certain clauses of the Constitution.

But referenda can also be used to derive the consent of the people on other public concerns. The people of Scotland recently voted on whether they should secede from the United Kingdom.

On November 1 this year, the

Dem nurses fighting fuh chicken feed All dem nurses expose to risk. But surely dem wah directly dealing with de COVID-19 must be considered to be more exposed to risk dan dem other nurses. So it is these nurses who should be considered as de frontline workers?

And is a paltry G$5,000 per month dem fighting fuh.

When de country leff $55B on the negotiating table of dem oil company. Dat money is equivalent to 40 years of our annual Budget.

So imagine if you get 40 years salary one time what you could do with it.

Dem boys nah need Nigel, Mingo or de Lolo man fuh do this calculation. Dem boys gan do it themselves.

Leh we suppose dem nurses wukkin fuh G$80,000 per month. Well dat is 960,000 per year. Leh we round it off to a cool million. Now imagine if dem nurses bin get G$40M one time. Yuh think dem would have need fuh any risk allowance?

Dem would do like dem boys: kack up dem foot, sip whisky and smoke cigar all day.

Talk half and watch how dem nurses fighting fuh dem chicken feed allowance.

people of Osaka in Japan will decide whether that area becomes a metropolis like Tokyo. There are now stirrings within Wales for a referendum on its relationship with the UK. There is no reason why the people of Guyana should not demand a referendum on the terms of the ExxonMobil contract and on the giveaway of the Canje and Kaieteur

Blocks. This is the only avenue short of nationalization which would allow the Guyanese people to reclaim the billions of US dollars which were left at the negotiating table by both the APNU+AFC and the PPP/C. Incidentally, this is the same billions which the country's leaders now want us to borrow to fund the development which should

have been funded by the proceeds which were left at the negotiating tables.

(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

Thursday October 15, 2020

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

Vincent Alexander decides who is a rigger and what is rigging O

ne of the curiosities of V i n c e n t Alexander is how this gentleman approached essential, ethical questions in Guyana's life. Alexander harbours extremely worrying thoughts that are light miles away from freedom and justice.

Knowing Alexander, one hopes when he replies, he confronts the specific areas of accusations here rather than introduce irrelevancies.

Alexander's thoughts are

dangerous because he denies the political nastiness he has created in his country. With phenomenal acrobatic skills, he puts on display his yearnings for a free, democratic society that is i m p o s s i b l e t o e m e rg e because his hero, Burnham started the sociological nightmare and he, Alexander (and David Granger) want to see a reincarnation of Burnham's ontology in Guyana.

Let's examine Alexander's political mind.

Here is what he wrote in response to my criticism of his letter to the five visiting CARICOM heads and the UN during the election crisis in his capacity as chairman of the International Decade for People of African Descent - Guyana chapter (IDAPADA). I would appeal to readers to follow carefully his words because this is how a deceptive mind works and one must be on guard.

Here is Alexander; “The position conveyed to CARICOM and the UN was

not singularly Alexander's. It was taken by IDAPADA. In fact I was not even present when IDAPADA came to its conclusion.”

Readers need some background information before I expose Alexander's duplicity and dangerous mind. Alexander published a letter in the newspapers informing the nation that IDAPADA wrote the visiting CARICOM PMs to have a discussion on Guyana's sociology that n e c e s s i t a t e s CARICOM going beyond mere election results because Guyana's dilemma is larger than election results. Alexander further noted that there wasn't even a response from the PMs. I then commented on IDAPADA's failure because the PMs must have detected an air of hypocrisy on the part of Alexander as chairman of IDAPADA. This chairman was asking CARICOM to look beyond election results because there is a bigger, problematic picture.

But this same chairman would have been sitting with the PMs discussing the bigger picture while at the same time, as a GECOM commissioner, was trying to get GECOM to accept a fraudulent election result, the very result that he put to the PMs was not worthy of exigent discussion.

What relevance is there in him telling us that IDAPADA's position was not exclusively his and he was not present when IDAPADA met to decide on writing the PMs? He is the chairman of IDAPADA. He agreed to the letter. He

accepted the contents of the letter. Now here is the quote from Alexander that exposes his Burnhamite purism.

Please follow my accusation which I will repeat for emphasis. The CARICOM PMs could not

Frederick Kissoon h a v ee n t e r t a i n e d IDAPADA because its chairman was doing a sick form of acrobatics in front of them. He wanted a confabulation on issues that go way beyond periodic elections but was trying to impose a rigged election on Guyana. Alexander rejects my accusation of the imposition of a rigged election. He said there was no such thing.

Here is Alexander on that issue; “My motion for Lowenfield's first report to be tabled (for GECOM's acceptance) predated the recount and was not in breach of any of CARICOM's procedure or any judicial ruling.” This is downright fictional, misleading and willfully wicked. Lowenfield's first report of Friday, March 6 was fraudulent and was rejected by the High Court that ruled against Mingo's Region Four4 caricatured

tabulation. Mingo did not adhere to the High Court's injunction and repeated his improprieties on Friday, March 13, 2020.

The Lowenfield's first report was always a breach of GECOM's procedures and that is why GECOM and the courts never accepted it. The conclusion is that with minds like Alexander's, one must understand what Guyana is facing. To sum up, he believes that there is no contradiction in IDAPADA having a discussion with CARICOM to request that CARICOM analyze the bigger picture rather than concentrate on the election results and his attempts to rig the election.

This is the same Alexander that announced to the world on a television programme with Dr. Grantley Waldron on Channel 9 that it was he, Alexander, who stopped the Chief Elections Officer, Mr. Gocool Boodhoo, from declaring victory for the PPP in 2011. Alexander said he showed Boodhoo where his calculation of seats, based on votes, was wrong. Boodhoo agreed.

The PPP lost its majority.

For Alexander, Mingo's March 4 tabulation and Lowenfield's compilation of his report of Friday, March 6 which are based on fraudulent numbers are valid for Alexander.

Vincent Alexander knows about rigging election since 1973. Looking back, maybe Boodhoo should not have conceded that Alexander was right in 2011.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

Thursday October 15, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 11

2018 AG Report for Region Two Health Dept. shows $111.5 million - Region had received $210.1 unaccounted for million for drugs and supplies A

n Auditor General report dated December 31, 2018, has revealed that $111.5 million, which was supposedly expended for the procurement of medical drugs and supplies in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) is unaccounted for. This information was revealed yesterday by the Clerk of the R eg io n Tw o R eg i o n a l Democratic Council (RDC), Devenand Ramdatt who was at the time updating the RDC on the report, during the Council's first sitting.

Ramdatt, who functions in the capacity of the Regional Accounting Officer of Region Two, said that in 2018, $210.1 million was requested by the Health Department in Region Two

for the procurement of drugs and medical supplies.

Interestingly, of the $210.1 million, just $98.6 million was actually expended.

Ramdatt said that the balance of $111.5 million was unaccounted for.

He went on to say, “I have presented to council from preliminary finding from the report. From the Auditor General for December 31, 2018, we've found a number of irregularities and malpractices that were ongoing.”

Quoting from the report, Ramdatt read, “With respect to the warrant issued on 31st January 2019 to Ministry of Public Health for $210.1 million.

A financial return was

received indicating that the entire amount was expended; however, a statement of reconciliation was received from the materials management unit [MMU] in August of 2020, which reflected cost of deliveries of $98.6 million.

So of the $210.1 million we only received $98.6 million.

There was no mention of the balance totaling $111.5 million.”

The clerk indicated that the Regional Health Officer has been instructed to investigate the issue. “We have asked the Regional Health Officer to examine his system in an effort to locate the $111.5 million, and we don't expect him to just locate and get back the value, but at the same time,

MOH records 24 new COVID-19 cases

T

he Ministry of Health (MOH) has recorded 24 new COVID-19 cases bringing Guyana's overall total to 3,589.

According to the Ministry's daily dashboard, of the new cases, there were seven in Region Four, two in

Region Seven, ten in Region Eight and two in Region Ten. Meanwhile, Regions One, Three and Six have one case each.

Further, the dashboard noted that there are 80 persons in institutional isolation, 16 persons in the COVID-19 Intensive Care

Unit (ICU) and 900 persons in home isolation. There are 42 persons in quarantine.

The number of recoveries so far is 2,487 while the deaths remain at 106. The numbers were taken from a total of 16,308 persons who were tested for COVID-19, so far.

Regional Executive Officer Devenand Ramdatt (left), Regional Chairman Vilma De Silva (right). (Region Two) we want him to create a system that will prevent future redundancies,” said Ramdatt.

Apart from the missing $111.5 million, Ramdatt said

that the Audit Report also revealed that 55 drums of fuel were misused.

Commenting on this issue, he went on to say, “Fifty-five drums of fuel

were misused, community health workers could not have been provided with fuel to do their work. Some resorted to using their own fuel and engine.”

PAGE 12

Kaieteur News

Thursday October 15, 2020

Soldier granted $20,000 Murder convict appeals bail for assaulting cop 62-year sentence

A

K

ester Bowen, 25, a Lance Corporal of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) was yesterday granted bail in the sum of $20,000 for assaulting a police constable.

Bowen was caught on camera last Friday beating the constable identified as Wilson.

The constable had reportedly instructed him to pull over his car after he switched lanes and caused a major traffic congestion along the Meer-Zorgen Public Road on the Western side of the Demerara Harbour Bridge.

The GDF officer appeared for a second time before Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Wales Magistrate Court where he was charged for allegedly assaulting Wilson and obstructing a peace officer.

Bowen pleaded not guilty to both charges and is expected to make his reappearance in court on November 4, 2020. Prior to these charges, Bowen was charged on Monday for multiple traffic offences, which included operating an uninsured and uncertified vehicle.

He was fined in excess of $40,000.

According to reports, Bowen became annoyed at Wilson for instructing him to pull over. He exited his car and reportedly “chucked Wilson”.

Kaieteur News reported that Wilson warned Bowen but was ignored and suffered a brutal attack. Video evidence showed Wilson being choked and punched

Constable Wilson just after the assault. (Travis Chase photo) repeatedly to face and body before he was finally thrown to the ground by Bowen.

Persons in background could be heard describing Bowen as disrespectful and advised Wilson to call for back-up.

Back-up reportedly came and Bowen was apprehended and escorted to La Grange Police Station while Wilson was later taken to the West Demerara Regional Hospital for medical attention.

bdul Budhoo, w h o w a s convicted for murder and manslaughter in relation to the death of two brothers from Mackenzie Linden, Shaheed and Imran Bacchus, is challenging the 62-year sentence he received in 2017.

According to documents filed by his attorney, Mark Conway, Budhoo is asking the Appeal Court to overturn the conviction and sentence based on claims that the trial Judge Navindra Singh erred on a number of pertinent issues leading up to the verdict of his trial in the High Court.

In his appeal, Budhoo contends, among other things, that the trial judge erred in law in the direction he gave to the jury as regards the issue of provocation – an element to consider in finding someone guilty for manslaughter.

As it relates to the severity of sentence for the offences, Budhoo also claimed that the trial judge erred in law by failing to apply case law principles that promote fairness in sentencing.

He noted that the Sentencing Guidelines Council notes that a number of elements had to be considered and balanced by the sentence such as the degree of the provocation;

the extent and timing of the retaliation; the circumstances of the killing; the relationship between the offender and the victim; the behaviour of the offender after the killing; the type of weapon used and whether it had been to hand or had been carried to the scene.

Budhoo was sentenced to serve 62 years in prison for the unlawful killing of two brothers, which occurred at Mackenzie, Linden, in September 2012.

Reports indicated that the brothers were murdered as a result of a dispute over money at Wismar Street, Mackenzie, on September 30, 2012.

On the day of the incident, an argument over outstanding monies had ensued between Budhoo and his cousin, Shaheed Bacchus, when Shaheed's brother, Imran intervened.

Both brothers were fatally stabbed.

Budhoo had maintained that he was innocent of the crime but before he was convicted and sentenced, Budhoo stood up and told the court that he was sorry for the incident.

In tears, he recalled that his cousin had thrown bricks at him when he was passing their home on the day of the incident. “I just wanted it to stop, but we had a fight, and before I know it, he get stab,”

Convicted: Abdul Budhoo the man had mumbled.

After listening to Budhoo, the judge handed down the judgment. Justice Singh noted that while remorse is a factor to be considered when handing down a sentence, he could not be sure that Budhoo was genuine with his regret.

“You started out by saying you are sorry, but then you gave a different version of the story than what was recounted by three eyewitnesses in the trial, so I really can't say whether your remorse is genuine,” Justice Singh asserted.

The judge calculated a sentence of 62 years in prison for the murder and 32 years in jail on the account of manslaughter. The sentences were scheduled to run concurrently.

Deeds Registry sanitised as staffer test positive for COVID-19

T

he Deeds and Commercial R e g i s t r y announced yesterday that steps were taken to sanitise the building after a staffer tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) disease.

According to a statement issued, the Registry said it has taken note of an illinformed, reckless and malicious post being circulated on social media.

According to the statement by the state agency, the information peddled on social media sought to convey that a large number of staff of the Registry contracted COVID19.

As such, the Registry

said that it was pertinent for them to provide clarity on the issue.

The Registry clarified that one staff member who operates in a small department tested positive and immediately after the result was known, the department activated its established protocols in keeping with the COVID-19 guidelines and closed the building, commenced contact tracing and had those staff members who came into contact with the positive case tested.

“The Registry also moved to have the entire building sanitised and is awaiting the results of all staffers who were tested,” the statement said.

Further, the release outlined that when Guyana recorded its first COVID-19 case in early March, the Registry closed for two months but reopened in June 2020 and continued to serve the public.

As such, the Registry said that it rejects out rightly, any attempt to link the one known positive case at the entity to the reopening of the country a few days ago.

The Registry, therefore called on those responsible for peddling misinformation to desist from making reckless and ill-informed statements, which can cause panic not only among the staffers but with the general public as well.

Kaieteur News

Thursday October 15, 2020

PAGE 13

Retired Belizean jurist to help strengthen Guyana's arbitration laws A

ccording to the Ministry of Legal Affairs (MOLA), arbitration is the most preferred form of dispute resolution for the oil and gas industry and a modern legislation will instill confidence in international investors that Guyana is a competent arbitration venue.

The new law will give persons and companies a different avenue to resolve their disputes outside of the Courts.

As such, Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall has announced that steps will be taken to implement laws and systems that will make Guyana an arbitration hub of the Caribbean and Latin America.

To this end, the AG met yesterday with Justice Courtney Abel, retired Judge of the Supreme Court of Belize on the drafting of an

Arbitration Bill and Arbitration Rules for Guyana. During the meeting, the AG Nandlall noted that a modern Arbitration Act that addresses both domestic and international arbitration is high on the government's legislative agenda. The Attorney General also shared with Justice Abel the progress Guyana has made towards establishing adequate arbitration laws.

The AG revealed that a draft bill was prepared by CARICOM and the Improved Access to Justice in the Caribbean (IMPACT Justice) Project.

The draft is based on the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration.

The Ministry of Legal Affairs noted its release that Justice Abel has committed to working with the Attorney General's Chambers to

The meeting between Attorney General Anil Nandlall and retired Belizean Jurist, Courtney Abel and staffers of the MOLA review the draft Arbitration Bill with a view to improving it and preparing arbitration rules.

According to the

Ministry's release, Justice Abel is proficient in the area of dispute resolution and was instrumental in the drafting of the Arbitration Act and

Arbitration Rules of Belize.

He has trained persons to be arbitrators and was the Chairperson for the Belize Court-Connected Mediation

and Arbitration Program.

Justice Abel indicated that he is excited to work with the government in a number of areas, including arbitration.

NA Hospital receives ventilators and oxygen concentrator from Ministry of Health Medical equipment received from the Ministry of Health

O

n Tuesday, the Ministry of H e a l t h distributed two new ventilators and an oxygen

concentrator to the New Amsterdam Hospital, East Berbice-Corentyne.

Minister Anthony told the staff that he hoped the new

equipment would improve the quality of care delivered, particularly to COVID-19 patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

“We want to ensure our ICUs are better equipped and ventilators in an ICU are essential equipment,” the Minister stated.

He also hoped the use of the equipment would lead to more COVID-19 recoveries.

He noted that COVID-19 patients could quickly

deteriorate from a mild form of the disease to a more serve form. “Those patients after being hospitalised would need respiratory support,” the Minister said.

It was revealed that the 26 ventilators and 24 oxygen concentrators were donated by the Indian Government and by the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) which came up to a total value of GYD$122 million.

The government intends, as previously reported, that the equipment would not only be sent for use in the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation's ICU but also to other facilities. Minister Anthony had also previously stated – while receiving the equipment earlier this week –that in some regions, there has been a challenge to deliver oxygen.

Overseas team concludes investigation; report expected...

From page 3 Commander unfortunately failed to find any evidence to aid their investigations leading to the arrival of the RSS. The Force will also soon receive another boost in their investigations with the impending arrival of the Argentine Team of Forensic Anthropology (Equipo

Argentino de Antropologia Forensica-EAAF).

In a previous release, the team was described as “one of the world's foremost agencies in forensic anthropology and is said to have conducted investigations on many “high profile” cases around the world. The team will include a

forensic pathologist, a forensic anthropologist and a forensic radiologist and will also bring along with them the equipment they need.

The mutilated bodies of Joel and Isaiah Henry were found back on September 6, in clumps of bushes near to a coconut estate located at Cotton Tree Backdam, West Coast

Berbice, Region Five.

Protests marred by violence had erupted over the news of their gruesome murder and days later, the body of another teen, Haresh Singh was found, lying in a patch of grass and bleeding from the nose at the Number Three Village Backdam.

Singh was later pronounced

dead at a hospital and was identified as the grandson of one of the suspects, a rice farmer, who was in police custody at the time for the murder of the Henry boys. These protests had lasted for days and had affected businesses and left numerous commuters stranded some for hours and others for days.

Kaieteur News

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Thursday October 15, 2020

Govt. to make monthly Accused on trial for former 10 cubic metres of water GPHC's dispatcher murder to know fate today free to pensioners

P

ensioners will receive 10 cubic metres of water free of charge from the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) according to its newly appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Shaik Baksh.

Baksh disclosed to another section of the media that the measure falls under the People's Progressive Party government's budgetary provisions and their campaign promise to provide pensioners with better incentives.

The CEO said that the 10 cubic metres of water equates to about five 400gallon black tanks of water and is expected to last a pensioner and their partner (if they have)approximately a month.

Baksh went on to say that after the allocated amount of water finishes only then the pensioners will be required to pay for the remaining amount of water used.

“We estimated that consumers were paying VAT [valued-added tax] in excess of $35 million a month, so this is a big relief for all consumers, especially the pensioners.

That is why this

Chief Executive Officer of the GWI, Shaik Baksh Government saw it necessary to reinstate free water of ten cubic meters,” Baksh told the entity.

He explained that the free water will only be for pensioners who possess a water meter and also urged pensioners who have outstanding bills at GWI to visit their head office, as a system will be put in place to clear those bills since the measure was not “retroactive”.

In 2017, current Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo

had called for free water and other incentives like the increase of old-age pension to be added the APNU+AFC's 2018 Budget, as he believed there was the fiscal capacity for these incentives to be implemented.

He had also asked for restoration of the “Because We Care” cash grant that saw schoolchildren receiving $10,000 grants for their necessary school-based needs – the PPP in their 2020 budget re-implemented that very cash grant, raising the amount to $15,000.

F u r t h e r, t h e Vi c e President had pleaded for the removal of VAT from w a t e r, e l e c t r i c i t y a n d medical services, all of which were included in the National Budget of 2020, all of which take effect from January 2021.

Other measures to provide relief to pensioners included the increase of old-age pension to $25,000.

The government also sought to provide direct payment and home delivery of old age pensions amid the current COVID-19 pandemic in Guyana.

Accused: Alan Sim

A

llan Sim, the man accused of murdering former Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) dispatcher, Melissa Skeete is set to know his fate today after the mixed 12member panel of jurors deliberates on the evidence presented in his trial.

Sim, who is facing a trial before Justice Navindra Singh and the jury in the Georgetown High Court, has since led a defence in which he denied having any involvement in the crime.

The accused called his former attorney, Patrice Henry to take the stand as a witness in his defence when he joined the proceedings via Zoom from the Lusignan Prison on Tuesday.

Sim told the court after he was arrested by the police, he was taken to several

Murdered: Melissa Skeete

station and questioned about his former partner Skeete's death but he never responded to the officers.

In fact, the accused claimed that he remained silent throughout the interrogation.

He said that at no time did he provide any statement to the police as they had alleged.

The accused claimed too that he did not respond because he was advised by his attorney at the time, Henry, not to respond to the policemen. Henry was then called upon to take the witness stand by attorney Adrian Thompson to substantiate the claims of the accused.

In his sworn testimony, Henry confirmed that he had instructed Sim to remain silent when the police put questions to him. The lawyer

claimed he visited the Criminal Investigation Department, (CID) Eve Leary sometime and spoke to Sim, who confirmed that he had remained silent.

The lawyer was crossexamined by Senior State Counsel, Tuanna Hardy who suggested that he could not say without a doubt that his client had adhered to his instructions because he was not with his client at all times after he was placed in the custody of the police. After much back and forth, the lawyer agreed with the suggestion.

Sim's defence came following testimonies of several witness including police investigators who claimed that the accused had said that he stabbed the woman using a surgical blade with which she first (continued on page 16)

Thursday October 15, 2020

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

PAGE 16

Thursday October 15, 2020

Volda Lawrence passes through court on fraud charges The People's National Congress/ Reform (PNC/R) Chairperson and former Minister of Health, Volda Lawrence, and APNU/AFC supporters yesterday.

APNU/AFC supporters gathered around, PNC/R's Volda Lawrence

T

he People's N a t i o n a l Congress/ Reform (PNC/R) Chairperson and former Minister of Health, Volda Lawrence' controversial signature on a GECOM document has earned her two

electoral fraud charges.

On Tuesday, Lawrence was arrested but later released on station bail when she reported to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters, Eve Leary Georgetown.

However, yesterday when

she reported to CID, she was slapped with two conspiracy to commit fraud charges and taken to the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts where the charges were read to her.

She was arrested in relation to her involvement in the activities that took

place at the Ashmin B u i l d i n g , G e o rg e t o w n which was, at the time, set up as the command centre for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) for the March 2, 2020 elections.

In the company of her attorney, Nigel Hughes, Lawrence was escorted to court where she was arraigned before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

She was not required to plead to the charges which allege that she conspired with others to defraud the people of Guyana for the March 2, 2020, General and Regional Elections.

According to reports, Lawrence's signature was on Form 24 for Region Four which had the fraudulent numbers that were allegedly concocted by Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo and that Form 24 contained figures intended to assure the APNU+AFC coalition victory in the March 2, 2020, General and Regional Elections.

While speaking to reporters outside of the court yesterday, Hughes stated that the State Prosecutor Tarique Mohamed made no objection to bail being granted to the defendant, but

asked that it be substantial.

Hughes also stated, when asked by the Magistrate if the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) is ready for trial, Mohamed told the court that 10 statements are still outstanding.

The Chief Magistrate then granted Lawrence bail in the sum of $50,000, on each charge, a total of $100,000, with the condition attached that she reports to the Brickdam Police Station. every Friday.

The matter was adjourned to December 9, 2020, for full disclosure of statements.

While coming out of the court compound, Lawrence was greeted with cheers from A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+ AFC) coalition supporters; she then proceeded to the Brickdam Police Station.

Lawrence and Mingo are currently before Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty in the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts, facing a joint private criminal charge for the forging of a document that was used for a fraudulent election declaration on March 5, 2020.

The charge alleges that Mingo, having been

procured by Lawrence on or about March 5, 2020, at the command centre for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) on High and Hadfield Streets, Georgetown, uttered to the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, the results for Region Four, knowing it to be forged, with intent to defraud the people of Guyana.

The charge was filed by People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) attorney, Charles Ramson, on March 13, 2020. While Lawrence is currently out on $100,000, bail for the offence, Mingo was granted self-bail.

They are expected to make their next court appearance on November 16, 2020.

Police announced in August last that they will be conducting a comprehensive investigation into the criminal conduct of Lowenfield, Mingo, and others in relation to the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections and the events that followed.

During the probe, several GECOM officials were arrested and put before the court for electoral fraud charges.

Accused on trial for former...

From page 14 attacked him.

A d d i t i o n a l l y, S t a t e Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh testified that Skeete died of perforation of the lung due to a stab wound to the chest.

He agreed with suggestion that the woman may have had what are termed “some defensive wounds� about her body.

Skeete, a 32-year-old

dispatcher attached to GPHC was allegedly stabbed several times about her body on Carmichael Street in the vicinity of The Bishops' High School and the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre on November 23, 2015.

The incident is said to have occurred in the daytime while children were still at school.

Based on reports, on the

day in question, her 60 yearold former partner, Sim, had showed up at the woman's workplace in his motorcar and picked her up.

Sometime later, Skeete was found lying on the roadway in the vicinity of Carmichael Street, Georgetown bleeding profusely from several stab wounds.

She died while receiving treatment at the GPHC.

Kaieteur News

Thursday October 15, 2020

PAGE 17

Any actions taken in defence of attacks on police ranks will be deemed lawful - GPF T

he Guyana Police Force (GPF) is saying that any procedures or action taken to defend against attacks on its officers will be considered lawful. In a press statement sent out by the Force' Public Relations Department it was detailed that there is a worrying trend of physical attacks by members of the public on its ranks during the execution of their duties.

The GPF stated that some of its ranks have reported instances of citizens threatening them with cutlasses, pieces of wood

and others weapons. Some, stated GPF, have even tried to disarm ranks of their firearms.

These reports among others, according to GPF have been reviewed by the relevant heads of the Force and have been found to comprise elements of serious threat to the life and safety of law enforcement officers. It was further stated that persons in close proximity are at risk of being hurt as well. With this being established, GPF said that “any action taken by police to mitigate these threats will

be rendered lawful”.

Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn supported the Force' decision too and at the commissioning of the new Brickdam Police Lockups

yesterday, requested that policemen take reasonable precautions to protect themselves. Benn said that citizens need to realize that policemen cannot responsibly perform their

duties if persons want to run out and attack ranks.

Recently on October 9, a Lance Corporal, Kester Bowen attached to the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) made headlines after

he was caught on camera beating a police, Constable Wilson on traffic patrol duty.

As reported in this paper, the constable saw Bowen switching lanes with his car (continued on page 19)

Minister Edghill and the Chairman Ms. Indrani Ramnarine of NDC and councillors with residents of the Diamond community

Minister Edghill engages residents of Diamond about road infrastructure

M

Police being attacked with a cutlass by a citizen

inister of Public Works, Bishop Juan A. Edghill yesterday engaged residents of the Diamond community about the road infrastructure.

Present at the inspection were Minster Edghill and his technical team, Ms. Indrani Ramnarine, Chair of the G r o v e / D i a m o n d Neighbourhood Democratic

Council (NDC), and other councillors.

According to a press release from the Ministry, this visit stemmed from Minister Edghill receiving complaints from residents and from the NDC. The technical team at the Ministry of Public Works highlighted that there are three existing road contracts that should have been

completed, the release noted.

Upon hearing this, the Minister requested that the contractors be given a oneweek period to complete the job and if it could not be done, then their contract would be terminated with immediate effect.

At the inspection, Chair Ramnarine noted that they have been waiting on asphalt to fill the holes in the cross

streets.

“We are happy the Minister and his team are her today and I am confident that they will get the job done and in a timely manner,” she said.

In closing, the Minster said, “The people can't be suffering all the time, they need proper roads and infrastructure and with my team on the ground, they will get the job done.”

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Kaieteur News

Thursday October 15, 2020

Kaieteur News

Thursday October 15, 2020

Brickdam Lockups finally completed after seven years

T

he new Brickdam Lockups, which according to Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn cost $60M and took some seven years to be completed has finally been commissioned.

The facility which is designed and modeled to house 52 prisoners was yesterday handed over to the Guyana Police Force (GPF) b y t h e H o m e A ff a i r s Minister.

After a brief speech, he along with the newly appointed Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mae Thomas cut the red ribbon and declared the facility operable.

The project for the upgrade of what was once considered to be the most feared lock-ups in Georgetown begun in 2013 under the Donald Ramotarled People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration.

Kaieteur News had reported that then Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee, had estimated the cost to be in excess of some $50M. Benn after acknowledging this fact during his address at the handing over ceremony, said that it seems as though nothing was done to make

PAGE 19

Inside one of the cells

A shot of a few cells

the lockups operable by the previous government after PPPC left office.

T h e p r e v i o u s government A Partnership for National Unity +Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) had however detailed in 2016 that major corrective works had to be done because of design flaws.

Moreover, it announced that some $20M more had to be injected into the project but had remained silent since then.

Little over a month after the PPPC administration was sworn in on August 2, Kaieteur News had reported on September 6 that seven years spanning three administrations had passed and the facility was still under repairs.

Top officials had told this

newspaper that they were eager for the lockups to be completed since a high percentage of crimes are committed in the city. With the Brickdam location out of order, they said, other smaller police lockups are often over crowded. They added that police resources were also being strained to transport prisoners.

Benn had informed this media house that works were almost completed and explained that some minor modifications had to be made to ensure better air flow into the cells.

He had further mentioned that the contractor had asked for a little bit more time to wrap those works and promised that the lockups would have been commissioned within a

week's time. That week turned into another month with the facility finally being commissioned yesterday.

The Minister was

questioned at the commissioning about the overall costs of the project including the minor modifications and ventilation adjustments,

which had supposedly delayed the project's completion. The Minister turned to his engineer who told him the overall cost was $60M.

Benn and his team leaving the lock-ups

Accused found not guilty of Sophia shopkeeper's murder O

del Roberts, who was charged in relation to the 2015 murder of Sophia shopkeeper, Shawn Anys was yesterday freed of the charge after a jury found him not guilty of the offence.

Roberts called 'Gully Side' of 'C' Field Sophia; Greater Georgetown faced a trial for murder before Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry and a mixed 12- member jury.

Anys was shot and killed during the course of a robbery on May 1, 2015 at his 'D' Field, Sophia residence where he owned and managed a small grocery shop. He was confronted by the bandits just before 23:00 hours on the night of the incident.

The man was at home when he heard his dogs barking and decided to venture out of the house to

investigate when he was confronted by two armed men who forced him into the house and shot him while demanding money and valuables.

The gunmen made off with $40,000 in cash along with jewellery. Anys was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

On Monday, following the cross-examination of police witness Suraj Singh, State Counsel Tiffini Lyken told the Court that the prosecution has exhausted its witnesses as two other persons who were listed to testify in the murder trial could not be reached, despite several attempts to the contact them.

Ly k e n n o n e t h e l e s s implored members of the jury not to let the accused

walk free when he should be held culpable for the murder of the hardworking shopkeeper who was killed in cold blood.

H o w e v e r, d e f e n c e attorney, Damien Da Silva urged the jury not to convict Roberts based on the weak, unreliable evidence of one witness. According to the lawyer, the only substantial evidence in the case was that of Officer Suraj Singh.

The lawyer pointed out though that Singh's evidence could be easily questioned.

“This is an officer who admitted that he did not inform the accused of his right to an attorney at the time of his arrest. His evidence could be described as weak and unreliable at best,” the lawyer told the panel in his closing presentation.

Da Silva had previously

DEAD: Sophia shopkeeper Shawn Anys

FREED: Odel Roberts

cross-examined Singh about his involvement in the murder investigation. The lawyer had asked the Officer about his initial interaction

with his client.

Da Silva suggested that detective Singh had already formed an opinion about his client since when he first met

him (Roberts); he was already serving time in prison for another offence.

Singh had vehemently denied the suggestion. He said that he had no preconceived notions about the accused at the time of his arrest. The officer instead claimed that he cautioned the accused and questioned him about the incident, which led to the death of the Sophia shopkeeper. The policeman recalled too that Roberts denied any involvement in the incident.

“He said, 'Boss, I ain't know nothing about it',” Singh recalled.

The policeman also told the court that Roberts made certain admissions in relation to incident during a confrontation with a female.

He however admitted that he made no audio or video record of the confrontation.

Kaieteur News

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Thursday October 15, 2020

Ex-cop used uniform to conduct robbery

Govt. halts structure erections at Charity River Defence until appointment of new board

A

19-year-old pedal cyclist and mechanic was on Tuesday robbed of $18,000 cash by an ex-police man in uniform. The robbery on the mechanic Darmendra Yussuff also known as Ryan took place around 20:30hrs as the teen was heading home from work on his bicycle when the ex-rank and two other men drove up beside him in a white Premio motorcar along the De Kinderen Public Road, West Coast Demerara.

Yu s s u f f t o l d investigators that the ex-cop who was seated on the front passenger seat of car instructed him to stop his bicycle and pull over.

Believing that it was an onduty policeman, Yussuff obeyed. He was further questioned by the man in uniform about what he was carrying in his pocket and why he was without a facemask. In response, he told the man that he had nothing else but cash in his pocket.

The ex-cop then instructed him to take out the money and place it on his bicycle seat – once again, the mechanic willingly did as he was told. The man posing as an on-duty officer instructed one of his accomplices to step out of the car and retrieve the teen's cash.

Yu s s u f f b e c a m e suspicious, however, when the men attempted to forcefully take away his cellphone. He told investigators that he became

ROBBED: Darmendra Yussuff aka Ryan scared and ran away but managed to record the car's licence plate number with his phone before it drove off.

He reported the matter to police and ranks responded quickly and trailed the car to Uitvlugt. Realizing they were trapped, the driver of the car stopped on the Estate Road, Uitvlugt. He exited and ran away leaving behind the ex-cop with the other accomplice who were cornered and apprehended by the police before attempting to escape.

The car was searched and ranks found an improvised ice-pick weapon along with a cutlass. Continued search efforts by ranks for the driver who escaped led to his subsequent arrest as well.

The ex-policeman's accomplices have since been identified as a technician, 23 and a 25-year-old construction worker.

- conducting investigations on illegal structures being built

T

he Government River and Sea Defence Unit has put a hold on all structures to be erected at the Charity River Defence River Dam in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) until a new Board for the Unit is appointed.

The halt comes after the Unit was called to investigate persons illegally erecting structures on the river dam, preventing the flow of traffic in the area and as well as businessmen constructing their own private wharves.

Efforts were made to contact the Chief River and Sea Defence Officer, Kevin Samad for a comment; however, this publication was unable to reach him.

In a telephone interview with Kaieteur News

yesterday, the Regional Chairman of Region Two, Vilma Da Silva stated that residents in the area complained of the illegal structures and brought it to her attention which led to the investigation being transferred to the River and Sea Defence Unit.

T h e R e g i o n a l Chairwoman also stated that a team of persons from the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) including herself, Regional Vice-Chairman, Humace Odit and Councillor at the RDC, Fawaz Baksh visited residents in the area who aired their complaints. A team of sea defence engineers also visited the area for a proper examination in order to assist with the ongoing investigation.

Da Silva explained that during Guyana's tedious election period, some persons

saw it fit to mount illegal structures since there was not a stable governing body over the area.

It was reported in other sections of the media that a particular businessman erected a fence on a portion of land close to the river dam and even sought to sell that portion of land to another businessman with the intent of constructing a private wharf.

Further, reports claimed that workers from the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) and engineers from the Sea Defence Unit, who are conducting investigations in the area, saw no necessary documentation for the land, but despite this, the businessman claimed that he has the necessary documentation.

Da Silva has since assured that a thorough investigation

of cases like this and others will be carried out by the Unit.

Kaieteur News understands that residents of the area have been complaining about the illegal structures for months but it was only recently that they saw their concerns being addressed. A particular resident stated that it has severely inconvenienced her livelihood as a farmer, since she would experience d i ff i c u l t y m o v i n g h e r products about the area, due to the heavy delays in traffic.

She also thanked the newly appointed Regional Chairman for her efforts to resolve the issue.

As it relates to the appointment of a new board for the River and Sea Defence Unit, it was not confirmed when the election of the new board will be conducted, but it was stated that updates will follow.

Any actions taken in defence of...

From page 17 along the Meer-Zorgen Public Road located on the western side of the Demerara Harbour Bridge. The move

by Bowen caused a major traffic congestion and Wilson approached and instructed him to pull over to side of the road. Bowen became angry and retaliated by beating Wilson. He was a r r e s t e d , c h a rg e d a n d granted $20,000 bail for assaulting Wilson. Bowen was also fined in excess of $40,000 for multiple traffic offences.

Kaieteur News had also seen a video which surfaced on social media of a man attempting to chop a police officer with cutlass. The cop was armed but did retaliate, attempting to restrain the man and warning him. The

man was heard cursing the officer and telling him that he cannot enter his premises and threatened to chop him; he did not obey.

Another constable identified as Ramsingh was shot in the buttock on October 4 while on patrol duties with a colleague in the Guyhoc Park, East La Penitence, Georgetown.

The officers were riding along a road on motorbikes when they noticed a man armed with a gun involved in a heated argument with another man. They stopped and Ramsingh approached the man to confiscate the firearm but he resisted and attacked. After a brief scuffle, Ramsingh managed to take away the gun but not before being shot.

On Sunday, a notorious

convict, Randy Joseph, wanted for a series of robberies in Georgetown was shot after officers entered his home to arrest him.

Joseph's neighbours and his wife were seen in a video posted on Facebook condemning the police of wrongfully shooting an unarmed man. Police in a subsequent report detailed that Joseph attempted to disarm one of the officers, which resulted in him being shot.

With evidence of these constant attacks on ranks, the GPF called on members of the public who are tempted to attack policemen to desist from doing so since it can invoke life-threatening consequences which the Force wants to avoid.

Thursday October 15, 2020

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Thursday October 15, 2020

Surveillance footage shows moment Rose Hall businessman’s motorcycle collides with car

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Surveillance footage accessed by Kaieteur News shows the moment the motorcycle being ridden by Rose Hall Town businessman Imran Hamid, his wife Saudia as pillion rider, crashed into a car on the Rose Hall Public Road.

The accident which left Mrs. Hamid with a fractured right foot and her husband with minor injuries occurred just around 18:05 hrs on Monday night.

In the video, PMM 5277 is seen slowing down while

travelling east along the northern drive lane when the driver turned north to cross lanes.

He was already making his way over to the other side when the motorcycle with the Hamids collided with the car as Imran Hamid tried to negotiate his way past the turning vehicle.

On impact, both Saudia Hamid and Imran Hamid were flung from the motorcycle to the road surface, injuring themselves. The video ends at this point.

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After the surveillance footage was posted by Kaieteur News, Sadeeka Hamid-Khan, the daughter of the couple contacted the paper to provide additional detail.

She says that her parents own several businesses in the area and would normally use the motorcycle to travel between them.

She said that immediately after the accident, they were picked up and rushed to the

New Amsterdam Hospital.

Her mother was subsequently moved to the Woodlands Hospital in Georgetown with a serious injury to her foot while her father was treated for his injuries and sent away.

She stated that at the time of the accident, the driver of the car had fled the scene but was reportedly turned in by t h e o w n e r s o f t h e c a r.

Investigations are ongoing.

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Reports on or about him or anyone else must be fair and balanced, not scandalous or motivated by political opponents or by those who were denied the contract because of overpricing.

The report states that the company that got the contract was founded by the Minister’s son.

But the owner, manager, and spokesperson of the small company is a female, Monica Sharma. From the media report, she communicated with the Ministry. A small company owned by a female should be encouraged in business and given preference for a contract.

Designz Unlimited used to get contracts from the Ministry under the previous regime.

The Minister ’s son probably disassociated himself from the contract probably because his father is Minister so as to avoid any perceived appearance of conflict of interest.

In my studies of and teaching economics and business, a person can found a company and not be its owner, and as such, cannot be held accountable for its activities including bidding for contract. Since he is not owner and does not oversee

day to day operations or bidding on contracts, the son, therefore, should not have been part of the report.

Whoever sought to scandalize the youngster ought to be ashamed and seek psychological counseling.

Even if a son is a company owner, should he be denied contracts because his father is a minister? Then he would never make a living or run a business until the father stop being a Minister. Why should a son or daughter or relative be punished for the job of a parent who is a politician?

The son is a young adult who runs his own life and is entitled to government contracts if qualified.

However, he should not be favoured or enjoy preferential treatment.

Designz Unlimited received contracts before Dharamlall became Minister. His son should not be victimized.

And since the company is not owned by him, it should not be prevented from getting contracts from government.

Designz Unlimited is entitled to the contracts if it fulfills all the requirements and should be properly paid; money

for contracts should not be returned to the government.

There are no complaints of over pricing or poor quality or delivery time of the job.

What is missing in the report is the number of bids submitted for the contracts and whether Designz Unlimited was the best qualified – price, efficiency, quality, and timeliness. When I was head of the Leadership Committee of my government institution in New York, I used to seek out at least three bids for a contract.

The best one, not necessarily the lowest bid, was selected by my committee for a project and approved by the Brooklyn schools superintendent. I am informed that three bids were offered for the printing job with Designz submitting $390K, another company $550K, and a third company $695K. Design was the lowest, by far saving the Ministry between $160K and $305K. It seems Minister Dharamlall acted prudently in giving the contract to Designz. If a company feels its bid was better, it should file a complaint and seek compensation.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

Thursday October 15, 2020

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Lanka Premier League player draft on October 19, first match on November 21 ESPNcricinfo - The Lanka Premier League (LPL) is as close as it has ever been to being a reality. This, with a date now set for a player draft, owners lined up for the five franchises, and international cricketers willing to play in the tournament despite Sri Lanka’s strict quarantine protocols.

So says Sri Lanka Cricket, as plans firm up for hosting the 15-day tournament during the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the latest announcement, the player draft - which will feature 75 overseas players - will take place on October 19, with the tournament scheduled to run from November 21 to

...Abu Dhabi T10 hires From page 30 participated, and actually played well. That indicated to me the interest in the league.

In spite of the late withdrawal, there were still many players who were willing to come and participate at short notice.

We would appeal to all

the member boards to afford this opportunity to their players.

The ICC has already sanctioned the T10 format. I want to explore whether this is something that can be played by international member countries.”

December 13.

In addition, four of the five franchises have found owners who are in the process of finalising their commitments, said SLC vicepresident Ravin Wickramaratne, while the fifth franchise may have up to three bidders.

And although the Sri Lanka health authorities are insisting on a 14-day isolated quarantine for foreign cricketers and tournament staff, Wickramaratne said prospective players remained interested. It is hoped that some players presently playing the IPL in the UAE would fly directly to Sri Lanka for the LPL. LPL organisers also announced on Tuesday

Thursday October 15, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) A friend could tell you about an exciting new person for whom you feel a very powerful physical attraction when you see their picture.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) Some exciting career developments could have you flying high today. Perhaps you've just reached a longterm goal or managed to get a break that tells you that your goals are now within reach.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Your physical energy is likely to be high today, Virgo, so you might not feel like staying indoors. Take care of your body first, and get in a good workout.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Chores that need to be done around the house could be at the top of your priority list today. A female visitor, perhaps your mother, could come by and making your place look great will preoccupy you.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Tonight, you might decide to attend a small group activity of some kind, if possible, perhaps one concerned with philosophical or spiritual matters, Gemini.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Today you may have some important phone calls to make, Sagittarius, and want to get them out of the way before doing anything else.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) Your financial situation could be greatly boosted by a development you hadn't expected, Cancer. Perhaps some investments suddenly skyrocket in value.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Good news about money could create some excitement in your household today. One of your goals might be to invest some of the funds in fixing up your living situation.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) A legal matter that may have been pending for a while could finally be completed today, Leo. It's very likely to go in your favor. Therefore, if you've been sitting on a contractthat needs your signature, read it carefully before you sign.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) An intriguing new neighbor, perhaps someone you're attracted to, could move in near you, Aquarius. This might prove very exciting.

You will probably strike up a conversation and enjoy talking with him or her.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Your physical energy is likely to be high today, Virgo, so you might not feel like staying indoors. Take care of your body first, and get in a good workout.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Your intuitive abilities should be operating at a very high level today. You might inadvertently receive some positive psychic messages about your future, and this could prove very exciting.

that the tournament would be played across just two venues - Pallekele and Hambantota - in order to simplify the set-up and for maintenance of biosecure bubbles. Colombo was not considered because the Khettarama Stadium is currently undergoing renovations, while Dambulla has been overlooked.

Franchise T20 tournaments have repeatedly struggled to get off the ground in Sri Lanka. This is partly because the country has a small domestic television market, and also since the SLC has struggled to find a window for the tournament that does not clash with a more established franchise tournament elsewhere.

This year, however, SLC has handed over the organisation of the tournament to the Dubaibased IPG group, and that seems to have reaped rewards.

...IOC ‘very worried’ by From page 31 excellent cooperation with her during her time in office, and is fully supportive of the reforms she has initiated in the IWF.” The IOC said its executive board, which has stressed the importance of continuing reforms, would take the development into consideration.

The website www.insidethegames.biz www.insidethegames.com said Papandrea, an American coach and former international lifter, was ousted at an emergency virtual meeting on Tuesday and replaced by Thailand’s Intarat Yodbangtoey.

Thai weightlifters were banned in April from the Tokyo Olympics, which have been postponed to 2021, due to a high number of doping cases. The IWF board elected Papandrea in January after 81year-old president Tamas Ajan, a Hungarian, resigned during a corruption probe.

Ajan had been at the IWF for 44 years as general secretary and president.

Richard McLaren, the Canadian law professor whose findings in July 2016 led to Russia being banned from all international athletic competitions, including the Rio Olympics, told reporters in June that the IWF was rife with corruption.

This included vote buying, doping cover-ups and $10.4 million in cash that cannot be accounted for. Ajan denied any wrongdoing.

Thursday October 15, 2020

...Juventus put entire first-team squad into isolation From page 28 compliance with the regulations and the protocol, the team entered into fiduciary isolation this evening.

‘This procedure will allow all persons negative to the controls to carry out regular training and match activities, but will not allow contact with people outside of the group. ‘The club is in constant contact with the competent health authorities.’

Juventus last match descended into chaos when Napoli were left unable to travel to Turin due to the commands of a local health authority. Pirlo still named a starting XI and players were seen at the stadium, with the expectation that the champions would be awarded a walkover 3-0 win.

The outcome of that was result was delivered on Wednesday.

Juventus themselves

announced that two members of staff had coronavirus in the week leading up to the Napoli fixture and with McKennie’s positive test, coupled with Ronaldo’s, the club are looking to protect the squad.

It remains unclear what impact, if any, it will have on their game away to Crotone on Saturday night.

Ronaldo returned to Italy on board his private jet on Wednesday to spend the quarantine in his luxurious home in Turin.

Upon arriving back in Italy he is required to observe a period of isolation and so will not participate in upcoming matches against Crotone in Serie A and Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League.

The presence of Ronaldo for the blockbuster Champions League match on October 28 against Lionel Messi’s Barcelona is also under discussion.

Thursday October 15, 2020

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Kaieteur News

Dita named ambassador for World Athletics Half Marathon Championships Gdynia 2020 WorldAthletics Romania’s 2008 Olympic champion Constantina Dita has been named an ambassador for the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships Gdynia 2020 on 17 October.

Dita competed at eight editions of the World Half Marathon Championships and earned seven medals in the process, making her one of the most successful athletes in the history of the event.

Her double victory in Edmonton in 2005, taking individual and team gold medals, remains one of the highlights of her career.

“I was surprised (to win by a significant margin),” she said of her 2005 triumph. “I was running a normal pace but maybe the opposition found it very cold. For me, it was good weather. I love to run in the rain.

“It was such a happy feeling to win my first gold medal at a major championship. For me, it was amazing and it was close to what it would have felt like to win a gold medal at the track and field World Championships.

Romanian distance runner Constantina Dita (Getty Images) “To win my gold medal was a great achievement,” she added.

“It gave me much encouragement to run better in other races.” Dita did exactly that, and three years later she won the marathon gold medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

Along with her major championship medals, Dita was also successful at big city marathons. She won the 2004 Chicago Marathon and finished second in 2005. She also made it on to the podium at three editions of the London Marathon.

Today Dita divides her time between her native Romania and the USA, and is still involved in the sport as founder and president of the annual Bucharest International 10km. She still runs and last year she completed the Berlin (3:07) and New York City (3:30) marathons. She hopes to one day complete the full set of six Marathon Majors by running the Boston Marathon.

Course, scoring and prize money details – World Athletics Half Marathon Championships Gdynia 2020

Poland is ready to welcome about 250 runners from more than 50 teams to compete at the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships Gdynia 2020 on Saturday. The sole World Athletics Series event of 2020 will also be one of the most highly anticipated competitions of the year as several global champions and world record-holders feature among the entries.

World 10,000m champion Joshua Cheptegei, fellow Ugandan star Jacob Kiplimo, and world record-holders Peres Jepchirchir and Ababel Yeshaneh will all compete for global honours in Gdynia this weekend.

Course - The event was rescheduled from its original date in March and the course has also been adapted to ensure any potential risks are kept to a minimum.

Now held on a fivekilometre loop around the city, the race will start almost from sea level at the renowned Kosciuszki Square.

The course takes in some of the main roads in the city centre with a slight uphill section along Swietojanska Street, then the final stretch heads back down towards the sea with the finish line located

Kosciuszki Square in Gdynia (Marcin Alfutowski) © Copyright on the main city beach in Gdynia.

Scoring - Teams may enter a maximum of seven athletes, but no more than five shall be allowed to start in each race.

Team results are decided by the aggregate of times recorded by the first three finishers of each team. The team with the fastest aggregate time will be judged the winner.

If a team fails to finish with a complete scoring team, the runners finishing shall be counted as individuals in the race result and be eligible for

the individual prize money. In the event of a tie, it shall be resolved in favour of the team whose last scoring member finishes nearer to first place.

Prize money - Prizes will be awarded to the top six individuals and the top six teams in both races. The prize money is as follows: Individuals: 1st US$30,000, 2nd $15,000, 3rd $10,000, 4th $7000, 5th $5000, 6th $3000.

Teams: 1st US$15,000, 2nd $12,000, 3rd $9000, 4th $7500, 5th $6000, 6th $3000. A US$50,000 bonus will be awarded to any athlete who breaks a world record.

Covid-19 impact - BCB to Premier League says clubs will not back ‘Project Big Picture’ hold preliminary age-group trials over WhatsApp

BBCsport - Premier League clubs have “unanimously agreed” that ‘Project Big Picture’ will not be “endorsed or pursued”.

The controversial plans, proposed by Liverpool and Manchester United, were rejected at a meeting of the 20 clubs in England’s top flight on Wednesday (yesterday).

Instead, all clubs agreed to “work together” on a new “strategic plan” for the “financing of English football”. The clubs also decided on a £50m rescue package for League One and Two clubs at the meeting.

A Premier League statement said “discussions will also continue with the EFL” over financial support for the Championship. ‘Project Big Picture’ involved reducing the Premier League from 20 to 18 clubs and scrapping the EFL Cup and Community Shield.

In addition, the English Football League would have got 25% of all future TV deals, which would have been negotiated jointly, plus a £250m bail-out. However, it

Premier League will bail out struggling League One and League Two clubs amid coronavirus @Pool via REUTERS would also have seen more power transferred to the socalled ‘big six’ Premier League clubs.

In its statement, the Premier League said its members had “agreed to work together as a 20-club collective on a strategic plan for the future structures and financing of English football, consulting with all stakeholders to ensure a vibrant, competitive and

sustainable football pyramid”.

It added: “Clubs will work collaboratively, in an open and transparent process, focusing on competition structure, calendar, governance and financial sustainability. “This project has the full support of the FA and will include engagement with all relevant stakeholders including fans, government and, of course, the EFL.”

ESPNcricinfo - The Covid-19 situation has left many young cricketers in Bangladesh with no option but to try and grab the attention of the selectors through video clips rather than via proper trials, in a radical reimagining of the way age-group cricket teams are usually selected.

The BCB announced this first-of-its-kind programme on Tuesday (yesterday), with national ODI captain Tamim Iqbal, senior player Mushfiqur Rahim and Under19 World Cup-winning captain Akbar Ali describing the process to follow with a video.

BCB’s gamedevelopment manager AEM Kawser explained that the board has formed three WhatsApp groups (one each for the Under-14, Under-16 and Under-18 age-groups) for each of the 64 districts and eight divisions, and eight others - based on zones - for the Dhaka metropolis area.

Once all the videos are collected, within a stipulated period, the regional coaches will assess these videos to whittle them down to around 35 to 40

players for each age-group of the particular district, division and Dhaka metro. These players will then take part in a proper inperson trial, with proper pandemic protocols in place, and from there they will be selected for their district or division agegroup squads, which usually have 15 players. The BCB’s nationwide age-group tournaments will be held once the pandemic situation gets better.

“Previously the open trial was in-person,” Kawser told ESPNcricinfo. “Five hundred or more kids would show up for the trials at specific venues around the country.

It is not suitable in the present pandemic reality. Health safety is a real concern, but we have to continue our player development pathway.

“Regardless of how many videos we get, it will be shortlisted to around 40 players for each of the district or division Under-14 teams and around 35 each for their Under-16 and Under-18 sides.

The shortlisted cricketers will be called for the in-person trial in their region after ensuring health protocols. Districts,

which are more safe as far as Covid-19 is concerned, will hold these trials first.

“From these 35-40 players, the coaches will make a 15-man squad for registration, ageverification medical test and then begin training. Once the situation improves, we will hold the agegroup tournaments.”

Iqbal, Rahim and Ali were involved in explaining to the youngsters how to shoot the videos with mobile phones: videos for batsmen and wicketkeepers should be shot from the umpire’s position, while those of the bowlers must be from three angles, which catch the details of their delivery.

The capital region of Dhaka will be split into eight zones because, as Kawser explained, “There are about 85 academies in Dhaka from which we take players to take part in age-group competitions. We select the Dhaka metropolis team from this tournament.

“So this time too, we will divide the city into eight zones so that the academy coaches can upload their players’ videos in separate WhatsApp groups specific to age groups.”

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Kaieteur News

Neymar scores hat-trick in rout over Peru

President Irfaan Ali presents cricket gears to Essequibo clubs

- overtakes Ronaldo in Brazil’s all time goal scoring charts Neymar scored a hat-trick in Brazil’s 4-2 World Cup qualifying victory over Peru.

President Dr. Irfan Ali (back row) with members of the Essequibo Eagle’s CC

MailOnline - Neymar overtook Ronaldo and moved into second place behind Pele on Brazil’s all-time goal scoring list after notching a hat-trick in a 4-2 World Cup qualifying victory over Peru.

The Paris Saint-Germain striker now has 64 goals, two more than Ronaldo and 13 behind Pele, who heads the list with 77, according to the count by world governing body FIFA. Brazil coach Tite was reluctant to compare his current star with past greats.

‘It’s unfair making comparisons,’ he said. ‘What I can say is Neymar has this unpredictability. He is the bow and the arrow, he’s a player who both makes and takes chances. And he gets better and better, and more mature.’

On Tuesday, Neymar equalled and then passed Ronaldo with two penalties either side of half-time before grabbing No 64 in injury time at Lima’s National stadium.

The 28-year old celebrated by holding up the No 9 with his hands in what appeared to be a tribute to Ronaldo, the former Barcelona, Real Madrid and Corinthians striker.

Neymar, who made his Brazil debut in 2010, scored his 64 goals in 103 games.

Richarlison, meanwhile, thanked the team’s medical staff for getting him fit to play after he scored in the game too.

The Everton forward was carrying an ankle injury when he arrived in Brazil for qualifiers against Peru and

Bolivia. He managed a substitute appearance in Friday’s 5-0 win over Bolivia but was fit enough to start against Peru, scoring once and supporting Neymar throughout.

‘I’m very happy to be back after 11 months,’ he said of the long layoff caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

‘We worked very hard this week.

Myself, even with my ankle trouble, I treated it morning, noon and night. I have to thank the medical department who worked hard every day to get me 100 per cent for this game.’

Richarlison is enjoying a superb start to the season at Everton, who top the Premier League with four wins from four games.

Juventus put entire first-team squad into isolation as midfielder McKennie tests positive for Covid-19 MailOnline - Juventus’ squad have entered a period of voluntary isolation after Weston McKennie tested positive for Covid-19, just 24 hours after Cristiano Ronaldo produced a positive test while on international duty with Portugal.

United States international McKennie, who joined the club this summer from German side Schalke, was the only player to turn up a positive result in the latest round of testing. As a precautionary measure ahead of a weekend game against Crotone, Andrea Pirlo’s firstteam squad will now isolate.

A Juventus statement read: ‘Juventus Football Club

His Excellency; President Dr. Mohamed Irfan Ali presented a quantity of cricket gear to several clubs in the Cinderalla County of Essequibo.

Dr. Ali visited a number of communities in Essequibo on Sunday last and among the clubs that benefitted were Sans Souci Jaguars Sports Club and Zeelandia of Wakenaam and Essequibo Eagle’s of Affiance.

The President gave the assurance that other clubs will also benefit from similar gestures in the near future.

Vice Captain of Sans Souci Jaguars Sports Club, Nokta Moses expressed gratitude to President Ali and said they are happy for the donation.

He added that the equipment which includes bats, pads, wicket-keeping gloves, batting gloves and

Arinze Chance looking for much needed exposure at Indoor C/ships

By Calvin Chapman Guyana’s 400m Indoor record holder; Arinze Chance, is relishing the opportunity to compete at the 2021 World Indoor Championships which will be held from March 19-21 in Nanjing, China.

The United States based sprinter is the leading men’s 400m competitor from Guyana with his world rank being higher than seasoned quarter-miler Winston George.

President of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG); Aubrey Hutson, in an invited comment, revealed that once an athlete qualifies for a major international championship, his body ensures that the

Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday. announces that, during the checks provided for by the protocol in force, the player

Weston McKennie has tested positive for Covid 19. ‘In (Continued on page 26)

balls will be of tremendous benefit to the members of the club. Moses presented President Ali with a club cap while Harrischan Ramballi of Essequibo Eagle’s told Kaieteur Sport that the members of his club are happy and thankful for the equipment.

He said most of the club’s members are young and this donation will help to motivate them.

Chance is ready for World Indoor Championships.

athlete gets to compete and he confirmed that the AAG will send Chance to the Games, once he is willing to compete. Chance, who recently graduated from the University of South Carolina, qualified for the 2020 World Indoor Championships which was scheduled for March this year but has been postponed to March 2021 after running a blistering time of 46.15s to better Jermaine Griffith’s 46.95s to become the Indoor 400m men’s record holder.

The time was registered just days before his 23rd birthday (January 20) and the now 24-year-old shared with this publication that he is upbeat about competing in the first major competition in 2021 after a challenging period of inaction due to the pandemic.

“If I do well there (at the indoor championships) it will be a big confidence booster for my Olympic preparations. Many people don’t realize that Track is an individual sport and any bit of form or confidence can go a long way. More importantly, I can only go faster from running among fast people and although I have been training hard during the pandemic, there is no substitute for competition”, Chance iterated.

When quizzed on the possibility of the Indoor Championships being delayed, Chance was very optimistic that would not occur. He cited the IOC announcing that the rescheduled Tokyo Games will run off regardless of the amount of cases of Covid19 and he also referenced major league sports such as the NBA and European football that have been able to successfully restart with strict guidelines.

Meanwhile, Guyana’s leading women’s 400m athlete; Aliyah Abrams, has also qualified for the World Indoor Championships.

Thursday October 15, 2020

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Maguire sent off as England lose to Denmark at Wembley BBCsport - Harry Maguire’s miserable start to the season continued with a red card as England had two men sent off for the first time in their Nations League defeat by Denmark.

Manchester United’s captain suffered a 31-minute nightmare, shown a yellow card for a reckless early challenge on Yussuf Poulsen and then dismissed by Spanish referee Jesus Gil Manzano after he brought down Kasper Dolberg trying to retrieve his own poor touch.

England’s night got worse four minutes later when Christian Eriksen scored his 34th goal for Denmark on his 100th appearance after Kyle Walker was harshly adjudged to have fouled Thomas Delaney.

Chelsea defender Reece James was shown a red card after the final whistle for confronting referee Manzano.

In a low-key affair, England had their moments and it took

Christian Eriksen coolly dispatched from the penalty spot to give the visitors the lead against 10-men England. a magnificent save from Kasper Schmeichel to claw away Mason Mount’s closerange header as Denmark closed out the win.

England are now third in their group, with only the winners progressing to the Nations League finals in 2021.

Maguire endured what must

have been one of the most miserable nights of his career before he was sent off after only 31 minutes.

It was bad from the opening moments when he needlessly left his foot in on Poulsen, and the rest of his performance was distracted and chaotic. Maguire was ill-

at-ease with England’s threeman defensive system, often out of position, even pulling up holding the top of his hamstring at one point before his fate was sealed by a shocking first touch which he tried to retrieve with a lunge that injured Dolberg.

He looks like a player

suffering mentally as well as physically following his recent arrest in Greece and it would be no surprise if he was also taken out of the line of fire at club level given his recent poor form.

He made an error that led to Tottenham’s first goal in United’s 6-1 home defeat before the international break and his display earned him a rating of just 1.85 out of 10 by BBC Sport readers.

England never seriously troubled Denmark apart from a couple o f l a t e s c a r e s , Harry Kane looking out of sorts and the failure of manager Gareth Southgate to introduce the creativity of Jack Grealish ahead of Jordan Henderson - which is no slight on the Liverpool captain - a mystery.

There was also more uncertainty involving goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and Walker that led to a somewhat dubious penalty award - summing up what was a very unsatisfactory and

disjointed night for England and Southgate.

Lukaku scores twice in Belgium’s win: Romelu Lukaku scored twice as world number one side Belgium beat Iceland to move top of Nations League group A2.

Inter Milan striker Lukaku got both goals in the first half, one a penalty, to take him to 55 goals for Belgium.

Birkir Saevarsson had equalised for Iceland but the hosts are looking at relegation to League B after losing all four games in the group so far. Belgium moved ahead of England after Gareth Southgate’s side suffered a 10 loss against Denmark at Wembley. Denmark’s win leaves them second in the group.

Scores elsewhere: Lithuania 0 Albania 0, Finland 1 R. of Ireland 0, Italy 1 Netherlands 1, Poland 3 BosHerze 0, Estonia 1 Armenia 1, North Macedonia 1 Georgia 1, Greece 0 Kosovo 0, Moldova 0 Slovenia 4.

Giro d’Italia: Arnaud Demare claims John Reid, New Zealand’s captain in their first Test win, dies at 92 his fourth victory in sprint finish BBCsport - France’s Arnaud Demare claimed his fourth win of the 2020 Giro d’Italia in a sprint finish on stage 11. The Groupama-FDJ rider held off Peter Sagan and Alvaro Jose Hodeg at the end of the 182km ride from Porto Sant’Elpidio to Rimini.

Portugal’s Joao Almeida maintained his lead the overall race, 34 seconds ahead of Wilco Kelderman. Tao Geoghegan Hart is the highest placed British rider in 14th, almost three minutes down. Demare is the first French rider to win four stages at the same race since Bernard Hinault in 1982.

The 29-year-old, who has won five stages in total at the Giro after winning one in 2019, said: “My three lead-out men

delivered me in a perfect position and I felt a lot of strength in my legs to launch my sprint.

“Coming to the Giro, I didn’t think I’d get four stage wins.

Hats off to my team-mates.”

While the largely flat stage provided the perfect platform for Demare, the general classification race is likely to become more animated on Thursday (today).

The 12th stage encompasses five categorised climbs on a 204km course around Cesenatico, the hometown of Italian cycling great Marco Pantani, who died in 2004.

“Tomorrow is a very undulating stage,” Almeida said. “There will be some attacks but we will be

prepared.”

Stage 11 result: 1.

Arnaud Demare (Fra/ Groupama-FDJ) 4hrs 3mins 52secs 2. Peter Sagan (Svk/ Bora-Hansgrohe) Same time 3. Alvaro Jose Hodeg (Col/ Deceuninck-Quick-Step) 4.

Simone Consonni (Ita/ Cofidis) 5. Rick Zabel (Ger/ Israel Start-Up Nation).

General classification standings after stage 11: 1.

Joao Almeida (Por/ Deceuninck-Quick-Step) 43hrs 41mins 57secs 2. Wilco Kelderman (Ned/Sunweb) +34secs 3. Pello Bilbao (Spa/ Bahrain-McLaren) +43secs 4.

Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita/ NTT Pro Cycling Team) +57secs 5. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita/Trek-Segafredo) +1min 1sec.

Arnaud Demare is the first French rider to claim four stages in the same race since Bernard Hinault in 1982.

ESPNcricinfo - John Reid, the former New Zealand captain, selector of the national team, ICC match referee and the 1959 Wisden Cricketer of the Year, has died in Auckland at the age of 92 years and 133 days. Before his passing, he was the fifth oldest living Test cricketer, and the oldest from New Zealand.

Reid made his debut for New Zealand against England in Manchester in 1949. He played 58 Test matches and scored 3,428 runs before retiring in 1965. One of his six hundreds came in the second innings of the Christchurch Test against England in 1963, where he scored 100 out of New Zealand’s innings total of 159.

That total still stands as a record for the lowest innings score to feature a hundred. An allrounder who bowled fast-medium, Reid took 85 Test wickets and also was a handy wicketkeeper, standing behind the stumps in the final Test of his debut 1949 series against England.

Reid, who gave up on dreams of being a rugby player due to a heart condition, was New Zealand’s captain in their first-ever Test win, against West Indies in 1956, which came in the country’s 45th game, 26 years after their first. Three years later, he touched glory on tour in South Africa in the 1961-62 season, scoring 1915 runs with seven centuries, which also included New Zealand’s first away Test win, coming under his captaincy.

He was also involved in the lowest innings total in Tests, when New Zealand were dispatched for 26 by England at Eden Park in 1955. “You can’t really explain it,” he told ESPNcricinfo in 2009. “In the first innings I got 73, and we got them out for 246. And then we score 26.”

His success as New Zealand captain - who he led 34 times - eventually saw him captain the Rest of the World XI that toured England in 1965 with Sir Garfield Sobers as vice-captain and Charlie Griffith, Wes Hall, Hanif Mohammad and Rohan Kanhai playing under him.

Overall, he scored 16,128 first-class runs

John Reid captained New Zealand in 34 Tests Getty Images at an average of 41.35 and 39 hundreds with the bat, and with the ball took 466 first-class wickets at an average of 22.20. He also had seven stumpings.

His career-best 296 - with 35 fours and 15 sixes - for Northern Districts held the record for most sixes in a first-class innings for more than three decades until Andrew Symonds broke it with his 16 sixes for Gloucestershire.

While Reid was Test captain, he was also New Zealand’s selector. After his retirement, he briefly coached in South Africa but returned to New Zealand and became an ICC match referee between 1993 and 2002, officiating in 50 Tests and 98 ODIs. After that he was appointed president of New Zealand Cricket in 2003.

For his contributions to the sport in New Zealand, a gate at the Basin Reserve cricket ground in Wellington bears his name. Reid’s son Richard played nine ODIs between 1988 and 1991. Reid’s health was in decline after being diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2013.

After Reid’s death, the oldest living Test cricketer from New Zealand is Trevor McMahon (aged 90 and 341 days). McMahon played five Tests in 1955-56, and Reid, too, featured in all those games.

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Royals miss out as Nortje leads Capitals’ stellar defence ESPNcricinfo - here was spine-tingling entertainment in the powerplay thanks to three unbelievably fast bowlers. There was shotmaking of the highest quality from both top-orders. But in the end it was a battle between which team could win the final overs.

Delhi Capitals let the game go back in the balance as they managed only 32 for 4 in their last five against Jofra Archer and company. ESPNcricinfo’s forecaster said Rajasthan Royals were favourites (55%) for the chase but they crumbled against Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje, making only 25 for 2 in their final five overs.

The speed demon and the saviours - For 12 balls, the batsmen were helpless. For 12 balls, they couldn’t touch him. Jofra Archer was bowling thunderbolts. He wrecked Prithvi Shaw’s stumps first ball and finished the powerplay with unbelievable figures of 2-0-5-2. His teammates, though, surrendered 42 runs from their four overs.

Shikhar Dhawan faced only one ball of that furious spell. But he loved feasting on the others. When he hit Kartik Tyagi for an on-the-up cover drive - a shot that is a point of pride - and the ball singed the turf on its way to the fence, it was clear he meant business. Dhawan got to fifty off 30 balls, his fastest while batting first in the IPL. At the other end, Shreyas Iyer concentrated on settling in. On 20 off 23, he decided he was good and hit a nolook, one-handed, flat-batted, straight four off Ben Stokes.

It was a free hit so the batsman was always going to go, but to do that to ball coming up to his throat…

Making amends - Capitals were 132 for 4 in the 16th over.

They were ready to launch.

But it never happened because because the Royals support act finally turned up.

Tyagi dismissed Iyer for 52 and then nailed his yorkers wide or straight.

Archer returned and, apart from one jaw-dropping cut for six from Alex Carey, his

Abu Dhabi T10 hires former ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat ESPNcricinfo - The Abu Dhabi T10 has roped in former ICC Chief Executive Officer Haroon Lorgat as director of strategy and development to devise a strategy to globalise the format, as well as mend their relations with Pakistan so that their players can feature in the league from January 28 to February 6 in 2021.

The T10 League is a 10overs-a-side format introduced by private cricket organisers in Sharjah in 2017, and later embraced by the Abu Dhabi government. It was rebranded as the Abu Dhabi T10 League and games were also moved out of Sharjah to the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. The partnership also made Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) a party in the tournament.

“We thought it was time to move ahead with a much better professional management structure at the top by bringing in names of repute in the cricket world,” Shaji ul Mulk, the league’s founder and chairman, said while announcing Lorgat’s appointment. “His role is to make this league a global one, as we feel there is an opportunity for us to create a truly global brand.”

The PCB and the T10 League have had a troubled

history since the latter came into being three years ago.

Last season, the PCB unexpectedly revoked players’ NOCs at the last minute, saying they needed to manage workloads.

The ECB protested strongly, with the board’s vice-chairman Khalid Al Zarooni sending a letter directly to PCB chairman Ehsan Mani to say that the decision would hurt the UAE government’s stakes in the tournament, and urged the PCB to change its mind. Mani is believed to have told the ECB vice-chairman about Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s role in the decision.

The ECB was also thought to be weighing its options, including raising the issue of government interference in the PCB’s affairs with the ICC. Mulk said he wanted to move on from past hiccups, and was hoping for a fresh start. Lorgat was optimistic that the format could be adapted as one of the official formats in world cricket. “Last year was an unfortunate development [between PCB and ECB] which happened quite late,” Lorgat said.

“It was commendable that Qalandars still managed to get together a team that (Continued on page 26)

menace was intact. Jaydev Unadkat closed it all off with his slower balls, and for all their efforts, the Capitals crashed to the lowest finalfive overs aggregate in this year’s IPL - 32 for 4.

A hell-raising powerplay - Not to be outdone, Rabada and Nortje cranked the pace up too, both bowlers hitting 150 kph.

They were seething. Jos Buttler took another step towards the AB de Villiers level of 360 batting by nonchalantly scooped a 156 kph ball in line with his stumps to the fine leg boundary. At 22 off 8 balls, he was beginning to look villainous.

But then came a decisive blow. Nortje, still bowling 155 kph, wrecked the opener’s stumps and set a theme for a rollicking powerplay. Ben Stokes began charging the bowlers. So Capitals took the pace off and brought on R Ashwin.

Their battle never took off, but the offspinner did completely deceive Steven

Smith with a ball that held in the pitch and had him caught and bowled for 1. Six overs of outrageous shots, incredible bowling and adrenalinefuelled cricket yielded 50 for 2.

The extra tense ending Stokes held the innings together, using his power to break free and provide a steady stream of boundaries.

But he fell in the 11th over to debutant Tushar Deshpande, and Sanju Samson followed him eight balls later to leave the Royals at 96 for 4.

Robin Uthappa, who is yet to get used to his middleorder role, then ran out Riyan Parag and the equation started looking troublesome: 47 off 36 balls with only five wickets in hand. Nortje turned that untenable when he returned at the death, yorked Uthappa and even ensured there wouldn’t be a Rahul Tewatia miracle.

Delhi Capitals 161 for 7 (Dhawan 57, Iyer 53, Archer 3-19) beat Rajasthan Royals (Stokes 41, Nortje 2-33) by 13 runs.

Kagiso Rabada and R Ashwin celebrate a wicket, Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals ©BCCI

2021 Under-19 Women’s World Cup in Bangladesh ESPNcricinfo - The likely to be postponed chances of the inaugural Under-19 women’s World Cup being held as scheduled, in January 2021 in Bangladesh, are receding, though a final decision may only be made in November.

Unlike the 2020 men’s T20 World Cup in Australia and the 2021 women’s ODI World Cup in New Zealand, which were both postponed until 2022 in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the ICC has not made any official announcements on a potential rescheduling of the U-19 women’s World Cup yet.

However, ESPNcricinfo understands that given the worsening Covid-19 situation across several subcontinental countries, Bangladesh included, hosting the tournament on schedule seems far from likely, although there remains a possibility that it takes place later in the y e a r. A f i n a l c a l l i s expected to be taken during the ICC board meetings in November.

“The ICC has been in touch with the BCB over the prevailing Covid-19 situation,” Jalal Yunus, the BCB media committee chairman, told ESPNcricinfo.

“However, a final decision on the Under-19 women’s World Cup will be taken only by the governing body.”

Earlier this year, in February, shortly after the

Salma Khatun celebrates after taking the wicket of Taniya Bhatia Getty Images ICC announced Bangladesh as the host of the women’s U-19 World Cup, the BCB had organised a training camp in Cox’s Bazar, for some 25 young female cricketers who had performed well in a r e g i o n a l tournament.

T h a t w a s , h o w e v e r, days before the pandemic ground all cricket to a shuddering halt. In the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak, the ICC’s major events calendar has already seen a surfeit of

world tournaments lined up for 2022.

The year will start with the Under-19 World Cup in January in the Caribbean, followed by the women’s ODI World Cup in New Zealand in February-March, then the men’s T20 World Cup in October-November in Aust r a l i a , and be bookended by the women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa.

In addition, the women’s Ashes is slated to be held by holders Australia in the latter

half of the year. The decision to introduce a women’s U19 world cup was made during the four-day ICC Board meetings in October last year in Dubai, under the chairmanship of Shashank Manohar.

A release issued by the governing body had stated, “The Board approved the establishment of an U19 Women’s T20 World Cup with the first edition to be played in Bangladesh in 2021 and every two years after that.”