Kaieteur News

K

AIETEUR NEWS

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

$1.6B Ocean View Hospital… Tuesday Edition

Former AG breaks silence p.

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September 01, 2020 - Vol. 13 No. 35

Online: www.kaieteurnews.com Price $80

- says Rambarran does not own property

Online readership yesterday 166,133

For every concession given to oil companies, you must get something in return p.

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- University of Houston Instructor

Exxon’s Guyana President claims produced water not harmful, despite no study done p.

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Protesters Mingo, two others released block traffic on bail for election fraud in several p.

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centre

W.C.B. villages police rank injured

businesses cut off

Alleged Ponzi schemers slapped with 10 additional charges p.

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APNU+AFC lodges election petition18p. in the High Court Chief Prison officer p.

18 Guyana records 41 COVID-19 dies in Homestretchp.

Avenue smash-up 11 deaths - reverts to 6am– 6pm curfew from today Fraud accused, Clairmont Mingo, leaving court yesterday.

Exxon defies Govt.’s authority but makes Guyana out to be the bully

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Kaieteur News

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Tuesday September 01, 2020

ExxonMobil's Guyana President claims produced water not harmful, despite no study done A

s the government continues its review of the Payara Field Development Plan (FDP), there have been calls from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for ExxonMobil to put systems in place to re-inject the toxic water that accompanies the oil during extraction, instead

of simply dumping it into the ocean.

But ExxonMobil has since insisted that it wants to continue disposing of the water by dumping it in the same manner since the systems being asked for by the EPA would be too costly.

In his most recent engagement with the media,

President of ExxonMobil Guyana, Alistair Routledge posited that the oil giant wants to continue with its mode of operations since the produced water is treated and h a s n o e ff e c t o n t h e environment.

Routledge said, “The water we produce on the vessel is treated and what is

discharged causes no damage to the environment and is treated according to international standards and it is no harm at all. There is a discussion on whether we go to a different standard, which is to re-inject that water. But there are some potential risks to doing that.”

The Country Manager added, “There are some chemistry issues between the produced water and the reservoir fluids, which could cause problems such as raising fractures in that part of the reservoir and also potential environmental impacts of treating and reinjecting that water in addition to seawater in the sense that you can have more air emissions because of the additional energy that is needed for that.

But it is a balancing act in protecting the environment and maximizing the returns of the State from the project.”

ExxonMobil's Guyana President, Alistair Routledge While Routledge claims that there are no effects of treated water being dumped into the ocean, there is no such information supporting this in the EPA's possession.

Not a single study was ever commissioned to determine this as well.

International best practices dictate that produced water should be re-

injected into the earth's surface. Because no two geographic regions are alike, there is a plethora of material that categorically state that studies should be done to assess the environmental risks of the produced water's toxicity on marine life before granting approval for the disposal of it into the ocean.

Further research also notes that produced water is regarded as a high-volume toxic waste.

It was also noted that the treatment of produced water is very important hence there would be a need for regulatory bodies to ascertain if the appropriate technologies are being utilized in the treatment process and for a further study to be done to understand the effects of the treated water on the environment.

Kaieteur News was also able to confirm that the EPA does not know what technologies are being used

by ExxonMobil in this regard. (https://academic.oup.com/ij lct/article/9/3/157/807670)

Indian High Commissioner calls on Natural Resources Minister - expresses interest in the petroleum, mining sectors

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i g h Commissioner of India, His E x c e l l e n c y, D r. K . J Srinivasa, yesterday met with Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat.

The two discussed matters of mutual interest in the Natural Resources sector.

While congratulating Minister Bharrat on his

Annette Arjoon-Martins

appointment, the High Commissioner expressed an interest in Guyana's petroleum industry and cooperation within the mining sector, among other areas relating to capacity building.

Meanwhile, Minister

Bharrat expressed a pre f e r e n c e t o f u r t h e r discussions to build strategic partnership, technical capacity and shared experiences in Natural Resources Management between the two countries.

Tuesday September 01, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 03

Alleged Ponzi schemers slapped with 10 additional charges

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our days after alleged Ponzi schemers, Yuri Garcia-Dominguez and his wife, Ateeka Ishmael, were remanded to prison on six fraud charges; the duo was yesterday slapped with 10 additional charges and was granted bail.

Garcia-Dominguez and his wife virtually appeared before Senior Magistrate Leron Daly in the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts. They denied the

charges which stated that between May and July 2020, with intent to commit a felony, they conspired with persons known and unknown to obtain a total sum of over $60M from 10 persons under false pretence.

After reading the charges, Magistrate Daly granted the defendants bail in the sum of $1M each and adjourned the matter to October 5, 2020.

L a s t T h u r s d a y, t h e defendants made their first

court appearance at the Vigilance Magistrate's Court before Magistrate Melissa Mittleholzer with their attorneys, Glenn Hanoman and Dexter Todd.

Garcia-Dominguez and Ishmael were slapped with 19 fraud charges and put before two separate Magistrates. Magistrate Mittleholzer read 13 fraud charges to the defendants; those charges allege that between May and July 2020, the couple obtained a total

EU recommits support to govt.

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inister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, on Friday, August 28, 2020, received a courtesy call from Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the European Union (EU) to Guyana, H.E. Fernando Ponz Cantó, at the Ministry of Home Affairs Brickdam, Georgetown.

During the meeting, Ambassador Cantó extended

congratulations to Minister Benn on his appointment as Minister of Home Affairs, and commended his efforts while serving as commissioner at GECOM during the recent national election process.

Minister Benn thanked Ambassador Cantó for the support the government received from the EU in regards to ensuring Guyana remains on the path of democracy, during the

recent General and Regional Elections. He further discussed government's focus and areas of cooperation. Ambassador Cantó noted that he was pleased with the good ideas and reforms that the Minister and government are currently undertaking. He assured the Minister that the EU will continue to support the work of the government and seek to increase cooperation at all levels.

sum of $24.7M from 13 victims under false pretense.

Magistrate Mittleholzer granted the defendants bail in the sum of $3.9M each and the matter was adjourned to September 18, 2020.

However, the duo then made a virtual appearance before Magistrate Alisha George of the Sparendaam Magistrate's Court.

Magistrate George read six fraud charges to the duo those charges allege that they obtained over $1M from the victims under false pretense. Magistrate George remanded the defendants to prison and the matter was adjourned to September 21, 2020.

The Government recently announced a multisectoral investigation against Garcia-Dominguez and Ishmael, who are officials of Accelerated Capital Firm Inc. The investigation was launched after authorities said they received a number of complaints against the company.

Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, recently disclosed that the company has little or no assets in Guyana.

According to a letter from the AG to one of the defendants' lawyers, as a result of multiple complaints received and reports to the Guyana Police Force (GPF), a team of State agencies has been assembled to inquire into the operations of Accelerated.

Yuri Garcia-Dominguez and his wife, Ateeka Ishmael Reports revealed that over 17,000 Guyanese were in limbo, after investing over US$20M. A number of the persons reportedly sold their properties or gave their life savings to the company.

Authorities said that they found little evidence of money leaving Guyana via the normal channels for overseas. Accelerated told investors that it was actively involved in the foreign exchange trading and promised as much as 40 percent returns every few

weeks.

However, authorities, including the Guyana Securities Council, the Bank of Guyana and the Financial Intelligence Unit had warned about the operations.

In fact, Accelerated had had been operating for about two years but only applied for a broker's licence a few weeks ago. There are details emerging that pastors and other religious leaders were actively involved in recruiting clients or new “investors” for Accelerated.

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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 .

Addiction – street price and price to society

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Tuesday September 01, 2020

Kaieteur News

ven now, during the pandemic, every street corner with major pedestrian flows seems to have them. Once there is a store with an extended overhang to provide sheltering below, that makes things better, and serves as a magnet for them, where they cluster in ragged bundles of troubled humanity.

They are our street people: the homeless, the sick, the hungry and the addicted. They represent an accumulation of physical and social problems, which numb, anger, and endanger many.

Though nobody may have an official count, there are easily hundreds of these stricken citizens that trace the demographics of this society: ethnic composition, gender, age, none is left out. They have long presented a peculiar concern, one which most know, but none has spent the time necessary to articulate publicly to garner some reaction, and give some traction as to what is really at work.

The news story titled, “Junkie aid $300 to steal $435,000 motorbike court hears” (KN December 22) brings home the reality of business and neighbourhoods, as well as lay bare the criminality just below the surface using these unfortunate ones, and sometimes from surprising places.

Because for every such story of theft, of exploitation, of misuse, of crime that reaches the media, there are several more that pass by without mention. They are most likely experienced daily.

The addict is engaged and recruited (as in another KN article of junkies being recruited on the West Demerara for criminal purposes), the addict is incentivized to prey upon homes and stores, the addict steals and carries away, the addict hands over the valuable goods, as in this case costing hundreds of thousands, while collecting less than a thousand dollars.

This item was reduced to a net price of less than one percent of its original cost.

Who could ask for a better bargain than that? With all the addict-inspired thievery around, the other question is: who are the buyers? For clearly, from the shabby condition of the street citizen, he cannot legitimately claim ownership of the item, and given the price asked something must be terribly wrong.

The worrying side of this already tragic side of human deterioration is how the fallen and the hurting are being misused by supposedly respectable businesspeople or residents to do dirty work. It must be remembered for these fabulous prices (bargains), somebody had to pay, which would be the one reporting the loss to the police precinct.

The so-called honest and sober citizens taking advantage either proactively (encouraging them) or passively (buying what they bring) are those operating on the dishonest side of things.

In other words, they will take anything from anyone, including those at the bottom in the gutter.

They will rip-off these poor, starved, crazed, helpless wretches. With conduct like this, who is the real addict here? The dirty, lowdown criminal in such circumstances?

It is the buyer, plain and simple and no arguments there.

These upstanding citizens contribute to crime, encourage it, and feed and perpetuate addictions.

They are responsible for some of the violence that flares within the ranks of the high, when they maim, even kill another.

The buyer could be a man or woman of god, a professional on the rise, a businessperson building inventory (but owing rates and taxes), or regular homeowners and residents in for a quick bargain.

The line common to all ready buyers is this: bring it and we will buy it. No questions asked, just take the price we pay and come back when there are more items to sell at genuine giveaway prices. The extended line reads like this: bring anything (or what is specified) and the market is waiting right here. Of course, the price to be paid (like that motorbike) has no relationship to the underlying cost

GHK Lall’s letter on unity and oil revenue and agree on a menu of mea- cannot afford to traverse this offers a sane path sures to deal with the oil sec- path of shared stupidity for DEAR EDITOR, The letter published in the Kaieteur News titled “We must be unified to get the best benefits from oil,” written by GHK Lall, is perhaps of the greatest significance at this junction.

If the editors of all the other media print, radio and television can be persuaded, the sentiments so eloquently and timely expressed should be made available to Guyanese of every age, race or class.

I make a fervent plea that the sentiments expressed in that letter be given widest publicity, hoping and praying that our political leaders be persuaded, follow this path of good sense, showing perspicacity and genuine nationalism.

Today we still have stub-

born politicians on every side of our political divide. We fail to realize that only unity will allow us and succeeding generations to benefit from our enormous natural resources.

If our political leaders feel that we can procrastinate on the question of constitutional reform, then let them enjoy the luxury of lengthy complex discussions. Oil and gas is new and it would be unfortunate if it becomes the source for a tit for tat situation, where we seem to be heading.

In small countries, oil and gas if not handled skillfully, instead of being a benefit can soon become a burden. Instead of cashiering people, left, right and centre, if we are truly interested in Guyana, high-ranking groups representing our main political groupings should sit down

tor.

This will first signal to the oil giants that whichever party or groups of parties cross the winning election line first, that the petroleum extracting conglomerates would understand that they have to satisfy exact conditions and result of a consensus reached by our political players.

This menu of measures must be a public document so that whoever is the minister or agency dealing with the oil giants, that the latter will know that Guyana comes first and that there will be no opportunity for back-biting, propaganda and under the table deals.

Mature statesmen must avoid this behaviour, which says that whatever the other party did was wrong. You

our children will curse us, when the oil dries up and we have little to show, for the billions earned.

This is a serious matter, and I hope that sufficient wisdom and genuine patriotism exists, that will grant to our years, the vision to unite on this new industry.

The parties in Guyana can continue to squabble and scream over who is responsible for COVID-19 deaths and if some find satisfaction in witch-hunting and persecuting the other people, let us remember the night of the long knives.

However, since oil is new, lets follow and adopt the sane and sensible path contained in GHK Lalls letter published on Saturday, as noted above.

Yours truly, Hamilton Green

President Ali’s local content advisory group my writings and on TT politi- appointee. There are others I budding oil industry. cal issues. He was highly ac- know who are far more knowlis sound of theGuyanese must be given claimed for his performance as edgeable on local content DEAR EDITOR, I write in response to Mr. Nigel Philadelphia’s critique (KN Aug 29) of the composition of the advisory group on local content appointed by President Irfaan Ali last week.

The country needs local content skills training to replace a foreign staff and that would provide jobs for the tens of thousands who lost their employment under the preceding regime that mishandled negotiations with Exxon on royalty, revenue sharing, and local content. The regime did not seek the advice of specialists before signing a lopsided contract that did not adequately protect the patrimony of the nation. We were taken for a ride to enrich Exxon leaving fine change for Guyana that now President Ali is called upon to fix. The President has had a good start with the Payara Review (that I addressed earlier) and with local content appointments.

While all of President Ali’s appointees may not have specialization in local content, they are good people, professionals in their field of endeavour. We must not pre-judge them. I am familiar with some of them and respect their professionalism.

Some are skilled in oil and gas and in the environment and will make an important contribution to local content policy

first preference to benefit from oil and gas. But there are few local Guyanese and or companies that are qualified to provide technical expertise to oil and gas. Qualified Guyanese are overseas based and few have indicated an interest to return home to serve their former homeland. Those interested should be approached.

Dr. Anthony Paul conducted a one-week (about five or six hours daily) oil and gas seminar early in the year courtesy of Glen Lall and KN. I was invited and participated in some sessions and asked pertinent questions. It was very educational and informative seminar and training sessions in oil and gas. Dr. Paul appeared very learned in his field with his references to science concepts that I learned in chemistry and physics when I did my degree in Biochemistry. Petroleum engineering borrows heavily from Chemistry and Physics and of course Maths especially in drilling and oil refineries.

I have known former Minister Kevin Ramnarine for some thirty years, from when I used to visit Trinidad during the struggle for the restoration of free and fair elections in Guyana. I interviewed him several times and interacted with him at his Ministry in Trinidad and elsewhere for

of the item.

But one man’s gain is another man’s bitter, sometimes unaffordable, loss. Our goodly citizens complain about crime and the dangerous streets and roaming menacing people of the street.

Too often for comfort, some of the very same people complaining are contributing and benefiting and prospering at the expense of neighbours and strangers.

The addicts are not only the homeless, the criminals not just those for whom the police search.

Minister of Energy. Like me, his undergraduate degree was Chemistry. We talked a lot about oil and gas and about local content; he is very knowledgeable on energy issues, perhaps the most qualified in petroleum engineering among all the appointees.

I met Shyam Nokta a few times over the last decade and was impressed with his leadership of GMSA and his knowledge of environmental matters. Like me, he studied the sciences (he environment and me in Chemistry) and would have a strong background in environment especially on the Low Carbon Development Strategy that was developed during the Jagdeo administration. I wrote a lot on LCDS and his agency’s writings were good. The fact that he studied at OxfordBrookes University (that I never visited) as opposed to the more prestigious Oxford University (that I visited a few times in trips to England) does not mean he is any less qualified for the appointment than graduates from the latter or highly rated universities.

Shyam is reserved but is success driven.

I met Carvil Duncan several times at various labour events. There is no harm done in having a trade unionist to champion small businesses getting a fair share of contracts in the oil sector. I had limited interaction with Carl Greenidge and only know him of being an economist during the period when the country slumped towards starvation under his watch. His role in foreign policy was not stellar though he is familiar with the Venezuela border controversy. I do not know the other

policy and their advice should not be ignored.

We are not really skilled or prepared to provide meaningful, local content in oil.

Providing bhajji or vegetables and fruits is not local content; every business has to buy food. Local content should be skilled and management related. We have to think strategically for the future by training people for oil, not to supply pumpkin and papaya alone. The country must look ahead with a development plan. We need a survey on our varied businesses to get a sense of what expertise is available locally and push for their employment. A survey is also needed on skills needed in the oil and gas industry, how many personnel are needed, and what training would be provided to them. After training, jobs can be obtained from the oil sector. The foreign staff would have to be replaced by local staff in years to come. Therefore, we need to prepare for a transition. Guyana must move towards a skilled mindset. We must start training of personnel people now.

I think we should give consideration to transforming the Port Mourant Training Centre (PMTC) into a partial oil and gas institute to train skilled worker for the oil industry. We can twin it for oil and gas for the sugar factories. Such an institute should be a premier oil and gas institute in the region. I have some ideas and suggestions in this endeavour having engaged oil and gas experts while I spent time in India engaging in management at tertiary institutes. That (Continued on page 6)

PAGE 6

For every concession given to oil companies, you must get something in return -University of Houston Instructor University of Houston instructor, Tom Mitro, said that for every concession granted to oil companies during negotiations, it is imperative on the government’s side to ensure that it gets something in return for the people.

Mitro, at the time of making these comments, was in a 2019 interview with the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment. He had been asked what advice he would give to governments as they negotiate with sophisticated international oil companies (IOCs).

Mitro advises that governments take the time to understand the styles, management orientations, operating philosophies, strategies and home country influences of the IOCs they are dealing with, as it could provide benefits in the long run.

He explained that it is important for governments to come to the negotiating table looking at a contract holistically. Oil companies, he said, exhibit certain typical behaviours in their approach.

This would involve bringing a range of technical expertise to the table to zero-in on various aspects of the contract: “geologists, engineers, lawyers, tax experts, and economic analysts—all who

University of Houston instructor, Tom Mitro work in professional silos without any broader perspectives or mandates.”

The company, he explained, would seek to isolate each issue and negotiate it on a technical basis, something that could put the government side at a disadvantage.

“The Americans are very much focused on the technical data and are led by an engineering culture; they will often try to convince governments with technical data, and argue that certain negotiating proposals are inconsistent with “standard” or “best” practices,” Mitro stated.

This can place the government at a position of disadvantage, as Mitro explained “These assertions can be dif-

ficult for the government to dispute without analyzing comparative deals in other jurisdictions…”

The instructor advises that governments not agree on issues individually, but try to see all issues as one whole package, with “tradeoffs” between unrelated issues.

“For instance, the government could say: ‘We won’t agree to accelerate depreciation on your project expenditures unless you implement an ambitious local procurement plan,’ even though the two issues are quite unrelated. This type of conversation and linkage of issues could serve to mitigate the often narrowly focused technical strength of the other side.”Guyana has had an unfortunate history with contract negotiations where the oil sector is concerned. All of the contracts signed bear provisions that have been adjudged to be gravely flawed in the context of the modern oil industry, and have been subject to discourse about the prospect of renegotiation.

The government has noted that, moving forward, its negotiations will be informed by a model Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) that reflects the dignity of Guyana’s patrimony.

The Guyana Police Force...

From page 5 police like the one alluded to above must be replicated and sustained in all the police divisions. It is called Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving (COPPS).

The police are not only required to solve crimes but to

Tuesday September 01, 2020

Kaieteur News

work in tandem with members of the community to identify problems therein and find solutions to them. It is not a project, it is not a programme, it is a culture. It must be a constant work in progress. It will promote trust and cater for greater public confidence in

the police. It will empower the police to be proactive rather than reactive, thus enabling them to do more intelligenceled policing. Green shoots will emerge. They will be fruitful.

However, in this COVID-19 era, the police in their community relations activities must ensure that they and those they interact with protect themselves with their PPE and adhere to other recommendations or they will be in violation of Emergency Measures.

Stephen R Covey in his book, “The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness” posited that managers, leaders and organisations must move from effectiveness to greatness.

I pray that God will inspire the police to move from effectiveness to greatness. You cannot do policing without God. So it was in the beginning, so shall it be in the end.

I recommend Covey’s book as a must read for all police officers.

Yours faithfully, Clinton Conway Assistant Commissioner of Police (retired)

Adams did not consistently oppose Exxon flouting of rules DEAR EDITOR, Reference is made to several letters by Mike McCormack, Jerry Jailall, a group of six, and several others (KN) condemning the termination of Dr. Vincent Adams as Head of EPA. Dr. Adams is indeed competent in his line of work based on encomiums from the US. But he was a political appointee and entered into the political fray. Once you go on the political hustings, you are no longer a professional civil servant.

So McCormack and the others are wrong on this score. When your party loses an election, you leave honourably holding your head high proudly to fight another day.

You dont grovel for a job from the victorious party. Also Adams developed a strong voice against Exxon after APNU officially lost the election on August 2. His political affiliation prevented him from holding Exxon accountable. He was silent about Exxons violations the preceding 20 months.

Adams, like manery others and me, was or is a supporter of APNU+AFC. He campaigned on stage. But our party lost.

There is nothing shameful about it. We move on to the opposition benches. We organize to rebuild and return five years later.

That is the nature of partisan politics that characterizes Guyana. We must come together to rebuild our party and hold the PPP accountable. We must not be angry with the PPP for wanting its loyalists in such a key post.

The APNU needs Adams on our side for a strong opposition to the PPP. Contrary to what McCormack wrote, it would have been very demoralizing retaining the service of Adams. It would have sent the wrong message to those who campaigned on the victorious side or who stood up for decency, integrity, and honesty.

The critics should have been more circumspect in their obloquy. They see nothing wrong in retaining a very partisan political appointee who campaigned on the political

platform. What message does it send to other civil servants?

Go and campaign for a party!

You will not lose your wuk. It is okay to enter the political fray and when you lose, you remain in your post. And what is the message being sent to other party activists and others who campaigned against such political behavior? No wuk for you. We got to keep the appointees of the previous government.

Firing or terminating or sending political appointees on leave ought to be demoralizing when they resist leaving their positions. That should be the intent of such an action. A clear message must be sent to other political appointees leave office when your party loses. Ethically, it is wrong remaining in office.

Adams should have offered his resignation on August 3 and let the new administration know he would like to assist in certain areas if it desires his services. Staying on was disgusting, displaying a lack of professionalism and integrity. Separately, didnt Adams, who lived over 35 years in the US, the bastion of democracy, find it troubling to campaign for a political party that refused to resign after losing a no confidence vote? And does he not have any shame in want to remain in office after his party lost the election.

The entire world condemned his party for attempting to defraud the electorate.

Adams was a political appointee who campaigned for the incumbent APNU+AFC. When your party loses, you leave office.

If you wish to be a nonpartisan appointee or a professional in the civil service, you stay out of politics.

Adams should have resigned from his post before entering the political hustings. If a professional or a civil servant wishes to campaign for a party, he resigns. If his party wins, he returns Adams was silent during the five months ordeal to steal the election. Since he was active in the political campaign, he should have publicly come out and condemned the fraud like a professional would. His political colleague

Dominic Gaskin condemned the fraud throughout as well as after the count and recount. Adams had several opportunities to condemn the fraud. Even now, he could have spoken out against the fraud. He chose to be silent.

That was a clear message that he intended to remain political with APNU+AFC. What kind of message would it send to the nation by retaining a partisan political appointee?

Would it not be demoralizing to the hundreds who campaigned against the coalition only to be told that activists like Adams would retain their posts in defeat? Can the new government trust or have confidence in him in such an important post? Didnt APNU purge all PPP appointees and those perceived as sympathizers?

Mr. Jailall believes Adams provided strong leadership at EPA by insisting that Exxon pays the fine change for dumping contaminated water in the ocean and speaking against flaring.

But Melinda Janki exposed the duality of the position of Adams who for two years has been silent on the 25 years permit granted to Exxon when the law allows for only a five years permit. If he were such a strong leader, why didnt he object to the breaking of the law on the 25 years permit and call on his government, which he campaigned for re-election, to revisit the permit. Adams knew the law but allowed its violation while his party was in office and only began to speak tough against Exxon when his party officially lost office.

Also, there was flaring and dumping of pollutants in the ocean during the tenure of his government and he was silent all the time. It is hypocrisy to act like a tough guy when all along you were a weasel because of politics.

Dr. Vincent Adams did not behave like a professional.

His behavior after March 2, smacks of political opportunism. He ought to have resigned voluntarily rather than be pushed out.

That is how one retains integrity.

Yours truly, Nigel Philadelphia

President Alis local content advisory...

From page 5 PMTC provided skills to so many who went on to become first rate engineers in the UK, Canada, USA, and Trinidad and elsewhere earning triple digits US dollars salary.

It can do same for oil and gas.

I am from Port Mourant and am familiar with the discipline and skills ingrained in those who were trained in the technical aspects of GuySuCo factories.

It would do same for our O&G. The insti-

tute can train people for local content participation – on land logistical management, EPA, health and safety, how to clean up oil spills, handle emergency, transportation logistics, food chain supply, and the technical aspects of drilling, piping, supplies, etc.

There must also be training for locals in overall administrative aspects of O&G and on the wider scope of the industry.

Yours truly Dr. Vishnu Bisram

Tuesday September 01, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 07

Exxon defies Govt.'s authority but makes Guyana out to be the bully

By Kemol King

I

t is common knowledge that the Payara project, the third of its kind that ExxonMobil intends to develop in the Stabroek Block, has not yet been approved by the Government of Guyana. Yet, a year ago, the oil major decided that it did not need Guyana's approval to go ahead and hand out contracts for Payara related works.

While the company would claim that such posturing by oil companies is an industry norm, its premature actions now risk increased pollution of Guyana's natural environment, and makes Guyana out to be the bully for daring to ask for better.

A field development plan is a layout of all of the processes and activities intended to develop an oil field, and the manner in which those will be executed. Before it begins to develop a field, an oil

company is required to hand over its plan to the Department of Energy for approval before it gets to work. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must also review an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) prepared by the company and determine whether it should issue an environmental permit.

The country has already approved two ExxonMobil Field Development Plans (FDP) for Liza Phases One and Two. Still, last year, the Energy Department realized that it needed a third party to hold its hands through the review process, as explained

by Energy Director, Dr. Mark Bynoe. Guyana had not even hired the UK Consultant, Bayphase yet to review the FDP for Payara, when, in November, Exxon started handing out contracts.

Early in that month, the Dutch firm SBM Offshore announced that it was

awarded a contract to perform works for the Prosperity Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) Vessel.

Government and Public Affairs Advisor for ExxonMobil Guyana, Janelle Persaud, had told Kaieteur News, “As part of our preparations for the project, we have awarded an initial contract to SBM for a limited release of funds to begin Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) activities and secure a hull for the Payara project FPSO.” Lack of approval for the Payara FDP did not concern Exxon, nor did it concern SBM Offshore when it decided to make orders pursuant to fulfilling Exxon's award.

In that month, SBM placed orders for two hulls.

The deal was inked with S h a n g h a i Wa i g a o q i a o Shipbuilding and Offshore and China Merchants Industry Holding, for use in

Shaik Baksh returns as GWI boss

F

ormer Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the stateowned Guyana Water Inc. (GWI) has returned to that position. He was sent home in the early days of the Coalition government in 2015.

The Ministry of Housing a n d Wa t e r [ P e o p l e ' s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C')s] announced yesterday that it is extending “heartiest congratulations and welcome” to Baksh and added that “The Ministry and its sister agency, the Central Housing and Planning Authority look forward to working together for the further development of the sector.”

Baksh, it was noted, brings with him a wealth of knowledge having served in the sector for a number of years. He held the post of Minister of Housing and Water from 1998 to 2006 and also served in the capacity of CEO at GWI from 2012 to 2015.

According to the Ministry, Baksh holds a Bachelor's degree in Management from the University of Guyana (UG)

and an MSc in Management from the University of London. He has also served as a lecturer at UG and as an executive in the private sector.

Days after entering office in May 2015, the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change government asked Baksh to proceed on leave effective June 1, 2015, by the Chairman, Ramesh Dookoo.

He was replaced by Dr. Richard Van West Charles, who was a close supporter of the Coalition.

Dr. Van West Charles was sent home recently by the PPP/C administration, which took office last month.

A GWI audit in 2016 had alleged several instances where Baksh breached established company policies and procedures and abused his authority while executing his functions at the agency.

These included the alleged procurement of billboards for the May 11, 2015 elections campaign; the misuse of cash advances for site visits, abuse of authority in using company assets,

Back as GWI Chief Executive Officer: Shaik Baksh overriding company policies, etc.

Leading up to the May 11, 2015 General and Regional Elections, many billboards were erected throughout the country to inform the populace about the advancements being made by the entity to improve its water distribution process.

However, these billboards carried an additional feature – “Vote PPP/C” was seen attached to some. This, leading up to the elections, resulted in a few raised eyebrows.

Exxon's Guyana Country Manager, Alistair Routledge

EPA Head, Dr. Vincent Adams

Energy Director, Dr. Mark Bynoe

the construction of two new FPSOs, including Prosperity.

Guyana also later found out, in that very month, that ExxonMobil gave the Italian oilfield services company, Saipem a multi-million US dollar contract for the subsea systems for the Prosperity Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) Ve s s e l , p r o p o s e d f o r operation at the Payara well.

Exxon tasked Saipem with performing the detailed engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) of a large subsea production facility.

Exxon appeared to have been well satisfied on its own terms that Guyana would approve its Payara FDP with negligible to zero required changes.

In the new year, it became evident that the oil major was pressuring Guyana to grant swift approval for the project. It embarked on a campaign to convince Guyana that if it wanted to be successful, it would approve Payara with haste. The line it attempted to sell was that a delay in approval would result in billions in losses for Guyana.

I t s C o u n t r y M a n a g e r,

Alistair Routledge, even recently threatened that the company would take its money elsewhere if the government moved for any renegotiation.

But experts like I n t e r n a t i o n a l L a w y e r, Melinda Janki, and Petroleum Consultant, Dr. Jan Mangal, knew better and advised Guyana to take all the time it needs to ensure the plan is robust. Dr. Mangal had explained that oil companies tend to rush approvals so that they can get away with poor provisions that required less (continued on page 8)

Kaieteur News

PAGE 08

Tuesday September 01, 2020

$1.6B Ocean View Hospital…

Former AG breaks silence B

asil Williams, Guyana's former A t t o r n e y General, has finally dispelled claims made by the supposed owner of the old Ocean View Hotel turned Infectious Diseases Hospital, Jacob Rambarran, that he still owns the property. Williams made it pellucid that the building is in receivership and has been that way since 2009.

Rambarran, though he penned the deal with the previous A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition administration, gave an ultimatum to the new People's Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) government that it must pay him some $52M in rent owed to him and failing to do so would see him moving to repossess the property.

Rambarran's ownership claims was made shortly after the PPP/C assumed office last month and, prior to Williams, no official from the previous administration had opposed him.

The former AG broke his silence in a letter in which he sought to clarify that the property was in receivership since 2009 and after then Rambarran had defaulted on payments. Williams explained that Rambarran is indebted to the Guyana National Co-operative Bank (GNCB) in excess of $1B,

- says Rambarran does not own property

The contentious Ocean View Hotel turned Infectious Diseases Hospital

incurred by several loans.

As a consequence, the GNCB on May 29, 2009 appointed Courtney Perry as the Receiver of the property.

“Mr. Perry remains the Receiver up to the present time and is still active in this Receivership,” the former AG stated. Further, Williams highlighted that Rambarran had challenged Perry's appointment as Receiver in the High Court but the judgment passed down by now acting Chief Justice, Rishi Persaud, deemed the appointment of the Receiver as “lawful, proper and effective.”

“It was further ordered by the Court,” Williams noted,

“that the Receiver recover the sum of $223,800,000 against the Ocean View Hotel, together with interest thereon at 17.5% (seventeen decimal five percentum) per annum from the said 10th day of March, 2016, until fully paid.”

The Lease Agreement documents seen by Kaieteur News falls in line with the former AG's claim that the property is in Receivership as that rental deal was struck between the Receiver, Courtney Perry, and the previous administration – not t h e p u r p o r t e d o w n e r, Rambarran. Per the agreement, a total sum of $13M had to be paid on the

Vagrant killed in Timerhi hit and run accident

A

vagrant was on Sunday killed after he was involved in a hit and run accident along the Timerhi Public Road, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

The dead man has since been identified only as Sheriga. According reports, Sheriga was struck down by a speeding motor vehicle at around 19:00hrs in the vicinity of Bounty Farm Limited.

Police said that the now dead man was walking along the western side of the public road heading in a southern direction when the accident occurred.

Eyewitnesses claimed that they heard a loud sound and ran out of their yards to investigate. They told investigators that they saw the vagrant lying on the

Ocean View Owner, Jacob Rambarran

Former AG Basil Williams

1st of every month.

“On the signing of this Lease, the Lessee [Government] shall pay (three) 3 months Lease which is $39,000,000.00 (Thirtynine million Guyana dollars) plus $13,000,000.00 (thirteen million Guyana dollars) as damage deposit,” the

agreement stated.

The Ocean View Hotel deal remains one of great concern and contention as the agreement between the previous government and owner was shrouded in secrecy, save and except for the cost of rehabilitation, and even this price varied over a

period of time. APNU+AFC had initially said it would cost $250M then the price moved to $1B and then finally $1.6B – a sum separate from the cost of rental.

The then administration under 'The Acquisition of Lands for Public Purpose Act' signed an order to take full ownership of the Ocean View Hotel. That order, signed by S t a t e M i n i s t e r, D a w n Hastings Williams, was signed on April 29.

With this in mind, the former AG urged the new administration to ensure that the compulsory acquisition of the hotel is completed as the 12th sitting of parliament commences today.

“In light of the foregoing and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic reflecting increased deaths and a surge in positive cases, it is incumbent that the PPP/C Government secures the acquisition of the Ocean View Hotel Limited in furtherance of combating the COVID-19 pandemic,” he added.

Exxon defies Govt.'s authority but...

Sheriga was pronounced dead at the Diamond Diagnostic Centre parapet and a motor vehicle speeding away in the northern direction.

Residents who rushed to scene to render assistance said that they noticed that Sheriga was unconscious and bleeding from the head.

The residents contacted police who arrived shortly after and helped to put the injured man into a private minibus in which he was rushed to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre for medical attention.

From page 7 of them, to Guyana's detriment. Just as he advised, extremely problematic configurations embedded in ExxonMobil's Payara FDP were unraveled. These issues were illuminated by the pollution occurring at the Liza Destiny FPSO. ExxonMobil has flared billions of cubic feet of gas this year at the Liza One project. It claims that a defective gas compressor system, undergoing repairs in Germany, is responsible. It has provided no timeline for a solution to end the flaring once and for all.

The company is also dumping thousands of barrels of toxic reservoir water into the ocean, despite the fact that international best practices require the reinjection of the reservoir water into the earth.

ExxonMobil claims that the issue is not hazardous to the environment. BayPhase, the UK firm which the former Government hired to conduct the review, did not flag these issues.

Yet, EPA Head, Dr. Vincent Adams, determined to demand better from ExxonMobil, insisted that changes be made to the Payara FDP, where there

existed the same loopholes that allow Exxon to commit these environmental infractions at the Liza One project. But ExxonMobil insists that to redesign the Prosperity in the manner that Dr. Adams requires would be too expensive and inconvenient. This has held up the approval of the Payara project for some time now.

Lo and behold, and to widespread public condemnation, the Irfaan Ali administration decided to send Dr. Adams on leave, effectively removing him from the review process for the Payara project.

Tuesday September 01, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 09

Enforcement is the name of the game!

I

f you continue to do things the same way all the time, you should not expect different results. The COVID-19 measures which will take effect today until the end of September represent a reverting to measures previously announced. If these measures are implemented in the same manner as before, they will yield the same results.

The major failing of the COVID-19 regulations from April to July was the lack of implementation. Measures were announced but these relied almost exclusively on voluntary compliance.

Among those measures which were poorly enforced was the monitoring of the curfew hours, the wearing of masks in public and when entering businesses, restrictions on the use of the Georgetown Seawall, the opening of non-essential businesses and the restrictions placed on entertainment places.

During the period when the opening of places of entertainment was supposed to be prohibited, there was a shooting incident at an exotic club in the city. One man died in the incident. Yet, to this date, the owners of that club have not been brought to the Court. But some patrons who were drinking recently at a rumshop at Crane were hauled before the Courts.

There should not be double standards when it

comes to implementing these regulations. Surely, the risk of infection was higher in that strip-club than at the well-ventilated rum-shop.

Both should not have been opened. But only the owners of the rum-shops were sanctioned.

It makes no sense in s titu tin g r eg u latio n s without the ability to enforce these regulations. The police are stretched at evenings and therefore the police could not have been expected to enforce regulations.

The new government should have moved by now to a system of community enforcement, backed up the police. Persons within the community should be asked to monitor what is taking place and if they discover that regulations are being breached, the police should be summoned. If this is done for all the restrictions, which were published in the Official Gazette yesterday, then these measures are going to have a greater impact.

The government therefore cannot be content simply with the reintroduction of certain restrictions. It has to ensure that these measures are implemented and enforced.

Otherwise, the results will be no different.

There is, however, a need to tweak some of the measures announced. For one, a person working in the city and living in Parika, for example, may find it difficult

to leave work at 4:30pm and reach home by 6:00pm. The East Bank traffic and the traffic on the West Coast of Demerara crawl to almost a halt during this period.

Similarly, persons who go to the public parks for exercise will find it difficult to get home back after one hour of exercise and still stay within the curfew hour of 6:00pm. Persons living on the East Coast and on West Demerara usually have to wait hours to get public transportation in the afternoons.

Construction workers working deep within villages or far away from the main roads and who have to connect from one bus to another to get home will find this 6:00pm deadline impossible.

GUYSUCO workers have had similar problems in the past since there is some confusion as to whether they are essential workers or not.

Surely, it will not hurt the government to tweak the curfew hours from 7:00pm to 5:00am.

The wearing of masks in public also requires some qualification. If you are the sole person in your vehicle and you have the window up, should you have to wear a mask covering your nose and mouth? If you have to interact with someone or you have to step outside of the vehicle or if there are other persons in the vehicle, it is understandable that you should have to wear a mask.

..........................................................

Dem boys seh...

Modest Mingo!

D

e Rig-adier talk how Mingo is a quiet, peaceful and modest man. He maths nah modest though.

De Rig-adier bin seh how he nah gan influence, interfere or intervene in de wuk of GECOM. So dem boys wan fuh know how come he and nuff of he party leaders and supporters tun up outside de court fuh cheerlead Mingo who does wuk with GECOM. Dem boys hear dem seh dat dem standing up fuh Mingo rights because de police should nah hold he so long. Dem boys wan remind all dem who talking dat fart

dat de police apply to de court fuh de time dem hold he, and after dem charge he‌dem bring he at de earliest possible time to de court, in keeping with de Judge's rules.

De same day Mingo went to court was de same day dat de Hap-New+HayEff-See file dem elections petition.

Dem boys hear some talk from wan of dem leaders of de party wah de A and de C run away and lef de F. He seh dat de PPP gan gat to produce all de people wah dem claim bin deh in the country when dem vote.

Dem boys thought dat de onus of proof was on de

complainant.

But it look like de big lawyer nah know dat is he and he party wah gat to prove dem case, not de PPP/C. De man get confused since he had to walk out he office. Is de fuss time dem boys hear how an accused gat to prove he innocence rather than de accuser proving de accused guilt.

De Hap-New +Hay-Eff See seh de elections was fraudulent. Yet dem wan de court fuh declare Soulja Bai as President based pon de same fraudulent elections.

Talk half and wait fuh see if Statements of Polls gan be produced.

But not if you are the only occupant of the vehicle and your windows are up.

There have to be tighter controls over markets, pavement vending and businesses. Too many vendors, too many salespersons and too many

patrons are not wearing masks. There needs to be a special enforcement team to ensure that this is happening.

Without proper enforcement, the social restrictions announced will produce the same results as they have been doing for the

past six month. It is time to change that through stronger enforcement.

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

Kaieteur News

PAGE 10

Tuesday September 01, 2020

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

Vincent Adams: Existential choices W

h e n D r.

Vi n c e n t Adams was made executive director of the EPA, my perspective on Guyanese political history would have dictated my attitude to the appointment.

Several times I have outlined my position on the diaspora's engagement with Guyana.

I believe that the diaspora has skills to offer this country but I have always added a footnote to that attitude. It must be a skills set

that cannot be found among Guyanese who are living and working here. Given our poor economy and level of economic development, I hold firmly to the belief that those who choose not to leave but to share their knowledge with other Guyanese and to endure the disadvantages of living here, we have an obligation to recognize that sacrifice.

This conceptualization of mine is no doubt shaped by my 26 years of teaching at

UG. I saw brilliant students, who would excel in any developed country, and 10 years after, I would run into them and learn that they have established themselves in Guyana. They never left.

Here now is my essential argument.

If we need a brain surgeon and there isn't one, then fine, bring in the diaspora Guyanese and pay him his million dollar salary.

If we have a brain surgeon here but he lacks the

experience of his diaspora counterpart, let us persist with him and train him.

I will never abandon this belief. I unhesitatingly support the employment of permanently based Guyanese over those who left and have given the best years of their lives to other countries.

Given my theoretical position, I would argue that a local should have been made head of the EPA and similar bodies. I don't know Dr. Adams at all so there is

nothing personal in arriving at my judgment. The little I know of Dr. Adams was that he spent the greater part of his life working in the US and came back to Guyana after retirement. I am told he is 70 years old or close to that.

There is a controversy brewing about Dr. Adams being sent on leave and there are feelings expressed in the media that he is needed at this time. For the rest of this article, I am not going to offer an opinion on the necessity to have Dr. Adams remain at or leave the EPA neither will I u s e w o r d s o f agreement/disagreement with the decision to have him take his leave. My position is purely an academic one in which I will delve into philosophy within the context of existential choices people make.

Dr. Adams belongs to the two highest pillars of the Alliance For Change. He is in the executive committee and part of the management committee which administers the AFC between statutory meetings of the executive body.

He was also one of the negotiators in the renewal of the Cummingsburg Accord.

His colleague, Dominic Gaskin, who belongs to those two bodies, publicly proclaimed that the 2020 election was being rigged by Clairmont Mingo based on the false numbers Mingo was inserting in his tabulation.

Dr. Adams as a retiree who is financially secure chose not to speak out. Dr. Adams belongs to the leadership of a party that was

Frederick Kissoon in the government during the five-month ordeal from March 2 to August 2. Dr. Adams was part of the APNU+AFC outfit that tried to rig the election. The APNU+AFC outfit, to this day, sticks with its belief that it won the 2020 poll.

Morally then, Dr. Adams can be seen as part of that cabal that wants to benefit from a rigged election because he has not followed Gaskin's existential pathway.

A natural question then arises – does Dr. Adams have a moral obligation to denounce the leadership of his party of which he is an essential player, for (1) accepting victory from a rigged election and (2) taking the matter before the courts? At all times, when one is reflecting on the controversy that currently surrounds Dr. Adams, the fact is that he is not just another party member that campaigned for the AFC. Dr. Adams is one of the policy-makers for the AFC who holds one of the most important public positions.

If I had to vote on the continuation of Dr. Adams as head of the EPA, I would mark a ballot in favour of him.

But I will first invoke moral philosophy and remind him of his obligations to Guyana.

My question to him is: does he believe that his party APNU+AFC won the election therefore is in favour of the election petition it filed in court? If the answer is no, as a major player in the APNU+AFC, is he willing to publicly state, as Gaskin did, that it must acknowledge its defeat?

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

Monday September 01, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 11

Kaieteur News

PAGE 14

Tuesday September 01, 2020

President Ali says GDF to become more - as officers receive Military community-oriented Service Medal and promotion C

o m m a n d e r- i n Chief of the Armed Forces, Dr. Irfaan Ali, yesterday said that the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) will soon become more communityoriented.

“Guyanese must not only see these distinguished men and women in uniform as just members of the armed forces, but they must also see you as a key and integral part of their development, of their community development and our national development,” President Ali stated at a ceremony for five recently promoted officers.

The Head of State said the Defence Board has begun discussions on a strategic way forward on how the military will become integrated into the

President Ali (fifth from left) accompanied by Prime Minister, Brigadier Mark Phillips; Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall; Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn; Chief of Staff, Brigadier Godfrey Bess, and the newly promoted Officers. (DPI)

President Irfaan Ali accompanied by Chief of Staff, Brigadier Godfrey Bess (right), pinning the promotion badge and Military Service Medal on Substantive Colonel, Omar Khan. (DPI)

community life of Guyana.

“The time has come to harness the potential of the military to uplift and build communities all across our country and this will be the focus to make the military more community-oriented, community-engaged and more in line with the national development thrust of our country,” he added.

President Ali urged the GDF to think outside the box as a course is chartered in which the military will be actively involved in the development shift and advancement of the country.

This, he said, comes on the heels of the “emerging oil and gas sector, new security challenges, new border challenges.

The military has to and must play a key role in the emerging needs of our country.”

Receiving promotions were Commander of the Coast Guard, Colonel Gary Beaton, now Substantive Brigadier and Lieutenant Colonels: Ronald Hercules, Julius Skeete, Omar Khan and Kenlloyd Roberts to the rank of Substantive Colonels.

The ranks also received the Military Service medal for distinctive service beyond the call of duty.

President Ali noted that “the promotions are long overdue and are necessary to strengthen the leadership of the Guyana Defence Force.”

Also, in attendance at the ceremony were Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret'd) Mark Phillips; Chief of Staff, Brigadier Godfrey Bess; Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, and Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs,Mohabir Anil Nandlall. (DPI)

Kaieteur News

Tuesday September 01, 2020

School of the Nations excels at Cambridge IGCSE, A Level exams

C

ambridge University recently released the revised results of IGCSE and A Level results for more than one million students from 136 countries worldwide.

In a press release, School of the Nations noted that 66 of its students wrote a total of 407 IGCSE exams in 24 subjects, including six Form 4 students who wrote Maths.

“The remarkable overall pass rate was 98 percent.

Forty-four percent of all the exams written in the 5th Form earned either a Distinction, an A or a B grade… 100 percent passes were recorded for the following subjects: ICT, Business, Accounts, Economics, Global Perspectives, Geography, History, Travel and Tourism, English Literature, English Language, Spanish, Additional Maths, and E n v i r o n m e n t a l Management,” the release

added.

Among the outstanding performers at the IGCSE exams are: Onsay Grant: 5 A* (i.e. Distinctions), 1 A, 3 Bs; Raymacie Phillips: 3 A*, 5 As, 1 B; Ashley Mohan: 2 A*, 4 As, 3 Bs; John McGrath: 1 A*, 5 As, 4 Bs; Ajay Nehaul 1 A*, 6 As, 1 C; Michellea Dowlin: 2 A*, 5 As; Va l e s k a Kronbauer: 3 A*, 1 A, 2 Bs, 1 C; Ariel Phagoo: 4 As, 1 B, 3 Cs and Samuel InceCarvalhal: 3 As, 3 Bs, 1 C.

PAGE 15 Jae-Anya Amsterdam : 4 A grades “My first year in 6th Form was quite different from what I’d expected as I faced completely new challenges, not least of which were the COVID-19 arrangements that, at times, left me a bit discouraged.

Still I persevered and thankfully it paid off. Honestly, it was the undying support from my family, especially my parents who were always by my side, my friends, old and new, who managed to turn even the hardest times into something fun and enjoyable and my teachers who were always encouraging and approachable. I want to especially thank my Math and Physics teacher, Sir Stefan Farier, who constantly reminded me of the importance of maintaining a positive mindset.”

Raeda Persaud: 3 As, 1 B “The examination was rather against the norm; however with the aid of a stellar support system, there was comfort to be found. As with any moment of profound joy, hardship and toil preceded. Gratitude to family, teachers and Allah.”

Onsay Grant: 5 A* (i.e. Distinctions), 1 A, 3 Bs “I am extremely happy with my results. This success I have achieved took lots of hardwork and dedication and it was absolutely worth it. Much more importantly, these results could never have been achieved without God and prayers, my parents, brothers, teachers since Grade 6 and onward, School of the Nations and their support system and the rest of my family.

These results have been achieved in a troubling time therefore my heart goes out to all the doctors, nurses, healthcare workers and frontline providers who are trying to protect us during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

John McGrath: 1 A*, 5 As, 4 Bs John’s parents commented: “Congratulations to School of the Nations, their Board of Directors and teachers for years of hard work, dedication and discipline provided to the students. We are inspired to continue on to 6th Form with the Nations’ Family.”

Ariel Phagoo: 4 As, 1 B, 3 Cs “To all my wonderful teachers I say, thank you!

To the future generations, remember the most important gift you can receive, is your education, no one can take it away from you!’

Meanwhile at the 6th Form level, 16 subjects were offered. In the first year of 6th Form, students did the AS exam and 249 exams were done at the AS Level.

The overall pass rate at AS was 95% with 100% passes in: Global Perspectives, Travel & Tourism, Business, ICT, Chemistry, Physics and Psychology. Also 48% of all the exams written at the AS Level earned either an A*, A or B grade.

The top achievers in the first year of 6th Form were: Jae-Anya Amsterdam : 4 A grades; Zaid Bacchus: 3 As, 1B and 1 C; Raeda Persaud: 3 As, 1 B; Siya Persaud- 3 As, 1 B; Nekeisha Clementson: 2 As and 2 Bs; Anuradha Tiwari: 3 As; Haema Dasrath: 1 A*, 1 A, 1 C; Vincent MetivierAli: 3 As; John Phang:2 As, 1 B and Queen Zawditu Selassie: 1 A, 1 B, 1 C.

Siya Persaud- 3 As, 1 B “I would like to take this opportunity to thank my parents, my teachers, and most of all, my school, for guiding and teaching me, so that I may further my education. There were certainly challenges and obstacles, but hard work truly pays off.”

Nekeisha Clementson: 2 As and 2 Bs “COVID-19 was unexpected and it affected the way we took our exams this year.

However, I tried to make the best of the situation and prepared for exams like I would under normal circumstances.

Thankfully, the work paid off. I thank my parents for supporting me and helping me adjust to online schooling comfortably. Additionally, I am very grateful to my teachers for adapting to online teaching and doing all that they could to ensure that we succeeded in these unforeseen times. I am excited to see what the future holds.”

Haema Dasrath: 1 A*, 1 A, 1 C “As a result of being in the midst of a pandemic, distress and unrest were added to the already existing pressure of achieving good grades. Thankfully however, I was successful, and I’m aware that I owe a great deal of this to my subject teachers at School of Nations/Nations University for working closely with me and guiding me towards achieving the grades that I wanted.”

continued on page 16

PAGE 16

Kaieteur News

Tuesday September 01, 2020

Pensioner’s body found floating in canal

T

PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, G R A D U AT I O N , W E D D I N G S , ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620

he body of a pen sioner was on Sunday last fished out of canal in front of his Bella Dam, Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara home.

The body was identified as that of 66-year-old Hardat Dhaniram.

According to police, the man’s body was discovered at around 16:45hrs.

Ranks observed that the body was lying with its face upwards and clad in a grey jersey, black short pants with a pair of black boots. It was also noticed that a piece of skin from his forehead was peeled off.

Dhaniram was last seen alive by his daughter also of Bella Dam at around 08:30hrs that day.

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Body of Hardat Dhaniram minutes after being fished out of the canal.

School of the Nations excels ...

From page 15 Also in the second year of 6th Form, the students sat the Advanced Level examinations. 152 exams were sat at the A Level. There were 100% passes in ICT, Business, Biology, Physics, Accounts, Economics, Travel & Tourism, and Global Perspectives.

The top achievers in the second year of 6th Form were: SayyidAabidi: 1 A*, 4 As; Sachin Ramroop: 1 A*, 2 As, 1 B; Mikayla DeFreitas: 1 A, 2 Bs, 2 Cs; Loris Nathoo: 1 A, 2 Bs, 1 C; Towana Semple: 1 A*, 1 A, 1 B; Shania Smith: 1 A*, 1 A, 1 B; Aliah Mohamed: 4 Bs; A very interesting programme that Nations offers is an intensive, and yet part-time, course by which students undertake 1 or 2 A Levels in one year to gain access to the London Law degree that Nations offers. As a result, 11 students gained the grades to enter the London LLB programme. Amongst the outstanding performers on this course – completed in just one year - were: Selina Persaud: with grade A in both Law and Sociology AL; Ronita Hargobin - B in AL Law; Cassandra Nauth: 2 Bs and Devyani Ramroop: 1 B, 1 C.

According to Director of Nations, Dr. Brian O’Toole, “Cambridge offers examination in 136 countries throughout the world. It is the largest 6th Form examination body in the world. A certificate from Cambridge surely opens many doors to the best Universities worldwide.”

Noting that this is a very challenging time for students throughout the world, and certainly in Guyana, he noted, that Cambridge, like many other examination bodies, decided not to risk asking students to physically sit examinations – instead they opted for a system of course work, predicted grades and statistical analysis. “This was a new system and not without its challenges. We sent a 17-page letter to Cambridge challenging their initial grades and were very happy to see that they accepted almost all of our challenges, Dr. O’Toole said.

During the pandemic all of the IGCSE, AS and AL classes were offered online and according to the Director, “Nations 6th Form begins again in two weeks. We will begin online and revert to the regular school classes as soon as guidance is received from the authorities.”

Tuesday September 01, 2020

PAGE 17

Kaieteur News

Protest actions block traffic in several W.C.B. villages Police ranks cleaning the roadway before the smooth flow of traffic resumed.

-police rank injured -businesses cut off -mourners forced to walk through protesters to bury dead

I

ntense and violent pro test actions by resi dents from several villages along the West Coast of Berbice (WCB) in Region Five succeeded in blocking the free flow of traffic in multiple Berbice villages for nearly 48hrs.

Protest, according to reports, erupted early Sunday after residents from Belladrum blocked main access roads and burnt tyres, as they vented their frustrations over the detention of controversial Returning Officer (RO),

Clairmont Mingo.

Mingo was arrested last week along with three other employees of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) on election fraud charges.

The protesters clamoured, chanted and demanded the release of Mingo from police custody. Several other neighbouring villages followed suit. These villages included: Calcutta and Content, Mahaicony; Abary, El Dorado and Paradise.

Like the residents of

Belladrum, they too blocked the main access roads with huge boulders, burning tyres and other debris, leaving hundreds of commuters stranded. No vehicle was allowed to enter Berbice and persons travelling to Georgetown could not pass either.

It was chaos and confusion everywhere, even funeral processions were prevented from passing. A group of mourners who had just left a Georgetown funeral parlour to bury their loved one at

Mingo, two others released on bail for ...

From centre relates to the March 2 elections and the events that followed.

Also placed before the court was Information Technology Officer, Enrique Livan, who was named in a USB flash drive scandal surrounding the tabulations of votes that happened on March 5, 2020. Livan was slapped with one fraud charge and was arraigned before the Chief Magistrate in the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts.

Livan is being represented by attorney-at-law, Eusi Anderson. Livan was not required to plead to the indictable charge, which alleges that between March 4 and 5, 2020 at High Street, Georgetown, together with others, he, while being an employee at GECOM, unlawfully altered the figures of the Statements of Poll (SOPs) to defraud the State of Guyana.

Objections were made by prosecutor Mohamed to bail being granted to Livan based on the seriousness of the offence, the comments that were made by Golding and the fact that Livan can interfere with the witnesses.

Chief Magistrate McLennan granted Livan bail in the sum of $150,000 with conditions that he lodge his passport, stay 50ft away from the witnesses in the matter and report to the CID Headquarters every day.

That matter too was adjourned to September 25, 2020.

Livan was arrested by the police a few days after Mingo.

He was at the centre of the allegations during the derailed tabulations of the District

Four count at the GECOM Media Centre in the Ashmin's Building on High Street on the night of March 4, 2020.

Livan was accused of being in cahoots with the RO after he allegedly removed two integral pieces of technology needed for tabulations - a USB flash drive and a laptop.

Another GECOM employee was also charged yesterday. That employee, a woman, was slapped with two counts of conspiracy to commit fraud.

The defendant, Sheffern February, appeared before the Chief Magistrate in the same court.

She was not required to plead to the indictable offence which stated that, on March 13, 2020, at High and Cowan Streets, with the intent to defraud the public of Guyana, while being a Clerk at GECOM for District Four, she did not use figures from the SOPs which resulted in a false declaration being made for the General and Regional Elections.

February is being represented by attorney-at-law Latoya Roberts. She was granted bail in the sum of $150,000 on each charge and the matter was adjourned to September 25, 2020. February too was ordered to lodge her passport, stay 50ft away from witnesses in the case and report to the CID Headquarters every day.

It is alleged that February worked along with Mingo to allegedly inflate figures from the March 2, 2020 polls to give the APNU+AFC coalition a victory.

COALITION SUPPORTERS

While the matters were going on, coalition supporters gathered in front of the court and were chanting “Free Mingo”. Former Ministers and other officials from the coalition also turned up at court yesterday.

Before the matter concluded, former President, David Granger; former Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, and the leader of the Opposition, Joseph Harmon, visited the court.

When they arrived, the protesters starting cheering and shouting, “This is our President”.

Granger, Harmon and Ramjattan gave comments to the media as it relates to the elections petition that was filed yesterday in the High Court. After speaking with reporters, they proceeded to greet their supporters who were standing near police barriers that were set up some distance away from the court.

The men then waited at the entrance of the court for Mingo to post his bail. Before Mingo came out, his wife was asked to give a comment. Instead, the woman, with outstretched arms, started praying.

However, when Mingo and his attorneys came out of the court compound, it was chaos since some of the supporters had scaled the barriers and came running to Mingo as they cheered for him.

Despite the presence of several police officers, they were unable to control the crowd that gathered around Mingo and his attorneys at the entrance of the court.

Belladrum were stuck at El Dorado. Protesters allowed only the hearse to pass, however, the mourners were forced to park their cars on the bridges of residents and walk through the protesters all the way to Belladrum.

By the time they arrived at the service, the pastor had already performed the last rites and left the dead unburied at the burial ground. After hours of walking in heels, one woman said, they proceeded to seal the tomb and began the long walk out of the burial ground.

Not only were they forced to return to El Dorado on foot but they had to endure long hours at each roadblock, as tensions escalated between police ranks and protesters which extended into the late hours of the night (Sunday).

Protesters even threw rocks and pebbles at riot officers. This resulted in one of the ranks sustaining injuries to the face and eyes.

Police retaliated by shooting rubber bullets at the angry crowd injuring one of the protesters in the process.

Both were rushed to the nearest hospital where they were treated and sent away.

Nevertheless, this did not scare the protesters as they continued their blockade way into yesterday. Many busi-

Mingo hoisted on the shoulders of protesters as they left the streets. nesses, public servants and other workers were greatly affected.

Persons living in Berbice were left without their daily newspapers after vehicles from the various print media agencies were stranded for hours.

The protest did not end until after mid-day yesterday

when Mingo was released on $600,000 bail. Protesters from Abary waited until Mingo arrived and hoisted him on their shoulders as they left the streets.

Police were then left with the job of cleaning the debris before traffic back was restored to normalcy. (Shervin Belgrave)

Disabilities Council members engage Minister Benn

Representatives of the Guyana Council of Organizations for Persons with Disabilities (GCOPD) on Friday August 28, 2020) met with Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn. At the meeting, they raised matters of concern facing the disability community in Guyana.

Chairman of the Council, Cecil Morris, was accompanied by his team: Programme Coordinator, Ganesh Singh; Council Member June Herod and Sabine McIntosh, Director of the Deaf Association of Guyana. They discussed with Minister Benn concerns such as:

sign language services; the provision of sign language interpreters to be made available to persons with disability who come into contact with the police, the maintenance of safe areas for persons with disabilities, such as the Society for the Blind located in St. Phillips Green High Street, and the discrimination experienced by disabled persons when attempting to use public transportation in Guyana.

Minister Benn noted the concerns and assured the Council that the Ministry of Home Affairs will seek to address the concerns.

PAGE 18

Tuesday September 01, 2020

Kaieteur News

APNU+AFC lodges election petition in the High Court

By Rehanna Ramsay he A Partnership for National Unity +Al liance For Change (APNU+AFC) opposition party has filed an election petition in the Georgetown High Court challenging the results of the March 2 General and Regional Elections.

The petition comes exactly 28 days after the results were declared and five months after a stiff battle between the two main political parties over the election.

The petition which was lodged yesterday morning at the registry of the Supreme Court by several top ranking members of the opposition party including former President David Granger, presumptive Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon, and AFC chairman, Khemraj Ramjattan.

According to court records, the applicants, Claudette Thorne and Heston Raymond Bostwick in their capacity as citizens of Guyana and electors of District Four want several questions answered including whether the elections have been lawfully conducted or whether the results have been, or may have been affected by any unlawful act or omission and in consequence thereof, whether the seats in the National Assembly have been lawfully allocated.

The petition drafted by Attorneys -at-law, Roysdale A. Forde S.C, John Jeremie, S.C, Raphael Trotman and Olayne Joseph, states that the two applicants are challeng-

T

ing the results as declared by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and published in the official gazette on August 20, 2020.

Those results show the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) as having 233,336 votes and the APNU+AFC securing 217,920 votes. The results which put the PPP/C in the lead were garnered from a CARICOM supervised elections recount process that the APNU+AFC had condemned as lacking credibility. For these reasons, the applicants claim that the elections were unlawfully conducted and the results were affected.

As a basis of their contentions, the applicants in their supporting document outlined the series of events which led up to the recount declaration.

They highlighted, inter alia, the previous declaration made by District Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, which showed a overwhelming lead for the APNU+AFC in the largest voting population but was challenged in Court subsequently quashed by then Chief Justice (ag), Roxanne George-Wiltshire.

As a consequence of the Judge’s order, the two citizens stated that an agreement was made between the then President, David Granger, and the Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, for a recount of all the votes cast at this year’s General and Regional Election.

But before the recount fig-

Former President, David Granger; presumptive opposition leader, Joseph Harmon; and AFC Chairman, Khemraj Ramjattan; were present at the registry of the Supreme Court when the petition was lodged yesterday morning. ures could be declared, the document noted that another course of litigation was taken.

This time, Justice Franklin Holder ruled that the electoral returns and or declarations of returning officers could only be set aside by an election petition.

As such, the applicants claimed that the Fixed Date Application (FDA) was filed to challenge the outcome of the elections by way of the petition.

In the elections petition, the applicants asked the Court to determine several questions, including whether Section 22 of the Elections Law Amendment Act (ELAA) is unconstitutional in that it violates the separation of

powers and impermissibly usurps the legislative powers of Parliament.

As such, they are contending that the (recount) regime which was created under Order 60 of 2020 pursuant to Section 22 of the ELAA and Article 162 of the Constitution is ultra vires and inconsistent with Article 161 A of the Constitution.

“The regime created by GECOM purportedly in pursuant of Section 22 of the ELAA was inconsistent with the Representation of the People Act,” the court document said.

Further, the document noted recital 8 of Order No. 60 provides that GECOM, in exercise of the authority

vested in it under Article 162 of the Constitution and pursuant to Section 22 of the ELAA 2000, seeks to remove difficulties connected with the process of the Representation of the People Act, Chapter 1:03, in implementing its decisions related to the recount of all ballots cast at the said elections.

Order 60 of 2020, according to the applicants, “negates the process of the reconciliation of the ballots issued with the ballots cast, destroyed, sp o i l e d , stamped, and as deemed n e c e s s a r y, their counterfoils/stubs; authenticity of the ballots and the number of voters listed and crossed out as having voted;

the number of votes cast without ID cards; the number of proxies issued and the number utilized; statistical anomalies; occurrences recorded in the Poll Book”.

By virtue of Section 96 (1) of the said Act, the document said that the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) shall, after the declarations have been made by all the Returning Officers for all of the 10 Electoral Districts and calculate the total number of valid votes cast for each List of Candidates.

The CEO is also required to prepare a report in accordance with Section 96 (2) of the Representation of the People Act and furnish same to the GECOM. As a consequence, the two electors believe that GECOM rejected the CEO’s report submitted on July 11, 2020 in keeping with the Report pursuant to Section 96 of the Representation of the People Act. However, they noted that his report was rejected and the Chairman directed the CEO to prepare his report using the valid votes counted in the National Recount as per Certificates of Recount generated therefrom.

“The request by the Chairman of the GECOM to the CEO was illegal… The Certificate of District Tabulation used in the Recount Process was not Gazetted and is not required by the Representation of the People Act to be used for the Declaration of the results…” the applicants contended in their petition.

Guyana records 41 COVID-19 deaths

Guyana now has 41 COVID -19 related deaths, 21 of which were recorded during the month of August. The rise in the number of deaths correlates with the increase number of active COVID-19 cases which jumped from approximately 12 in March to close to 893 cases in August. The figures for each month, as reflected in the accompanying graph, accumulate to approximately 1,300.

For yesterday alone, 72 new cases of the disease were recorded. As a result, the Government has instituted the 6am – 6pm curfew for the entire month of September starting from today.

The order which was published in the official gazette also warns members of the public to observe the COVID-19 emergency measures which emphasize the need to practice physical distancing at least 6ft apart, use a facemask correctly and consistently when leaving home and practice good hand hygiene to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Further, persons with symptoms of COVID-19 are asked to call the COVID-19 hotline numbers 231-1166 or 226-7480 for assistance.

The Ministry of Health in a release yesterday announced two more COVID-19 related

The figures represent the number of COVID 19 cases recorded in each month since March.

-reverts to 6am– 6pm curfew from today

deaths—those deaths pushed the country’s toll from 38 to 41.

The patients were identified as an 89-yearold man from Region Nine and a 47-year-old woman from Region Seven.

According to the Ministry, upon admission to our medical health facility, a swab test was done on both patients and following their deaths, the results came back as positive.

The Ministry said that it is in contact with all relatives and other contacts to facilitate

The number of deaths recorded each month since March.

contact tracing and rapid assistance to everyone who may have been exposed.

Also, the Ministry has also appealed yesterday for “patient confidentiality to be respected and the families be allowed to mourn in peace” even as it expressed “sincerest condolences to the family of these two persons and will make every effort to provide all the necessary support during this difficult time to assist the families to deal with the situation.” (Rehanna Ramsay)

Kaieteur News

Tuesday September 01, 2020

Chief Prison officer dies in Homestretch Avenue smash-up

Public-spirited citizens pulling the trapped prison officers from the wrecked motorcar. (Photo Credit: Big Smith News Watch Photo)

By Shervin Belgrave

A

Chief Prison O f f i c e r yesterday died tragically in a vehicular smash-up at Homestretch Avenue, Georgetown. The accident involving a motorcar and a Nissan Xtrail SUV resulted in the death of Prince Cox, 38, of Nabaclis, East Coast Demerara (EBD).

The accident occurred at around 08:00rs while Cox was heading home from work in a motorcar driven by his 27-year-old colleague, Javon Hector.

According to the police report, Hector was heading in a western direction on the southern side of the road when he decided to overtake some vehicles in the vicinity of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit's (CANU') headquarters.

As a result, he ended up in the path of the SUV. Eyewitnesses said that Hector tried to avoid a collision by swerving his car further to the northern side of the road.

However, he was not quick enough and the SUV collided with the front passenger door of the car where Cox was sitting. The car reportedly spun once before coming to a halt on the nearby parapet.

Passersby stopped and assisted in pulling a barely conscious Cox and his

DEAD: Chief Prison Officer, Prince Cox injured colleague from the car. They also assisted the driver of the SUV, 22-yearold Leslie Turnhill of Eccles East Bank Demerara.

They were all transported to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where doctors pronounced Cox dead on arrival.

Hector was treated and discharged, while Turnhill

was admitted in a critical condition.

Upon learning of his tragic demise, Cox's colleagues started to share their shock and condolences via social media.

Some said that they had worked alongside the Chief Prison Officer Sunday night and had only said goodbye a few hours before he met his tragic death yesterday.

Director of Prisons, Gladwin Samuels, said that Cox had worked with the Guyana Prison Service for almost 16 years. Cox had joined the force in October of 2004 and was promoted to Principle Officer One in 2009.

His hard work and dedicated service pushed him further up the ladder in 2016 when he was promoted once again to the post of Principle Officer Two. Cox continued with good discipline and work ethics and was finally granted the position of Chief Prison Officer in January 2020, a post he held up until the time of his death.

PAGE 19

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday September 01, 2020

Tuesday September 01, 2020

PAGE 21

Kaieteur News

NBA roundup: Leonard posts 33, Clippers close out Mavericks Snowden to...

Kawhi Leonard had 33 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists and the Los Angeles Clippers eliminated the Dallas Mavericks from the playoffs with a 111-97 victory in Game 6 on Sunday in the NBA bubble near Orlando.

Ivica Zubac had 15 points and 11 rebounds, while Paul George contributed 15 points, nine boards and seven assists for the Clippers. Leonard added five steals.

The Clippers advanced to the second round of the Western Conference playoffs, where they await the winner of the Utah Jazz-Denver Nuggets series. The Nuggets won later Sunday to tie the series 3-3. Game 7 is scheduled for today at 8:30 p.m. ET.Luka Doncic had 38 points, nine assists and nine rebounds for the Mavericks.

Dorian Finney-Smith added

16 points and Tim Hardaway Jr. chipped in 10.

Denver Nuggets 119 — 107 Utah Jazz Jamal Murray exploded for a game-high 50 points, including 14 in a second-quarter turnaround that propelled third-seeded Denver to victory over sixth-seeded Utah, forcing a seventh and deciding game in their Western Conference first-round playoff series in the NBA bubble.

In scoring 50 for the second time in three games, Murray won a second consecutive duel with Jazz counterpart Donovan Mitchell, who poured in a team-high 44 points, his third time over 40 in the series.Game 7 is scheduled for today, with the Nuggets going the distance for the third consecutive time in the last two seasons.

Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) handles the ball against Portland Trail Blazers guard Gary Trent Jr. (2) during the second quarter in game five of the first round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena. (Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports)

They survived a Game 7 with San Antonio in the first

Monday September 01, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Your mind may be a little cloudy most of the day, Aries, and you could find it hard to ground yourself. It may be that you're trying to navigate by the stars, but unfortunately, the clouds.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) Praise you may receive this morning could make you feel on top of the world, Taurus, but try not to let this feeling go to your head.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Things should improve for you as the day progresses, Gemini. The key is to stay loose and not be concerned with the situation's outcome.

The future is uncertain.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) Your emotions could feel restricted today, Cancer, a feeling that may be difficult to shake. Take this opportunity to calm down and relax.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) It could be hard to find your footing early in the day, Leo. You may be better off sleeping in. Have a good breakfast and relax in the morning.

VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22) Use the morning to take care of yourself, Virgo. You could be so concerned with the world and the shared environment that you forget to take care of you. Use the early afternoon to reflect and meditate. Gather facts from your inner state and use the information.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Get to some water today and reconnect with this element, Libra. Like lapping waves against the shore, you may be gently changing the landscape around you with each word or action.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Emotionally speaking, you should be doing quite well today, Scorpio, especially in the morning. This is a good time to take charge of projects that require definite leadership.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) You may get frustrated today, Sagittarius, especially in the morning when other people's egos seem to be strong. It could be difficult to relate to people who simply refuse to accept any opinion but their own.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) People may see you as the personification of drama, especially this morning, Capricorn.

This is a good time to express your emotions and get things out of your system.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) There may be a damper on your mood today, Aquarius, especially in the morning. It could seem as if everyone is having fun but you.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) There may be some conflict today, Pisces, especially in the morning. Your general mood is quite good, but there's a strong force asking you to be more realistic in your approach.

round last year, before losing the decisive game to Portland in the Western semifinals.

Boston Celtics 112 — Toronto Raptors 94 Jayson Tatum and Marcus Smart scored 21 points apiece to lift Boston to a victory over Toronto in the opener of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Kemba Walker had 18 points, Jaylen Brown 17, Daniel Theis 13 and Robert Williams III 10 as the Celtics won their fifth straight game

to open the playoffs.

Theis and Walker added game highs of 15 rebounds and 10 assists, respectively.

Kyle Lowry had 17 points and Serge Ibaka added 15 for the Raptors, who saw their eight-game winning streak come to a halt.

Toronto shot 31-of-84 (36.9 percent) from the field and 10-of-40 (25.0 percent) from 3point range. Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet combined to go 8-of-32 for 24 points.

(Field Level Media)

From page 22 he was acting in the public interest.

The data showed how some of the richest and most prominent figures in soccer avoided tax by channelling earnings offshore; provided insight into wealthy Gulf individuals and organisations who have become influential in soccer; and examined the huge sums flowing through some leading clubs and the uneven way authorities have applied the sport’s rules.

T h e d o c u m e n t s provided some of the evidence that led to a ban - since overturned - on Manchester City of the English Premier League competing in the European Champions League for alleged breaches of Financial Fair Play rules.

French prosecutors say they have collaborated with Pinto and other countries have expressed their desire to do the same.

Pinto was detained in January 2019. He was freed from house arrest this month and put under witness protection.

William Bourdon, also defending Pinto, has represented Snowden in the past.

“Rui Pinto is the Snowden of international corruption and (he) must be recognised as one of the greatest whistleblowers of the beginning of this century,” Bourdon told the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.

Snowden is wanted in the United States for espionage, but says that his leak of secret files in 2013, which revealed vast domestic and international surveillance by the NSA, was in the public interest.

In January, Pinto said he was responsible for disclosing hundreds of thousands of files about alleged financial schemes used by Angolan billionaire and former first daughter Isabel dos Santos to build a vast business empire.

Angola has begun criminal investigations but dos Santos has repeatedly denied wrongdoing.

No new transfers ...

From page 23 curfew resuming for the entire month of September due to the rising cases locally, it is an ominous sign for the return to play.

Heywood indicated that since the lockdown in March, one of the toughest things to do has been motivating players to stay fit and patient, something that he credited Coach Bilall Nantambu in being very dedicated and excellent in doing. (Calvin Chapman)

PAGE 22

Kaieteur News

Tuesday September 01, 2020

NBA fines Schroder, Kerber reaches second round Tucker $25,000 apiece in New York

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Dennis Schroder (17) drives to the basket against Houston Rockets forward P.J. Tucker (17) during the second quarter in game five of the first round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs at The Field House. (Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports) The NBA issued $25,000 fines to Dennis Schroder of the Oklahoma City Thunder and P.J. Tucker of the Houston Rockets on Sunday, one day after their on-court confrontation.

Schroder was fined “for making contact to the groin area” of Tucker, and Tucker was penalized for “approaching Schroder and making contact with him in escalation of the altercation,” according to a release from the office of NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Kiki VanDeWeghe.

Both players were ejected after the incident, which occurred with 6:51 left in the third quarter of the Rockets’ 114-80 victory near Orlando. Schroder received a flagrant-2 foul call.

Schroder told reporters after the game that he did not intentionally hit Tucker in a sensitive spot.

The Rockets hold a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference first-round series, with Game 6 scheduled for last night.

(Field Level Media)

Norrie upsets Schwartzman in marathon five-setter at U.S. Open

(Reuters) - Briton Cameron Norrie claimed his biggest win at a Grand Slam when he came from two sets down to beat ninth seed Diego Schwartzman 3-6 4-6 6-2 6-1 7-5 in the first round of the U.S. Open yesterday.

Both players served poorly, resulting in 58 break points being up for grabs in total, and 25-year-old Norrie

saved two match points in the decider before prevailing after nearly four hours.

Extended rallies and long games were a feature of the match and it was Schwartzman who had the measure of Norrie after the early exchanges, winning four of the last five games in the opening set.

Norrie managed to create

Archery Guyana continues its development of Para-Archery

Archery Guyana has established a Specially Convened Committee mandated to develop the sport of Para-Archery.

This initiative by the Board of Directors of Archery Guyana followed on the heels of their attendance at the recently held World Archery Americas Meeting on the development of Para-Archery conducted via the Zoom Platform.

This interactive session was chaired by M.J. Rogers from the USA with Guyana being represented at this important Introduction to Para-Archery Seminar by five Archery Guyana members tasked to continue development in this area: Mr. Mohamed Khan, Mr. Nicholas Hing, Mrs. Vidushi PersaudMcKinnon, Mr. Ganesh Singh and Mr. Shane Rampertab.

The Committee is scheduled to meet soon with the other member, Para-Archery Coach, Mr. Umasankar Madray, who has for the past year been working to further development in this area.

chances in the second set but did not convert the big points, giving Schwartzman a two-set lead before the Argentine started to lose his way in the third.

A time violation saw Schwartzman lose his cool and Norrie took advantage to break and lead 3-2. The Briton capitalised on more errors from a wayward Schwartzman to earn a double break before wrapping up the set.

Schwartzman was unable to find his groove in the fourth set as well while Norrie drastically reduced his unforced error count and converted all three break points to take the match to a decider and pile pressure on the Argentine.The final set began with both players dropping serve. Schwartzman turned the tables with another break at 3-3 before calling for the physio to look at his wrist following a fall.He immediately lost his momentum as Norrie saved match points at 5-3 and at 5-4 before taking a 6-5 lead as a cramping Schwartzman lost nine consecutive points and then saw his forehand hit the net on match point.

NEW YORK (Reuters) Former champion Angelique Kerber returned to action for the first time in seven months and beat Australian Ajla Tomljanovic 6-4 6-4 yesterday to reach the second round of the U.S. Open.

The 17th-seeded German, who entered the match having not competed since the fourth round of the Australian Open, overcame a shaky start on serve and got better as the 88-minute match at Louis Armstrong Stadium wore on.

Kerber, a three-times Grand Slam champion who triumphed at Flushing Meadows in 2016, traded breaks with Tomljanovic through the first four games of the match and then found her footing to take over the match.

The German southpaw converted all three break

Angelique Kerber of Germany returns a shot to Alja Tomljanovic of Australia on day one of the 2020 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. (Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports) point chances to pull ahead 5-4 and then went on to serve out at love to grab the first set.

In the second, Kerber settled into a groove and broke her opponent twice before sealing the win on her

third match point when a Tomljanovic forehand sailed long.

The U.S. Open is the first Grand Slam to be contested since the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown global tennis in March.

Snowden to testify in defence of creator of Football Leaks LISBON (Reuters) - Fugitive U.S. intelligence leaker Edward Snowden will be one of 45 witnesses testifying in Portugal in defence of Rui Pinto, whose trove of 70 million documents exposed the dealings of European soccer clubs, Pinto’s lawyer said yestesday.

Portuguese prosecutors have said the compilation of the Football Leaks data, which from 2016 revealed transfer fees, contracts and information on players’ agencies, led to unauthorised access to Portuguese data, attempted extortion and violation of the privacy of correspondence.

Pinto’s lawyer Francisco Teixeira da Mota said the trial would start on Friday, but that

Edward Snowden speaks via video link as he takes part in a round table on the protection of whistleblowers at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France, March 15, 2019.

(REUTERS/Vincent Kessler) he did not know whether Snowden, now living in Russia, would testify via video link.

Pinto, 31, acknowledges creating the trove but says there was no crime because (Continued on page 19)

Tokyo Games to be symbol of hope as flame goes on display TOKYO (Reuters) - At a low-key ceremony to mark the unveiling of the Olympic flame display yesterday, Tokyo officials reiterated that next year’s Games will be a symbol of hope for the world as it recovers from the coronavirus pandemic.

The flame will be on show from today at the Japanese Olympic Museum, located next to the National Stadium purpose-built for the Games which were due to take place this year but were rescheduled for 2021 due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The flame was last seen in Fukushima after the torch relay was canceled following its arrival from Greece but before

it could start a planned tour of Japan following the decision to postpone the Games in March.

Organizers have chosen to display the flame at the JOC museum, held in a small lantern in the corner of the lobby.

“Next year, this flame will be carried by about 10,000 torchbearers and will light the Olympic cauldron,” Tokyo 2020 President Yoshiro Mori said.

“We would like to make efforts towards this so that we can ensure a great success of the Games.”

Organizers have not announced details of the torch relay. The original 121-day plan had the torch traveling

to all of Japan’s 47 prefectures.“I suppose athletes aiming to participate in Olympics and Paralympics are training hard every day while having great anxiety (due to coronavirus),” said Japanese Olympic Committee President Yasuhiro Yamashita who received the flame from Mori.

“I am confident that this flame, which is displayed today, will be moral support for such athletes.”

To limit crowds gathering to view the flame, there will be a reservation system with a designated date and time.

The flame will be on display from Sept. 1-Nov. 1. The Games are due to start on July 23.

Tuesday September 01, 2020

Australia’s Hazlewood concerned about COVID-19 cases at IPL side Australia’s Josh Hazlewood in action against South Africa at Senwes Park, Potchefstroom. (REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko)

(Reuters) - Australia’s Josh Hazlewood is concerned about a COVID-19 outbreak at his Indian Premier League franchise in the United Arab Emirates, the seamer said yesterday.

Hazlewood is in England for Australia’s limited-overs series, three Twenty20 matches in Southampton followed by three 50-over internationals in Manchester.

After the series he is expected to join the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in UAE, where the 13th edition of the IPL will be held from Sept. 19 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in India.

The Indian cricket board said two players and 11 other

people tested positive for COVID-19 after arriving in the UAE without identifying them. Local media reported that all of them were from the CSK camp.“At the franchise, we have a group WhatsApp, with all the information that comes through. It’s obviously a little bit of a concern.

You ideally would have no cases,” Hazlewood told reporters on a video conference on Monday.

“They are in quarantine now ... All my focus is, obviously, on this tour at the moment. Once the IPL comes closer we will think more about that ... closer to the date we will have a chat with Cricket Australia.”

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Kaieteur News

England captain Eoin Morgan hit a blistering halfcentury as the hosts chased down a steep target to beat Pakistan by five wickets in their second T20 international on Sunday.“Eoin Morgan just runs a really good ship in the white-ball stuff and everyone knows their roles, their confidence is always high, they always win a lot of games of cricket so they’re pretty confident,” Hazlewood said.

“It’s obviously tough and we’re coming off not much cricket ... England are flying at the moment. There’s a couple of new faces we need to look at but we expect to win every game of cricket we play.”

‘Boring’ Belgian GP prompts calls for end to tyre management races (Reuters) - Formula One world championship leader Lewis Hamilton led calls for races with more pitstops and an end to “tyre management”, after a Belgian Grand Prix described by his Red Bull rival Max Verstappen as boring.

The Briton led each of the 44 laps on his way to a poleto-flag victory in Sunday’s race in which the top four finished in the order they started.

Most of the field made one pitstop during the race, earlier than planned due to a safety car, and had to nurse their tyres to the finish, effectively neutralising the battle at the front.

“It’s not particularly exciting, as Max said, but it’s a medium-high speed circuit so there’s a lot of force that goes through these tyres,” said Hamilton who has won five of this season’s seven races.

“It’s not something I particularly enjoy,” he added.

“You want to be able to attack, and push-push-pushpush-push, do a stop, push-

push-push.”

The Belgian race followed a similarly uneventful procession with an emphasis on tyre management like the previous race in Spain, also won by Hamilton in dominant style.

“It was pretty boring to be honest,” said Verstappen, who at one point quipped that the music playing in the background of the news conference was more exciting than his lonely drive to third.

“I really enjoy driving here and honestly, we did 44 laps right? So, I probably did 38 of them managing a lot.”

Teams normally opt to make as few pitstops as possible because running slower on track to manage their tyres costs them less time.

There is also the risk that drivers come out behind slower runners, which because of the aerodynamic characteristics of modern Formula One cars can be difficult to pass.“You need to have two to three stop races, I think that mixes the order up, it mixes the strategy up,” said

Verstappen’s Red Bull team boss Christian Horner.

“Pretty much everyone elected to take a one-stop strategy (at Spa). That’s never going to produce an exciting grand prix.”Formula One tyre supplier Pirelli said driver feedback was taken into account when developing tyres, although balancing often competing and contradictory demands can be difficult.

This year’s specification for tyres, first introduced in 2019, is set to be carried over into next season.

Pirelli’s first chance to make changes will come in 2022 with the introduction of 18-inch wheels. “We cannot have 100% grip and 100% consistency and no degradation and all of that,” said Pirelli’s racing head Mario Isola, responding to Hamilton’s calls for tyres that are grippy and durable.

“I know drivers like the grip, I know drivers are asking for an ideal tyre. So we will focus on that for 2022,” Isola added.

No new transfers for Den Current squad can compete Amstel FC says Coach Heywood

Ewan outsmarts Bennett to win Tour stage three as Alaphilippe retains lead SISTERON, France (Reuters) - Australian Caleb Ewan timed his effort to perfection to win the third stage of the Tour de France in a bunch sprint at the end of a 198-km hilly ride through the Alpine foothills yesterday.

Sam Bennett looked in control but the Irishman had probably underestimated the headwind and settled for second place as he watched Lotto-Soudal fastman Ewan whizz around him to snatch his fourth stage win on the Tour.

Italian Giacomo Nizzolo took third place.

France’s Julian Alaphilippe retained the overall leader’s yellow jersey.

“In the last kilometre I was a little bit too far forward so I dropped back a bit into the wheels then that gave me a bit of time just to rest the legs a little bit,” Ewan explained.

“In the end it worked per-

fectly. Coming from behind is a bit of a risk but I found my way through the barrier and I came with a lot of speed.”

Ewan was proud to win again on the biggest stage, a year after taking three stage victories on his first participation in the Tour.

“I’m so happy to get another win and then prove last year was no fluke. Hope to come back more years and keep winning. We have to take every sprinters’ opportunity we can this year because they are quite rare this year.”

Today’s fourth stage is a 160.5-km effort from Sisteron to Orcieres-Merlette for the first summit finish of the race, with Briton Adam Yates, who trails Alaphilippe by four seconds overall, eyeing the yellow jersey.

An all-French breakaway featuring Anthony Perez, polka dot jersey holder Benoit Cosnefroy and Jerome Cousin was kept on a tight

leash by the bunch as rain began to fall with 150 kilometres left.

Cousin, who won a ParisNice stage in Sisteron in 2018, tried his luck solo with Perez and Cosnefroy being swallowed up by the pack despite the leisurely pace.

Perez later abandoned with a rib fracture and a possible collapsed lung after crashing into his team’s car, his Cofidis outfit said.

Cofidis said the 29year-old had been taken to hospital for further checks.

Cousin was reined in with 16 kms left by the peloton controlled by Alaphilippe’s Deceuninck Quick Step as the sprinters’ teams started to gear up for the bunch sprint.

In-form Wout van Aert, one of top favourite Primoz Roglic’s team mates, crashed some six kms from the line but the Milan-Sanremo champion finished the stage.

H

Coach O’Neal Heywood (far left) talks to his players during halftime at a previous match.

ead Coach of the Den Amstel FC, O’Neal Heywood, during an exclu sive interview with Kaieteur Sport has revealed that his club, which finished in the runners-up position of the last completed season of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Elite League, didn’t do any business in the recently closed transfer window.

O’Neal highlighted two reasons for the club’s inactivity during the window.

First he explained that although five of his best players in prolific forward Delon Lanferman, Kevin Dundas, Kester Jacobs, Marvin Frank and Malcolm Miggins have now switched to city side Santos FC, he believes that Den Amstel FC can still compete and this was evident with their quarter-final run in the

GFF Super-16 yearend knockout tournament last year.

He posited that, “We also lost Anthony Benn and Ruben Dainty, two players with loads of potential but we still have a decent squad that will be able to match skills with anyone on any given team.”

Heywood’s second reason for the lax behaviour during the transfer period by the West Demerara side is due to the fact that he is certain that there won’t be any competitive football played for the rest of the year.

He highlighted that even during normal circumstances it’s tough to run off a football tournament in Guyana and the pandemic will not help. In addition, with the 6am-6pm (Continued on page 19)

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Kaieteur News

Husbands delivers maiden stakes win for trainer Thompson Patrick Husbands and Marjorie’s Dream.

TORONTO, Canada, CMC – Veteran Patrick Husbands made all the running aboard 9-5 favourite Marjorie’s Dream to hand fellow Barbadian Randy Thompson his first stakes win as a trainer at Woodbine here Sunday.

Going seven furlongs in the CAN$138,000 Algoma Stakes in race 10, Husbands put the chestnut fully in command from early but was forced to repel a late challenge from Silent Causeway before getting to the wire in a photo finish, in a time of one minute, 23.26 seconds.

Thompson, who co-owns Marjorie’s Dream along with John McMullan, said the victory had been an emotional moment.

“She was named after Aunt Marjorie and she was always a fighter. She’s up in heaven today and she’s looking down on us,” said Thompson, who emigrated from Barbados 20 years ago.

“It’s amazing, it feels really good. I want to thank my good friend Peter Brown for

finding me in Barbados and getting me a job in Canada 20 years ago. He let me work for Mr. Tino Attard and Kevin Attard – I really appreciate those guys.

“And most of all, my mom, she allowed me to come. As you see, my colours are well representative of my mom’s food business,” he said in reference to the maroon and silver silks adorned with a symbol of a knife and fork.

Husbands broke Marjorie’s Dreams from post position number two and eased her through the quarter mile in 22.59 seconds and the half in 45.33 seconds to be two lengths clear, with Bambarra Bay and Silent Causeway in pursuit and Under the Eye also challenging.

At the top of the stretch, Marjorie’s Dream had only Silent Causeway left as a serious challenger but seemed to have shook off the threat mid-stretch.

But Silent Causeway came again and this time Husbands was forced to pull everything out of the filly in order to get

the win.

“I’ve got to say to Randy and the owners, coming into the game for the first time and winning a stakes through the sales (Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society’s sales) is a compliment to horse racing,” Husbands said.

“I was happy. The track wasn’t really playing speed. I tried to see if I could get her to relax because she’s a speed horse. I finally got her to relax and she got the job done.”The victory was the second in four starts for the filly following a frontrunning win in a 5-½ furlong sprint under Husbands earlier this month.

For Husbands, the win was one of two on Sunday’s 11-race programme, as he also captured race four with fouryear-old roan gelding Yzerman, beating the threeyear-old and upward maidens by a head in 6-½ furlong sprint.

Husbands has 35 wins from 208 rides in the six-month Woodbine season which wraps December 13.

Windies allrounder Rahkeem Cornwall eyes successful Test career SportsMax - Rahkeem Cornwall has only played three Test matches but if he gets to have things to go his way, he will be playing a lot more before he puts his bat away for good.

The gigantic 27-year-old Antiguan all-rounder is currently playing for the St Lucia Zouks in the 2020 Hero CPL and it is an opportunity to perhaps get his foot in the door of the international franchises that have signed many of his Caribbean colleagues, who have flourished.

However, his primary focus is on becoming a permanent fixture in the West Indies senior Test side.

“If I can play the T20 for-

Rahkeem Cornwall has only played three Test matches. mat and travel the world and play leagues it would be good but my aim is to be one of the most successful Test players out there,” Cornwall said in a recent interview.

“Playing Test cricket is the art of cricket, everyone wants to play Test cricket and do

well. I have already played the format, I just want to make sure I get what I am really looking for in Test cricket and when my times comes to retire, I don’t have any regrets.”

In the three Tests he has played, Cornwall has taken 13 wickets.

Tuesday September 01, 2020

Pliskova rolls over first-round opponent to keep alive Grand Slam maiden title bid NEW YORK (Reuters) First seed Karolina Pliskova got a roaring start to her bid for a maiden Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open yesterday, downing first-round opponent Anhelina Kalinina 6-4 60 to kick off the action in Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The 28-year-old Czech, who led the WTA in aces in four of the last five years, struggled with an uncharacteristically uneven serve in the first set, committing three double faults to give her unseeded opponent a fighting chance.

But Pliskova, the 2016 U.S. Open runner-up, found her footing in the second set, winning all her first-serve points and committing just one unforced error, as her Ukrainian opponent was left scrambling.

“I think my game was quite good for a first round,” said Pliskova, the world number three, who played in front of empty stands with crowd noise piped in as the tournament is being held without fans due to the coronavirus outbreak.

“For sure I prefer to have people around me,” she

Karolina Pliskova of Czech Republic hits to Anhelina Kalinina of Ukraine on day one of the 2020 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. (Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports)

Messi fails to show up for Barca training BARCELONA (Reuters) Unhappy Lionel Messi missed Barcelona’s first training session of the new season yesterday, days after his shock announcement that he wants to leave the only club he has played for professionally.

Messi’s failure to show up for the session, the first under new Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman, was widely expected after the 33-year-old Argentine also failed to show up for a pre-season medical on Sunday.

Reuters television footage showed players arriving for the session which began at 1730 local time (1530 GMT) and Messi did not appear.

The six-times world player of the year insists he has a clause in his contract that allows him to leave on a free transfer — a claim disputed

by Barcelona and La Liga.

Messi’s lawyers plan to invoke a clause in his fouryear contract, signed in 2017, which would have allowed the forward to leave the club for free if he had requested it

by June 10.

They will argue that date — nominally the end of the season — is now irrelevant after the coronavirus pandemic forced an extension of the La Liga season deep into

FC Barcelona’s Luis Suarez arrives for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) test, ahead of the resumption of training on August 31, in Barcelona, Spain August 30, 2020. (REUTERS/Nacho Doce) August.

However, La Liga said on Sunday that the only way a club can sign the Argentine forward is if he triggers a release clause of 700 million euros ($836 million).

Messi’s decision came after Barcelona failed to win any silverware last season, which finished with a humiliating 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Supporters who waited outside the training ground on Monday were split over Messi’s decision.

“I really want Messi to

stay,” Brazilian Fabio Alfredo Suarez told Reuters. “Messi lives in my heart — it’s a pity that he leaves, I wanted him to leave through the front door of the club.”

Spaniard Ivan Antolin Beltran remembered that Barca had helped Messi through the earlier stages of his career.

“After all that Barca has given to Messi throughout his career, which started here as a child... they paid him for all his medicines and everything ... I think his way of behaving is a bit incorrect,” he said.

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday September 01, 2020

Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood recalled for Australia T20I and ODI series Jofra Archer dismissed Aaron Finch for a first-ball duck. (Getty Images)

Jos Buttler trains ahead of the second Test against Pakistan © Getty Images

E

SPNcricinfo - Jos B u t t l e r, M a r k Wood and Jofra Archer have been recalled to England’s T20I and ODI squads for the forthcoming series against Australia, but there is no return for the Test captain Joe Root, nor for Jason Roy, who is yet to recover from a side strain.

The exclusion of Root is perhaps the most contentious decision, given his starring role in England’s run to the final of the last World T20 in India in 2016, as well as his stated desire to get back into the set-up, as shown by his starring role with bat and ball f o r Yo r k s h i r e a g a i n s t Derbyshire in the T20 Blast this week.

However, explaining the decision, Ed Smith, England’s national selector, said that the workload of Root as England’s Test captain made his inclusion in the squad illogical especially if, as is currently the case, he’s unlikely to be part of England’s first-choice XI. “I don’t think any door is closed to Joe Root,” said Smith. “He’s a brilliant cricketer, an outstanding man. He’s also England’s Test captain. And at the moment we are setting up in a particular way as an XI in T20 cricket, and Joe’s not in that.

“He plays so much cricket, he gives so much to England every time he plays, and the decision is that it’s not right for him that we have

him in the squad if he’s not likely to be starting.

That could easily change.

I think we’ve all seen that Joe’s an exceptionally adaptable and outstanding batsman, and he could easily come back into the reckoning. But at the moment that’s where it stands.”

England’s two white-ball squads also include a recall for Sam Curran, who was not considered for selection against Pakistan after being a part of the Test bubble, while Tom Banton has been retained in both formats after impressing with a hardhitting half-century in the first T20I against Pakistan.

Dawid Malan has been retained in the T20I squad after his matchwinning 54 not out in the second T20I on Saturday, and Sam Billings is also involved in both squads after his starring role in the ODI series win against Ireland last month.

Saqib Mahmood, England’s quickest bowler in the Pakistan T20Is, makes way for the return of Wood and Archer, for whom the recall offers a first taste of international white-ball cricket since the World Cup final against New Zealand at Lord’s last summer.

Mahmood will remain with the squad as a reserve, alongside Liam Livingstone in the T20I squad, and Joe Denly in the ODI squad.

However, David Willey, who was the unlucky man to miss out of England’s World Cup

squad last summer, has once again been omitted from both formats, despite claiming eight wickets and scoring 97 runs for once out in the series against Ireland.

“It is of course extremely disappointing from David’s point of view,” said Smith.

“He’s playing good cricket and still has ambitions to be in all the England white-ball sides. But that’s one of the unfortunate consequences of having a lot of strength in depth.

“Sometimes players who’ve done very well even recently, still can’t find a place in the squad and that’s the situation with David.

Everything he achieved against Ireland has been noted, his performances over a number of years of course are well understood by the selectors.

But in this instance, we are giving opportunities to other people.”

The Australia series is the first time that England have been able to select their strongest available whiteball squads since the South Africa tour in February, with the selectors operating separate Test and one-day squads throughout the summer due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

“We still want to field are our strongest XI in these games,” said Smith.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to finish the summer on a really strong note. And after all the hard work that everyone’s put in

behind the scenes administrators, coaches, captains, players - we feel it’s a really good opportunity to finish the summer strongly against Australia.

There’s no more iconic rivalry in cricket, as we all know.”

England had hoped to be able to turn to Roy once again, after he was rested for the Pakistan series as a precaution.

However, the ECB have confirmed he will not be ready for the T20I leg of the Australia series, starting at the Ageas Bowl on September 4. He will stay in

t h e t e a m ’s b i o s e c u r e environment, with a view to demonstrating his fitness for the ODIs, which begin at Emirates Old Trafford on September 11.

Moeen Ali, who has struggled for form since his return to England a v a i l a b i l i t y, h a s b e e n retained in both squads.

H o w e v e r, B e n S t o k e s remains unavailable for selection after being granted compassionate leave to visit his father in New Zealand, following his cancer diagnosis.

England T20I squad: Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen

Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Tom Banton, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Joe Denly, Chris Jordan, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood Reserves: Liam Livingstone, Saqib Mahmood England ODI Squad: Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Tom Banton, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood Reserves: Joe Denly, Saqib Mahmood

No new transfers Tokyo Games to be symbol of for Den Amstel FC hope as flame goes on display p.21

Coach O’Neal Heywood

- Representatives of the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) and the Japanese Olympic Committee look at the Olympic Flame after the display ceremony at Japan Olympic Museum in Tokyo, Japan August 31, 2020. (Rodrigo Reyes Marin/Pool via REUTERS)

Kerber reaches second t r o round in New York Sp p.20

Lotto Soudal rider Caleb Ewan of Australia wins the stage ahead of Deceuninck-Quick Step rider Sam Bennett of Ireland. (REUTERS/Benoit Tessier)

Ewan outsmarts Bennett to win Tour stage three as Alaphilippe retains lead

Archery Guyana continues its development of Para-Archery Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd., 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown. Tel: 225-8458, 225-8452, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/226-8210.