Bath Settlement K NEWS man beaten to death after shooting at protesters AIETEUR
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Thursday Edition September 10, 2020 - Vol. 13 No. 36 Online: www.kaieteurnews.com Online Price $80 readership yesterday 209,187
Guyana’s largest selling daily & New York’s most popular weekly
Grandson of suspect in Berbice teens’ murder, killed in backdam p. 2
- motorcycle burnt
URGENT NOTICE Due to the ongoing protest, newspapers have not been reaching to Berbice, as such we are asking you our readers to notify your relatives, friends and others to tune in to Kaieteur Radio 99.5FM for the daily news and hourly updates of what is taking place in and around Guyana.
West Coast Berbice riots… p.8
Home Affairs Minister Govt. to seek help from British, launch int’l COI warns against travel to to aid investigations Berbice as riots worsen - Pres. Ali
Man says co-workers Worker takes over were part of violent driver’s seat of vehicle protest that beat to save boss from and chopped him violent protesters p. 2
p. 11
I am not a racist; put an end to the violence
- father of murdered teen, Isaiah p. 11
Labour Minister puts Exxon, Tullow on notice over - intends
to visit unequal pay, treatment offshore of Guyanese workers operations p. 15
Kaieteur News
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Thursday September 10, 2020
Grandson of suspect in Man says co-workers Berbice teens' murder, were part of violent - motorcycle killed in backdam burnt protest that beat
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m i d s t investigations into the grisly killing of two teenagers from Number Three Village, West Coast Berbice and violent protests that erupted over the killing over the past few days, another teenager was yesterday brutally slain in the N u m b e r Tw o Vi l l a g e backdam. Dead is 17-year-old Haresh Singh of Number Two Village. His unconscious body with chop wounds and other marks of violence was found in the Number Three Vi l l a g e b a c k d a m . H i s motorcycle was found burnt nearby. According to information released by police, the teen left home on his motorcycle to attend to his farm in the village. Sometime after, his relatives noticed smoke coming from the backdam area. Upon checking, they found Singh lying unconscious and bleeding from his nose. He was taken to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital where he
Dead: Haresh Singh succumbed. Kaieteur News was later told that the teen is the relative of three of the suspects currently in police custody for the double murder of teenage boys Isaiah Henry and Joel Henry. Singh's sister, Amrita Singh, said that there are reports that some men from Number Five Village had beaten and chopped her
brother in the backdam. According to the woman, her brother had ventured to the backdam on his motorcycle to take water for some labourers. “Like around 12:00 he had to go down to the backdam to carry down water and shortly after we get message that somebody beat he...he head knock and he was bleeding from he ears and nose,” the sister said. At the New Amsterdam Hospital where Singh was taken, his uncle told reporters that he got the message around 11:00hrs that Singh was beaten in the backdam. A relative stated that prior to Singh's death, his home was stoned by protesters who had issued threats after finding out that his grandfather and two other relatives were arrested for the Henry boys' murder. Up to press time, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum said that no-one has been arrested in connection with the vicious crime. Investigations are ongoing into the matter.
and chopped him
Injured: Rajendra Basrat called “Danny”
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s the West Coast Berbice protests rage on, stories are emerging of innocent persons being attacked as they go about their daily routine. One such story is that of
Rajendra Basrat called “Danny” who was reportedly beaten and chopped by an angry mob of protesters, some of whom he recognized as his own co-workers. The man's boss, Rohan (only name given), told
Kaieteur News that Danny and another worker were headed to Tiger Ranch and passed where a protest was being held on Tuesday. According to Rohan, the men were warned not to head in that area in light of the reports that vehicles were being destroyed and persons were being attacked. Nevertheless, the men proceeded on their journey, not heeding the warning. As they proceeded on the Burma Road, a mob of protesters began throwing rocks at their vehicle causing them to stop. It was then that Danny was dragged out of the vehicle, surrounded, beaten and then chopped about his body by the mob. “He barely bar with he hand or else they woulda chop he on he neck…he get up and run and they run behind he and fire lash,” Rohan said. Danny was later rescued by security ranks attached to the Sherriff Security company and taken to hospital where he reportedly received 48 stitches about his body. Further, Rohan said that his other employee fearing for his life, abandoned the vehicle and escaped. The vehicle was later found torched.
Kaieteur News
Thursday September 10, 2020
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Govt. presents $330B 'people centered' emergency budget · $34B for Public Works · $51B for Health · $52B for Education · $38B for National Security
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inister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, yesterday presented a $330B emergency budget for the fiscal year of 2020. Edghill made his presentation at the second sitting of the 12th Parliament at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) in Liliendaal—an event that saw no attendance from the opposition. This budget represents an increase of $29 million or 10 percent of the 2019 budget. According to Edghill “this Budget embodies a nononsense, no frills, no fluff, people-centered, pro-poor, results-oriented approach to launch this nation back on its positive development trajectory.” During his presentation, the Public Works Minister highlighted that there were two main overriding priorities in budget 2020 with a focus, in the last quarter, on bringing under control the spread of COVID-19 and opening up the economy. “This Budget has been prepared in record time,” Edghill said. “On August 10th the Budget circular was issued… and within 21 days we had concluded virtual budget hearings with all agencies and regions, and p r e p a r e d t h e recommendations for the budgets of constitutional agencies… This cycle was completed in a record 22 days. Today (yesterday), eight days later, we have before this honourable house a motion of the estimates and expenditure for the fiscal year 2020.” Under normal circumstances, the annual budget preparation process takes over 150 days, hence, Edghill labeled this achievement a significant one. The Minister related that when the People's Progressive Party regime assumed government from the previous A Partnership For National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) regime, it inherited concerning findings. Edghill listed these as a bloat of employment in
A few other sectors to be boosted by the new budget
Public Works Minister Juan Edghill, during his presentation of the 2020 budget the public sector which drove up operational costs; “unauthorized invasion” and “regular withdrawals” from the Consolidate Funds and widespread squander-mania, with the most recent example being the barely operable $1.6B COVID-19 hospital at Liliendaal. Notwithstanding these financial impediments and constraints, the long-awaited budget was presented with sweeping financial measures and relief across all agencies. $51B allocated for health sector As an immediate measure, this budget will provide for the purchase of adequate drugs and medical supplies, tests kits and antiretrovirals for HIV patients. It will also serve to engage the fixing of the diagnostic
imaging capacity of many of hospitals; fix many of the infrastructural defects at facilities across the country, and facilitate swift works to improve the quality of health care provided to citizens. To this end, government has allocated $51.7B or 15.7 percent of the total budget for the health sector for 2020. Of this amount, $14.3B is budgeted for the procurement of drugs and medical supplies. Corrective action to facilitate the procurement of emergency supplies of drugs and medical supplies, to the tune of $3.2B, is underway and a full review of quantification and procurement practices is being currently undertaken, as there is a lack of evidence of any purchased drugs and medical supplies since 2017. Of this $51B, $2.6B has been allocated to boost the
Health Ministry's COVID19 response. This includes $790M to operationalize the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention to cater for 200 patients. The estimated $1.6B infectious disease hospital is currently housing a number of maternity COVID-19 positive cases, isolation and non-critical patients. Furthermore, $1.8M has been allocated for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for central government employees. $52B allocated for education sector Minister Edghill explained that given the new dynamics of learning from home, the monies will support the procurement and distribution of learning materials. As such, the
government has budgeted $52B or 15.8 percent of the total budget for the development of the education sector in Guyana. Of this amount, over $1.7B is allocated for the construction and rehabilitation of schools across the country. Government is also focused on more innovative ways of learning and as such has budgeted over $300M to cater for an expansion of the Guyana Learning Channel and the establishment of the radio station specially dedicated to education delivery. The nursery students will be given individual homebased packages containing print material, manipulative and other appropriate resources. The primary and secondary students will each
receive work books and core text books in Math, English, Social Studies and Science which they will use during this time and beyond. Towards the eventual reopening of schools, the Minister explained that funds have been made available for “sinks with running water, proper ventilation, working toilets, the delivery of masks to our teachers, students and ancillary staff and adequate signage to promote safe behaviour in all learning institutions and in all schools.” In the area of higher learning, the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) will benefit from allocations “to facilitate learning continuity in hinterland centres of teacher (continued on page 15)
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Kaieteur News
Thursday September 10, 2020
Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL - Tel: 624-6456 Editor: Sharmain Grainger Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
EDITORIAL
Condemned to be emergency room cases ExxonMobil is feeding enough toxins to Guyanese leaders and citizens - to ensure a slow death for them, one that has the combined effect of a thousand deep cuts that accumulate. The buildup of poison levels in the nation’s bloodstream hustle all of us to the Emergency Poison Ward. Things are so bad with the state of the nation’s leaders, as administered by the Exxon(s) of the oil world (and other rich minerals) that our stay in the Emergency Ward may have to be permanent, as in a never ending vegetative state. It seems that we never learn from our past failures, most of them terribly draining and crippling to the hopes of the many peoples of this nation. This keeps on repeating itself, in government after government, and under one leader or the other, it does not matter which one. What matters is that the same diminishing things continue unaddressed and unchecked. This is the situation, when the leaders of this nation allow Exxon and Goldfields and Rusal and Bai Shan Lin to stuff their toxins down our gullets, and which reduce our gastrointestinal tract to shreds and our brains to mush. We keep on repeating the costly mistakes of the past. This is what was confirmed and which we pointed out in last Thursday’s headline, “Liza-1 EIA would not have passed T&T regulator - former Director of T&T’s National Gas Company - Payara EIA is similarly flawed” (KN September 3). Our leaders over the decades have rode over Guyanese with unceasing haughtiness, without listening (except at elections times), and barely concealed impatience when they do descend from their air conditioned suites and dutyfree chariots to share a quick minute with the public. Contrast that, on the other hand, with how they are, what they are reduced to, when they sit across from powerful foreign corporate agents as stewards for our mineral riches and to work diligently to get the best possible deal for us. Then, they are fawning and negotiating for what turns out to be scraps and what leaves us sickened and retching. We all know of some street dwellers who, though hungry, near naked, and penniless, would refuse what they consider cheap handouts, insulting, and below their dignity. Even in their impoverished state, they still retain a degree of self-respect, which forbids them to settle for paltry pennies. But this is what our proud leaders (before local citizens) deal for and deliver to this nation when they kowtow and bring home not the bacon, but a kind of heavy pig smell. They are not loud and all-powerful when negotiating but reduced to the humbled Third World denizens patronized and patted on the head with some degrading contract or the other. This is the kind of poisons the leaders of all foreign companies feed our political leaders, who then give us the same bilge to imbibe. No wonder all of us are condemned to be emergency room cases, who are then quickly transported to the poor ward to lament our fate and the loss of it all. We at this publication are tired and distressed (and furious, too) at having to share these news developments daily with the public. What is the matter with us? Do we have an inferiority complex before our one-time colonizers and now returning exploiters? When will we cut the nonsense out and get some sense? We desire what is best for our Guyanese brothers and sisters, but how can we when our political leaders continue to enslave us with these barbaric contracts and their rip-offs for provisions, be it timber, gold, and now oil. We think that our political people should have the decency and dignity to find another calling in life, the heavy responsibilities that go with being prudent national leaders and stewards, if they are not up to the hard tasks at hand. They should cease opening their mouths wide and allowing themselves to be poisoned slowly and continually. We are not too concerned about the plight of careless leaders and weak leaders, who are helpless. What we are concerned about is that as they are being bamboozled, we are feeling the pain and paying the harsh prices for their endless stupidities, through the many giveaways.
The new government should have done much more with its first month in office Dear Editor, One month ago, the AliJagdeo Government took office, five months after a sustained attempt by the APNU+AFC Coalition to steal the March 2 elections, followed by a series of court actions costing tens of millions of dollars. Perhaps it is not too early to offer a commentary on the new government. The new administration assumed office in the midst of a general crisis in Guyana involving specific crises including the COVID-19 pandemic, an economic crisis, an educational system on lockdown, community tension exacerbated by the elections and after, problem at the ICJ with Venezuela, high crime, unemployment, poverty and problems of massive corruption in the public and private sector plus the uncertainties surrounding Payara, the Exxon contract, the closure of the sugar estates, Rusal and its treatment of its workers, etc. In the first days of the new administration, it proceeded to appoint ministers - about 23 of them - not including the all-important Ministry of Finance. It also established its own COVID Task Force headed by the new Prime Minister replacing the one headed by the APNU+AFC Prime Minister. The large number of ministers is clearly a case of rewarding party comrades and activists, many of whom
are not qualified, skilled, educated, experienced or having the proven competence and skillsets to be a minister. Some ministries have, to begin with, two Ministers, a Permanent Secretary, an Advisor, technical staff such as a Chief Education Officer or a Chief Medical Officer plus a parallel agency like CH&PA dealing with Housing, GWI dealing with water etc. The Foreign Affairs Ministry boasts a Foreign Minister, A Foreign Secretary, a former Foreign Secretary, advisor to the Ministry, a Permanent Secretary plus a Director General. This is an expensive political bureaucracy that the taxpayers will have to carry, in addition to the public service bureaucracy, Army, Police, Militia, SOCU, FIU, CANU etc. plus the Foreign Service personnel stationed abroad. On top of this burden, Parliamentary Secretaries, Chief Whip and many more still have to be appointed. This is all a continuation of the nonsense that Granger did. Also, don’t forget the big salaries, fat cats who need more than one million per month. It will be interesting to see what the Ali/Jagdeo government is paying their fat cats. As a general principle, except in very special circumstances, no one should receive a salary and allowance in excess of those paid to a Permanent Secretary. And in the interest of both
transparency and accountability, those salaries and allowances should be published. To sum up, in establishing the senior elements of the state – Ministers, advisors etc. – the Jagdeo/Ali Government is continuing on the path of Granger. Strictly speaking, the government does not need more than fourteen ministers and two junior ones. The new government came to power in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and was forced to deal with it. Fortunately, some aid which was deliberately held up during Granger’s refusal to accept the results of the election was released and was received within days. Granger and his group did not deal adequately with the crisis because first of all its efforts were spent on rigging and attempting to stay in office and secondly the resources, human and physical were not available to deal with it. A Task Force was set up headed by the outgoing Prime Minister – a lawyer by profession with some others in military and police uniform but no serious medical and scientific personnel. The outgoing Minister was of no use. As expected, the PPP Task Force was headed by the incoming Prime Minister – a military officer by training together with some others, the rationale for whose presence was problematic except for the new Minister
of Health, a medical doctor and public health specialist and the Chief Medical Officer who together should have been put in charge. Why a lawyer would be of any help or a retired military officer to give leadership in a situation like this seems quite irrational. But Granger did it so you can continue. The enduring mindset of the politicians is to find another loyal politician to run things. No wonder they end up messing up everything. An interesting observation of President Ali at this time concerned borrowing USD $12 million to help in the crisis. No one knows how this was arrived but suffice it to say that all our friends from the ABC + E.U delegation have not stepped up to the plate to give us free humanitarian aid, as India did. The ABC + E.U were very concerned about the health of our democracy and showed it every day but the time came to consider the health of the Guyanese people they were silent. The real big news on COVID dealt with the socalled COVID hospital – an extremely corrupt and unlawful enterprise. Billions spent redoing and abundant hotel which is being “rented” then acquired in the public interest all the while enriching selected “contractors” at the end which there is no more than a shell, unsuitable to help in the fight against COVID. (Continued on page 5)
Granger and Harmon have become besotted with hanging on to power Dear Editor, Two young Guyanese boys, Joel and Isaiah Henry, 19 and 16 years old, were murdered, brutally attacked by persons yet unknown, their bodies mutilated, with the obvious intention of conveying a political message. Their bodies were dumped on the land of a rice farmer with the intent of putting the blame where it did not belong. Immediately, the Leader of the Opposition, Joseph Harmon, issues a statement decrying the murder, ensuring that he emphasized that these were “black” boys and with the deliberate intention of inciting racially driven protest. With the precision of a planned military exercise, PNC supporters took to the streets in Berbice blocking roads and attacking and robbing anyone who dared to cross. President Ali immediately condemned this horrendous
crime and directed the Commissioner of Police to place the full resources at his disposal to investigate the crime and bring to justice, those responsible. The President’s statement fell on deaf ears as far as Granger and Harmon were concerned. The PNC were determined to use these tragic deaths for political purpose. In the name of protest, labelled as “solidarity” with the families of the murdered boys, the protesters have resorted to violence, disrupting traffic, setting fire to two trucks loaded with farmers paddy, destroying property and physically confronting the police attempting to clear the roads, resulting in the Guyana Defence Force being called out to provide assistance. Not a word from Granger condemning the violence. To the contrary, in effect, justifying the violence, Harmon is on record calling
the protest “a struggle against oppression, a struggle against a fraudulent government”. He claims that “we do not agree that there should be any Black and Indian fighting”, but Harmon speaks with a forked tongue. He then goes on to claim, without evidence, “too many black youths are vanishing in the same way that cousins Isaiah and Joel Henry were killed and mutilated”. Crime Chief, Wendell Blanhum, has pointed out that the PNC’s determination to promote civil unrest is preventing the police from investigating the murder, but it is doubtful whether the PNC leadership, in fact, wants the murderers to be found and punished. The PNC clearly have an entirely different agenda in mind. Now that the PNC advocates for the struggle against oppression have defined it in their supporters’ minds as the oppression of
Guyanese Africans by a Guyanese Indian government, Guyanese Indians are being targeted and a 17 year old boy has been attacked and murdered. Granger and Harmon have become so besotted with hanging on to power, having tried and failed to impose a rigged election results on the country, now resort to breaking up the country, using racial division as a weapon of destruction. The legally elected President of Irfaan Ali, faced with this ugly and, ultimately, criminal enterprise to force widespread civil unrest on the country, must act condignly and without hesitation. President Ali must call out Granger and Harmon, hold them responsible for what they are doing and treat with them and those who blindly follow them accordingly under the law. Yours truly, Kit Nascimento
Thursday September 10, 2020
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Kaieteur News
...The new government should have done We need to address the racial divide element in the room
From page 4 The pandemic of corruption and lawlessness surrounding the COVID hospital will prove, when all the facts are revealed, to be greater than the pandemic itself of COVID -19 and hopefully those responsible will be put in a prison where they belong. In the very first days of the Jagdeo/Ali administration, Mr. Jagdeo announced that the Amaila Hydro Project was back on his agenda. Essentially this is a US $800M loan deal to produce about 160 megawatts of power on the Kurubrong River where water inadequacy has been extensively reported. This is an utterly incomprehensible and wasteful project that should not be revived. No one can rule out that a project of this size would not attract corruption parties – big and small besides contributing to a massive increase in this external debt which cannot be served by the project itself but it can only by the treasury and oil proceeds. The proponents of this monstrosity should publish the financial projections of this travesty so that independent analysts may have an opportunity to review and contest the assumption and hopefully its proponents could offer their defense. This is what transparency is all about. Similarly the financial and economic projections on the opening of the closed sugar estates need to be published for general analysis. President Ali’s Government seems determined to re-open the estates which Mr. Granger closed in an effort to destroy the industry and the livelihood of thousands of workers without providing alternatives and even refused to pay them as required by law. It is true that a reduction in the number of estates and consequently in the production of sugar did lead to a reduction in the monthly billion dollar payout to Guysuco by the pervious PPP administration. It did become necessary to deal with these massive and persistent subsidies but Mr. Granger went about it the wrong way showing zero
empathy for the affected workers given an opportunity Dr. Jagdeo’s Government would have no difficulty repeating the same nonsense i.e. making financial and economic decision of Guysuco based essentially on political considerations exclusively. Jagdeo’s Skeldon plan was a complete disaster and the nation is stuck with a massive US $200 million debt to China for a white elephant. Of course, GAWU – a main factor in PPP politics – would be happy to have all the workers back as dues paying members. That union believes that the people in the communities surrounding the estates should continue as “cane cutters” the same way their fore parents did since 1838 May and if possible their children and grandchildren should continue cutting cane loading it on their heads and delivering the loads to the punts for another 180 years. GAWU has a very poor idea of what people are capable of and is utterly contemptuous of them there are many developmental alternatives for those affected communities but don’t expect Mr. Jagdeo to examine them. However, the bottom line demand remains the publication of the details of the plans and cost to the taxpayers of such “reopening” whose input might help to determine whether and how many estates it is possible to “save” at an economic cost. By the way, where are the details of the $ 30 million US Guysuco loan? Who actually got the money? President Ali’s Government came to power months after Guysuco became an oil producing state with ExxonMobil – subsidiary Essp Exploration, Nexen and its partners Hessof US and CNOOC/ Nexen of China started production. The first Exxon Production Sharing Agreement was signed in 1999 by President Janet Jagan
followed by a second one 17 years later signed by Minister Trotman. The 1999 Deal was a secret deal and came to light 18 years late (r). For the casual reader an important difference is the increase in royalty payable to Guyana from a measly 1% to a measly 2%. But there are other significant changes. The present contract suffers from a variety of deficiencies including its legal nature and a universally recognised one of unfairness to Guyana bordering on serious exploitation of a country’s resources resembling a rip off. This debate still rages, there have been strong calls for a renegotiation or review of the deal. Vice President Jagdeo who appears to be the de facto Minister of Oil and Gas in addition to his other de facto position is caught between a rock and a hard place Exxon having previously reported preelection that both the PNC and PPP had given assurances to maintain the PSA in its present form. The fact of the matter is that PPP owes the US Embassy a favour for its help in pushing out Granger and company through sanctions and Exxon is pushing for the PAYARA permit without having satisfied all the legal environment requirements. Partly as a result of an unrelenting campaign by a section of the media plus others, Guyanese public opinion appears to be shifting and tending towards the realization that Exxon is here to rip off Guyana. Exxon does not help its case by threatening to leave Guyana, to which many Guyanese would readily say “Go if you wish to go”. But this is classic Exxon arrogance and the de facto Minister of Oil and Gas has to tell them in straight language to “cut out” that behavior just “cut it out”. That is why the news about Dr. Adams is disconcerting and the Government must clarify same lest it be interpreted that
it is taking order from Exxon to get rid of Adams. There is need for greater transparency in all of the issues surrounding Exxon including the rational for selecting the local content committee the spending of the US $18M “signed bonus”, the review of the review of Payara to be done by the Canadian lawyer and her group access to Guyana’s oil revenues held overseas in some special account while we borrow for COVID and the payment of fines by Exxon levied by Adams for spills and many more issues. These are a few of the issues that have been first and centre since the new government assumed office 152 days after the General Election which came 437 days after the successful No Confidence Motion of Dec 2018 which required elections in 90 days. This prolonged absence of Parliament not only reduces the importance of this important institution in the eyes of many but reinforces the motion that the main political parties do not possess an ounce of democratic culture, are not really bothered by its decline, see it as necessary only to pass bills occasionally and are content to administer affairs of state in an authoritarian fashion as the maximum Leader prescribes to sum up, in the first month the Government has made a small start to deal with critical issues. Much more should have been done. Much more needs to be done. Yours truly, Ramon Gaskin
Dear Editor, We are at a point where the embers of our history that were buried have started to show flame. It never stopped burning, and many times before flames have shot up and it has been very visible. This is one of those times. While some try to take away from the main issues I think it’s important that we stay the course, and tackle our demons. The murder of the Henry boys have flared up a number of issues, race being the most prominent, but also lack of education, lack of proper counseling services, lack of conflict resolution in the Guyana Police Force. And much more. We must make every effort to begin fixing Guyana. A nation that cannot protect its children and its youth, will lose the respect of its people and internationally as well. An injustice to a child is an injustice to us all and in
this regard this incident must not be forgotten. It must not be a passing hype in this social media culture. This incident has opened up a wound and we must properly treat it. Or it will remain infected and it will burst open again. It must start with justice for the Henry boys. Our leaders across this nation have to decry this gruesome murder and have to take a national stand against racism, for if it was not racially motivated it definitely deepened the racial divide. We all should march against it, we all should debate it, we all should create laws that make racial prejudice unlawful, laws that include quotas of representation by race at national levels, we should not sweep this one under the carpet - it’s the big elephant in the room. We need Justice. Yours truly, Yonnick David & Lyndele Danzie Black
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Kaieteur News
Thursday September 10, 2020
A national conversation is needed on race, and on inter and Intra community relations Dear Editor, I will examine the recent violent occurrences at a number of Afro-Guyanese dominated villages, West Coast of Berbice through the prism of a robbery that occurred at midday of Tuesday, September 8, 2020. Just before 12 noon, that day, I was walking on the pavement on the southern side of Regent Street between King and Wellington streets. Suddenly, from behind me, I felt a tug on the right side of my shoulder, as I turned to look around I came face to face with a young man I never saw before. He was not masked. In a matter of seconds, my assailant proceeded to snatch my gold chain from my neck and ran off in a western direction towards King Street and then westerly into Charlotte street. Clothes, sweets vendors and others at that time, at that section of Regent Street who witnessed the robbery and recognized me, left what they were doing, and gave chase. A few vendors even left their stalls in the care of others and joined the chase. I too followed the crowd from behind with the man always in my sight. I observed a police traffic rank who was in the vicinity at the time join the chase. He eventually caught up with the suspect on Charlotte Street; the crowd that gave chase gathered around the police and the suspect. A man in the crowd demanded that the suspect ‘han over de chain.’ Another public-spirited citizen who had given chase all the way searched him. And with the crowd still in control, they demanded that he strip which he did. Some in the crowd said he ‘swallow it,’ others claimed he ‘pouch it’ yet others said ‘he throw it to he friend.’ Another man demanded that he take off his cap and open his mouth. No one ever assaulted the suspect nor mentioned beating him. The police rank eventually regained control of the situation and told the young man that he was being arrested and taken to the station. I was pointed out as the victim to the police by someone in the crowd and was told to accompany him to Brickdam police station. The crowd backed off and, seemingly satisfied, allowed the police to execute his duties. Law enforcement won the day in cooperation
with law-abiding citizens. A heartfelt ‘thank you’ is extended to all those, including the police traffic rank who gave chase and assisted in apprehending the suspect. The persons who gave chase to my assailant are all Afro-Guyanese. The police rank who arrested the suspect is AfroGuyanese. Even though I had been identified, it didn’t matter to any of them who Clement Rohee was politically or ethnically. What mattered to these persons was that a robbery had occurred in broad daylight, before their very eyes and the need for them to do something about it. In giving chase to the suspect, they did so out of an abundance of anger and frustration, tempered with a high level of support for law enforcement against petty crimes being committed as well as concern for the safety and protection of citizens in general. This delicate balance is discernible. For almost one week now our country has been rocked by the brutal findings of the bodies of the Henry cousins pointing to a horrendous d o u b l e m u r d e r. A t t h e beginning the outrage was justifiable. Now it is being questioned. West Coast Berbiceans, particularly in the ‘Black’ villages along the coast, are up in arms over the macabre nature of the incident. The ruling PPP/C and the Guyana Police Force have come under unwarranted attack by some politically inspired APNU operatives. The rage and anger of villagers, watched via our smart phones or TV was real. It brought into sharp focus the political and racial division that has plagued our country for decades. Regrettably, the anger turned into riotous b e h a v i o r, a s s a u l t a n d robbery of innocent persons. I followed on social media Mr. Granger’s and M r. H a r m o n ’s and Nicolette Henry’s visit to the villages and the mourning relatives of the deceased. I listened carefully to what they had to say. Harmon told his audience: “Your response is a correct response don’t let anyone come here and tell you what you’re doing is wrong.” Granger for his part
e x h o r t e d ; “ We n e e d t o establish a self-defence society and you will hear more from us about that”. G r a n g e r ’s and Harmon’s audience knew exactly what they meant with their undisguised provocative and racially laced remarks. Together, they opportunistically and maliciously interjected the race card in the midst of a potentially explosive situation that had all the ingredients of exploitative and selfish politics whatever the cost to our nation Granger and Harmon wasted no time in weaponizing the murder of the two youths. They used the opportunity to incite their audiences to wage an undeclared vendetta against the PPP/C supporters. Both Granger and Harmon are former members of the military and the intelligence community. They must be aware of the horrendous effect their words would have on traumatized villagers looking for leadership and to be told who should be accused where blame is to be placed. Granger and Harmon knew exactly what they were doing. Cast in the role of bitter losers and malcontents, they chose to offer the bitter cup to the gullible and to encourage unlawful behavior with selfish objectives in mind. During my tenure as Minister of Home Affairs and following the Lusignan massacre in January 2008, thousands came out protesting on the East
Coast public road. They blocked the road and burnt tyres. For almost an entire week the protests went on. People were angry and fearful. The question was who or where next? The police ranks on the ground acted with tremendous restraint. Leroy Brummell was the divisional commander at that time. As the commanding officer he was deliberate and firm with his instructions to his subordinates. At Bath settlement, protesters blocked the public road and lit fires, they declared they were protesting in solidarity with their brothers and sisters on the East Coast. Things got out of hand when the police fired tear gas into the crowd. That made matters worse. The protests at Lusignan and Bath settlement ended almost s i m u l t a n e o u s l y. T h o s e arrested and detained were passed through the courts and the cases dismissed. Although these are areas known to be supportive of the PPP, the protesters were harsh in their criticisms of the party whom they had voted for in the 2006 elections. They blamed the government for not doing enough to protect them. The GPF came in for their fair share of the blame. There was also the case with police action against protesters who were blocking the Mackenzie/ Wismar Bridge in July 2012. The announcement by government that there
would be a hike in electricity rates coupled with heavy political incitement triggered blocking the bridge at several points. Persons going about their business were unlawfully denied access to the bridge while some were physically assaulted and beaten. TSU ranks of the GPF were deployed. Shots were fired randomly and three persons were killed. A Commission of Inquiry was established. Several recommendations were made in respect to crowd control, training and the use of force by the police. In July 2014, a group of protestors claiming to be defenders of the interest of rice farmers blocked the road with tractors and debris at Three Friends, Land of Plenty and Anna Regina on the Essequibo Coast. Police used tear gas to disperse the protesters. Twenty persons were charged with riotous behavior and put before the court. Dialogue was initiated between the Ministry of Agriculture, the millers and farmers with a view to arriving at a solution favorable to the farmers. In September, 2013, protestors blocked the roadway at Ituni and the Kwakwani waterfront with logs and coconut tree trunks, claiming the deplorable state of the roads. Fourteen persons were arrested with unlawfully blocking the roadways. The matter was resolved following meetings held between the rice farmers, the RDC, and the Guyana Police Force. A national conversation is needed on race, and on inter
and Intra community relations. There has been plenty of talk on race relations but listening, which should be the first, is regrettably in short supply. The more challenging part is reconciliation at the economic, social and cultural levels. Criminal activities and investigations into criminal activities can be marred by political influences, a permanent feature of the Guyanese landscape The call for a ‘coming together’ by stakeholders including the political parties does not mean their coming together organizationally, on the contrary, it simply means all sides must call for the same thing at the same time, in an atmosphere characterized by tolerance, patience, mutual respect and upholding law and order. Inclusivity has been given life at the top, but equally important, it must go hand in hand with consultative democracy at the bottom. We cannot continue living in a society where political leaders in the PNC continuously engage in conspiracy theories and apocalyptic warnings about race which they see in every nook and cranny and sold over a verandah in a village at West Coast Berbice. If there is a single unifying element that is missing from the ‘One People, One Nation, One Destiny’ national motto is identity and work to reduce and gradually eliminate the circumstances that lend to the reoccurrence again and again to these cycles of racial and ethnic insecurity. Yours truly, Clement J. Rohee
Politicians can either be part of the solution or part of the problem Dear Editor, The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Joseph Harmon, and former President Mr. David Granger should be ashamed of the comments they made at Number Three Village earlier this week, following the gruesome murder of two teenage cousins. The fact that such utterances were made by former top-ranking army officials is utterly appalling and leaves much to be desired. Mr. Granger recommended that the community implement what he described as a “selfdefense” mechanism (Guyana Standard, Sept. 7, 2020) since the government is incapable of protecting residents. Editor, this was reckless, to say the least, and a deviation from the position often taken by the
former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces on such matters. It was Mr. Granger, who condemned vigilantism two years ago when suspected bandits were being killed by residents around the country (Guyana Chronicle, Aug. 21, 2016). Mr. Granger told the villagers of Number Three Village, that if the PPP/C had condemned the attack on schoolchildren earlier this year during the Bath Settlement protest, then the killing of the Henry cousins could have been avoided. Editor, the coalition was in office during the Bath Settlement protests. No one was arrested or charged for that attack on the school bus. Mr. Granger and his ministers travelled the country during the campaign trail reminding
supporters of that gruesome incident, but no justice was served. Was Mr. Granger’s government incapable of protecting people too? During the visit, both Mr. Granger and Mr. Harmon applauded the protest action, hailing it as the “right response” to what had happened to the Henry boys. They urged the villagers to continue their demonstrations, as it signals to the government that “we are not going to put up with this nonsense” (Demerara Waves, Sept. 7, 2020). Mr. Harmon then sought to bind the gruesome murder of the Henry boys to the notion that the PPP/C government is a fraudulent one. I fail to see the relation, but this is rhetoric 101: use the pain of others as a vehicle for your agenda.
The fact remains that Isaiah and Joel Henry, and now another teen, were violently and senselessly murdered. Justice must be served at all costs; whatever it takes. Our politicians have a role to play. They can either find a solution to the problem, or they can be part of it. Mr. Harmon and Mr. Granger had an opportunity to quell the situation in West Coast Berbice, but they did not. Now two more persons are dead as protest action intensifies. Both Mr. Granger and Mr. Harmon must call for restoration of order in West Coast Berbice. The people will listen to them, not the PPP/C government. Ministers were chased out two days ago. Yours truly, M. Hope
Thursday September 10, 2020
Kaieteur News
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AG Nandlall supports Bath Settlement man beaten to death after Granger's appointment shooting at protesters of Senior Counsel A
Attorney General, Anil Nandlall
A
ttorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, has filed an affidavit in support of former President David Granger's appointment of four senior counsel. The document, which was filed earlier this week, outlined the AG's position in the case brought against the State by Attorney -at- law and Chairman of A New and United Guyana (ANUG), Timothy Jonas. In the Fixed Date Application (FDA) filed in the High Court, Jonas requested an order of certiorari directed to the Attorney General, as the legal custodian of the State, to quash the appointments made by the former President on December 31, 2019 of Attorneys, Jameela Alli, Roysdale Forde, Mursaline Bacchus, and Stanley Moore as Senior Counsel (S.C). Among other things, Jonas called for the decision by the President to be deemed entirely void and of no legal effect by the Court. Jonas stated further that
Former President, David Granger
Attorney at law, Timothy Jonas
as the President and a member of the Executive, Granger's decision to appoint Senior Counsel trespasses into the realm of the judiciary and violate Article 122 (A) of the Constitution of Guyana which expresses the doctrine of the separation of powers. The lawyer noted too that the power and discretion to admit persons to practice at the Bar of Guyana, to preside over such persons, to discipline, suspend and disbar such persons is conferred by the provisions of the Legal Practitioners Act and Common Law on the High Court, the Supreme Court of Judicature of Guyana. He explained further that the dignity of SC or its equivalent counterpart, 'Queen's Counsel' (QC), is one which is recognized t h r o u g h o u t t h e Commonwealth as being conferred on practicing attorneys-at-law who have sufficiently earned the respect of the Court by the quality of their practice and personal integrity to warrant the honour and the conferral of such status.
However, according to the document filed in response to the challenge, the AG said that he denies the allegations contained in the application filed by the lawyer. Nandlall noted that while, some of the issues outlined in Jonas' application may bear some veracity, I do not embrace compendiously and comprehensively all the virtues, qualifications, advantages and privileges and status which the conferral of the dignity of silk accords. Additionally, while the AG accepts the evidence which points to publications in the press that Granger appointed the four attorneys as Senior Counsel, he expressed his disagreement with the position that the President is not conferred the statutory or other powers to appoint the attorneys as Senior Counsel and therefore his decision should be declared void and no legal effect. Further, the AG disagrees with the notion that the President, as a (continued on page 8)
s c h a o s continued to rip through West Coast Berbice yesterday yet another life was senselessly lost. Dead is 34-year-old Prettipaul Hargobin called Roy of Block BI Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice. According to reports, the incident occurred around 15:45hrs on the Bath Settlement public road. A police report revealed that Harripaul was driving his motor vehicle on the public road of Bath Settlement when he reportedly exited his vehicle with a shotgun and discharged one round into the air. Seconds after, Harripaul reportedly fired three more shots but this time in the direction of protesters who were converged on the roadway. As a result, the crowd rushed towards him and pummelled him to the ground where they subsequently beat him to death, according to police. Police ranks, who were said to be some distance a w a y, o b s e r v e d t h e commotion and rushed over to the scene. There they discovered the battered and bloodied Harripaul lying on the ground with several injuries about his body. He was rushed to the Fort Wellington Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. No one has been arrested. Meanwhile, the grieving
Beaten to death: Prettipaul Hargobin sister of the dead man, Ronita Hargobin, told reporters that her brother was angry at someone who was on a motorcycle that “did something” to him and so he “went out to look for the person”. She stated that she was in the car with him when he drove out on the Bath Public road but at some point, ended up in a conflict with protesters as he was manoeuvring his way through the crowd. She added that during the fight with the protesters she was hit in the head and her brother who was still in an
angry state turned the vehicle around and left her in the crowd. She said he returned to the crowd at some point and shortly after she heard gunshots and thereafter saw people beating her brother. She added that she is not sure if her brother shot at the crowd, but she heard gunshots. Residents from Bath Village, this publication learnt, had started to protest yesterday in response to the death of teenager, Haresh Singh, who was brutally murdered in the Number Three backdam hours earlier.
Kaieteur News
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Thursday September 10, 2020
More reports of attacks as Berbice protest intensifies
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s protest action into the barbaric killing of two teenage cousins, Isaiah Henry, 16, and Joel Henry, 19, from Number Three Village, West Coast Berbice intensified yesterday, there were more reports of vicious physical attacks, robberies and damage to vehicles and properties. This was a continuation of protest action that started Sunday after the boys' mutilated bodies were found in a backdam. In Region Six, while the roads were cleared by police on Tuesday after protesters burnt debris and blocked the road at Number One Village and at least nine locations in New Amsterdam, the homes of several persons were stoned at Fort Ordinance Housing Scheme, East Canje, a barbershop was burnt in Region Five, a home was burnt to the ground, and several persons of East Indian descent reported
racially motivated physical assaults. The assaults, this publication was told, occurred while persons were still in vehicles or were making their way by foot out of the crowd. In a video seen by this publication, a bus driver was brutally punched to the face by a rogue protester while he was sitting in the driver seat of his bus. Police ranks, who were on the other side of the road, appeared to not see the attack. Those who captured footage were clearly alarmed. A bus driver by the name of Dhaniram Persaud posted pictures of his bus with all the windows shattered and compartments ransacked. He said that a baby was on board the bus. The attack from the protesters, according to the man, forced his passengers, who merely wanted to get home, to exit the vehicle and walk to their respective destinations. Another woman, Anjanie
Bacchus, posted pictures showing injuries her uncle sustained after he was beaten and robbed by protesters at Cottage, Mahaicony. She stated that his bus was also set on fire during the violent protest. Meanwhile, Bobby Ramroop, who was also caught in a traffic jam as a result of the protest action, had his vehicle damaged by protesters who hurled objects and bottles at it. As a consequence, Ramroop suffered injuries about his shoulder, neck and chest area. A relative disclosed that Ramroop was stuck in Bushlot since Monday after he came out of the backdam but the Hopetown Public Road was blocked and he was forced to turn back. He, however, decided to take a chance to head home after he heard that soldiers would be escorting traffic through the blockades. "After he joined the line
and the soldiers were in front when he reach Hopetown, these guys were like off the road but like hiding under a tree and they just pelt the car," the relative said. The car windscreen was damaged and Ramroop suffered injuries before he eventually made it home to Bath Settlement, this publication was told. Up to last evening, protesters were said to be on the roads at Number Three Village, Number 26 Village, Cotton Tree; Cottage, Mahaicony; Hopetown and Number Five Village. The roads were also blocked at several locations. When contacted, Berbice C o m m a n d e r, E d m o n d Cooper, said he was not aware of any blockades other than at Bath Settlement. However multiple persons claimed they were caught in traffic jams at Hopetown, Cottage, Mahaicony and Number Five. Other stories of attacks
included that of Rajendra Dasrat of Golden Fleece, West Coast Berbice, who was chopped on his hand and was beaten on his back after he was pulled from his employer's vehicle which was later set alight. "He and another worker were going to the rice field and they pull he out and beat he because they said he's Indian and they left the other guy that is black. He say they go fuh chop he in his face and he bar with he hand so come he hand get bad chop and he back," a relative disclosed. Meanwhile, over in Region Six, the home of the NDC Chairman of the Number 38/Ordinance/Fort Lands Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), Roy Jaffarally, came under attack Tuesday night by what is believed to be rogue elements among those protesting for justice for the murdered cousins. Jaffarally said he was in his
living room with his wife and children, ages 10 and 4, when they heard loud smashing noises on the roof top of their house. "We are so shaken, my girls are terrified, the impact of the stones on our roof was so loud," he said. Subsequent checks were made on the home and vehicles that were parked in the yard and, according to Jafarrally, there were several dents found. There were huge bricks found in the yard and a bottle of engine oil. "I don't know if they were trying to burn my house," said Jaffarally, who is also the chef and owner of Grill Master Berbice and has been actively involved in assisting the needy in his community. According to the man, he has since taken security measures to secure his home to keep his family safe. At least two other persons reported that their homes were stoned too.
(See pictures on centre)
West Coast Berbice riots…
Govt. to seek help from British, launch int'l COI to aid investigations- President Ali A
n international Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the riots on the West Coast of Berbice is in the works as President Irfaan Ali last evening announced plans to address the national unrest in Guyana over the gruesome killings of teen cousins Isaiah and Joel Henry. President Ali alluded to h i s p r e v i o u s pronouncements where he
said that the People's Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) government will leave no stone unturned and will strive to use all available tools in not only solving these crimes but also in getting a comprehensive and holistic picture as to all the events surrounding what took place thereafter. He praised the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) for their tireless
work in ensuring that normalcy is returned to the community and that the situation does not escalate. “I call upon all Guyanese to refrain from endangering each other's life, as I assure you that this Government will work to bring justice to every single person who has been affected in these circumstances,” he said. After consultations with
AG Nandlall supports... From page 7 member of the Executive, purportedly made a decision in the inherent jurisdiction of the High Court which essentially violates Article 122 of the Constitution. Meanwhile, two attorneys, Forde and Bacchus, have also filed their defence in response to Jonas. During a virtual hearing of the matter on Tuesday, High Court Justice Nareshwar Harnanan
granted the requests of the two lawyers, to be listed as respondents in the matter Among other things, Forde in his affidavit contends that the Full Court by convention and practice judicially recognises the appointment of attorneys-at Law by the President to the dignity of Senior Counsel, by admitting such attorneysat-Law to the "Inner Bar", which is quite similar to the judicial practice and
convention whereby there are sittings of the Full Court of the High Court to honour and recognize the contribution to the Bar made by deceased attorneys-at-law. In the meantime, the Court has since instructed Forde and all other parties involved to file their written submissions in the matter by October 28. Oral arguments in the matter are expected to commence sometime thereafter.
the GPF, Ali said that he will soon be engaging the British Government and the Regional Security System so that they can lend support to the investigative capacity of the Force. “Fellow Guyanese,” he said, “we have to get to the bottom of this and whatever support is needed, I will reach towards that support. As a result, in helping and ensuring that we do all that we can to get to the bottom of this investigation, as quickly as possible in a professional manner.” In addition to this, he stated that the events surrounding the horrific acts of murder and criminality which saw the loss of property and lives senselessly, require a more comprehensive and holistic review. To u n d e r s t a n d a n d apprehend the instigators, he announced that efforts will be made to explore the commissioning of an International Commission of Inquiry (COI) to look at
President Irfaan Ali every aspect of this situation. “The COI is important for us to have a c o m p r e h e n s i v e understanding as to what took place,” he added. Further, President Ali stated that he had requested that the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, explore within the United
Nations (UN) system, all means available to hold to account, all those who spread race hate and instigate racial strife. “These are the three additional things I wish to communicate to the Guyanese people; the support to the investigative arm by the British Government and the RSS, the international COI and exploring all systems and protocols available within the United Nations system itself to deal with persons who spread hate and racial strife in speech and in action,” Ali added. He noted that it is time to address the issues “very frontally”. “We must not leave these things unanswered,” he said. “We cannot leave them unanswered and so as President, I have decided to proceed with these three steps, in addition to what is going on, to bring swiftly all those who were part of these horrific acts, to justice,” said the Head of State.
Thursday September 10, 2020
Kaieteur News
Copycat country
A
ny movement which develops in the United States is likely to be replicated in Guyana. This is part of the local copycat syndrome. In 2011, a movement emerged in the United States in the midst of the global financial crisis. The movement spread to other parts of the world. It was known as the Occupy movement. The movement's focus was on income inequality. But its main target was the rapacious large corporations and their role in fuelling this problem. The movement launched a number of protests actions, including sit-ins at parks and in front of state institutions. It created a stir, enjoyed large support nationally but eventually fizzled out after people got tired of its message and disruptive conduct. The Occupy movement spread around the world. And it was no surprise that the copycats in Guyana ensured that it was reproduced in Guyana. A local Occupy movement was formed by a small group of attentiongrabbers. This, despite the fact that Guyana does not have a large number of powerful corporations. Not being able to identify similar issues as their counterparts overseas, Occupy (Guyana) targeted the government of the day, forming a civil society tentacle to the APNU and AFC. The movement joined in the charade for the removal of then Minister of Home
Affairs, Clement Rohee. It was critical of the police's actions in Linden where protestors were killed. The movement sought to occupy the pavement on the eastern side of Parliament Building, imitating what they had seen on television. They eventually had to be removed from there. They readily left without much resistance. There is also widespread copycatting in the area of culture. Many of the local television talent-spotting shows are copied from similar America television shows. Whatever the Americans do, Guyanese love to imitate. There is little originality. We see what others do, and we follow suit. We n o w h a v e celebrations of Halloween and Thanksgiving. We are a nation of imitators – politically, economically and socially. During the pandemic, you could predict what the APNU+AFC would do by just looking at CNN. It was all imitation. It was not surprising therefore that the Black Lives Matter movement, launched in the United States is replicated in Guyana. The movement emerged following the death of George Floyd a Black American, who died after a White policeman kneeled on his neck. The movement began as a protest against police dis crimination agains t Blacks. But then its focus widened to discrimination against Blacks in general. The movement was
mimicked in Guyana. A Black Lives Matter movement was formed, typical of imitation that has become a local feature. But the movement's launch was overshadowed by the rigging of the elections and the COVID-19 pandemic. It also gained little traction because Guyana has no White policemen. And there was a government in place which drew its support primarily from Africans and the organizers may not have wanted to embarrass the government. The movement has now been given a breath of resuscitation following the deaths of two African teenagers in West Coast Berbice and the fact that there is now a government in place which draws its support primarily from nonAfricans. In other words, the conditions are now different and better for those who now wish to conveniently peddle the line of systemic racism. There is fundamental flaw, however, in the arguments that the deaths of the two young men are because of racism. The argument goes as follows: 1) Two African youths from an African area are found dead in an East Indian village; 2) Therefore, it means that they were killed by either a person or persons of East Indian descent; 3) And therefore their deaths were racism. Numerals 1 and 2 are factual but do not imply 3. The evidence is not yet there to arrive at the conclusion that this was a race-hate crime. But the political instigators who
Dem liars boys at wuk again! seh... Dem
B
ig men tek people tragedy and tun it to dem political advantage. Dem same big men bin lie to dem people before and tell them how de statements of polls show how dem win elections. Den dem ask dem supporters fuh swallow another pill about dead and migrant people voting. But is suh yuh does get fool when people put all dem loyalty in de hands of politicians. One lie does lead to de next and by the time de people realize wah happening dem politician
enjoying pension and de people still scratching fuh live. Dem boys seh de protests over dem lil boys death gan too far. De protests tun into a festival of robbing, beating, burning and now de killing of another youth man. Remember wah old people talk: An eye fuh an eye does create a kingdom of blind people. Some of dem politician bin talk wrong. Dem rile up de people with de same ease like how dem bin lie to dem about de elections. Now dat de people get rile up and de
situation tekkin' a tun fuh de worst, de politicians now pulling themselves out of de mess dem help create. Dem now seh how dem nah want no racial tit for tat. Dem boys wan know why dem nah bin talk dat from day one. Some of dem oil company glad though, dat we fighting among we self. While we brukking road, robbing and beating people, burning down house and hurting mattee, dem oil people smiling all de way to de bank. Talk half and leff de rest fuh another day!
went to No.3 village have made it their duty to subtly suggest such a link. Invoking the right to self-defense implies that an entire group is being attacked and must defend themselves. Telling persons who are blocking the public road that they are doing the right thing condones actions which impede the free movement of others. And this has led to the escalation of the violence, including savage attacks on innocent persons,
the destruction of property and now the death of another person. One lawyer has deduced that the nature of the boys' injuries suggest they were the victim of race-hate. This statement was made even before the post mortem results. The man has surgical vision. Obviously, he is just as unfamiliar with the certain forms of brutalities meted out by certain criminal cartels as he is of basic mathematics.
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But it may also be a case of something he may have seen on television. And, in typical copycat fashion, is merely parroting that perspective. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
Kaieteur News
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Thursday September 10, 2020
THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN
Using a deeply moving tragedy to grab power H
ere is a brief description of p o l i t i c a l instability since the 28 years of the PNC's reign came to an end in 1992. The 1992 election results were rejected by the PNC. Violence erupted in Georgetown. Stores were looted. I saw a Portuguese businesswoman, who was one of the owners of a food manufacturing company, ferrying looters to break commercial businesses in Water Street. In 1997, the PNC again refused to accept the election results. Widespread violence followed. As a media operative I was on the streets
and I saw hooligans cutting the hoses of the fire trucks that were putting out arsons on Regent Street. The 2001 election was rejected again. Buxton became the place for the slow movingconfrontation to remove an elected administration. It would get this columnist killed or end up with dozens of libels if I publish some of the names of opposition figures after 2002 who were involved in the “Buxton Troubles.” These names would be met with disbelief. Interestingly, I believe the then President, Bharrat Jagdeo, has a file on the politicians who were
involved in the Buxton mayhem. In 2011, the PNCinstigated violence ceased. The PPP lost its majority. In 2015, the PNC, in a coalition with the AFC, won the government. From 20152020, there weren't any political lawlessness. There was no street violence. There were no arsons. In August 2020, the PPP took power and after a month in office, “slo fyaah, mo fyaah” has risen from the ashes. What happened with the horrible deaths of the two cousins in Region Five has now presented the PNC, in collaboration with the AFC,
to reignite the fire. To use the senseless killing of two young men for political gains is deep and profound moral sickness. Here is the game plan of the PNC. If the Region Five violent protest can spread to Regions Two, Three, Four and Six, then it presents an opportunity that was lost in the five months of rigging. We are talking about powersharing. There were two attempts at the creation of severe, crushing violence to bring about a dialogue of powersharing. The first was the period of “slo fyaah, mo fyaah”. Opposition leader, Desmond Hoyte, was not interested in the violent overthrow of the PPP government and in fact there was a plot to harm him. It was Tony Vieira who brought out that information. A high-level PNC operative supplied me with the name of the ring-leader. I will only say that this person left the PNC and found comfort in another party. The second attempt at confronting the PPP government was the “Buxton Troubles” 20022006. It did not materialize because the politicians involved (including the WPA personnel) found themselves in a bind after the kidnapping of the security advisor of the US Embassy, Stephen Lesniak. Once the kidnapping occurred, the
opposition politicians who were involved in the Buxton plot knew that the American could implicate them in international terrorism. The Buxton conspiracy failed to remove the Jagdeo government for four reasons – the society detested the
Frederick Kissoon misdirect e d , v i o l e n t insanities; secondly, antiIndian violence horrified the security forces that were prepared to kill the gunmen in consort with Roger Khan's men; thirdly, with the exception of Ronald Waddel and Tacuma Ogunseye, opposition parliamentarians were afraid to openly be seen strategizing for the gunmen. This meant that the society saw the thing as more criminal than political. Fourthly, the gun men themselves were hardened criminals who refused to take orders from politicians and just wanted to lust, loot and kill.
We come now to the present crisis in Region Five in which overt racial instigations are taking place. After losing the election, this was the fall-back plan. It will only succeed and lead to negotiations if the PPP fails to detect the plan and allow their supporters to retaliate. One would want to believe that the PPP bigwigs have already gathered in their war room and are analyzing the situation. What is there to analyze? The PNC and the AFC, (yes, the AFC is in the conspiracy which makes it i n c u m b e n t o n D r. Vi n c e n t A d a m s t o denounce the AFC's complicity). There is nothing to analyze. The PNC is hoping for racial tit for tat and the generation of a national, violent upheaval. Sections of society (ACDA is already on board) and international society will then urge the PPP and PNC to sit down and have a hard session of bargaining. In the realpolitik game that the PNC is playing, there is only one demand – powersharing. My honest opinion is that the Region Five tragedy is going to be viciously and violently used by the PNC. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
Thursday September 10, 2020
Kaieteur News
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Kaieteur News
Thursday September 10, 2020
Protesters, riot police clash at Ann's Grove
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rotesters from Ann's Grove, East Coast Demerara (ECD) yesterday clashed with riot police at the 'entrance bridge' over the alleged firing of pellets. The residents had joined other Berbice villages in protests demanding justice for teens, Joel and Isaiah Henry who were found murdered at Cotton Tree Backdam. In a live video seen by this publication, the confrontation and standoff between the ranks and protesters took place at around 15:45hrs. The angry group could be heard accusing the officers of firing rubber pellets
at them, injuring at least four. Police were seen in formation with their shields threatening to throw tear gas at an advancing crowd. Opposition Members of parliament (MPs), David Patterson and Aubrey Norton, were at the scene trying to calm the protesters down. However, police ranks told the MPs that they wanted the protesters to retreat from advancing over the entrance bridge. At first the angry protesters resisted and began making allegations against an officer for shooting at a protester. The journalist recording the proceedings was heard asking
Advancing crowd
for information on the allegedly wounded protester. However the protesters responded by saying that the injured man ran away and they did not know where he was. Meanwhile, the executives from A Partnership of National Unity +Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) continued to mediate between the riot officers and protesters to avoid the situation becoming out of control. Finally after about an hour the parliamentarians were successful in convincing the protesters to retreat some distance away from the entrance bridge. As the chaos continued, not only in Ann's Grove but also in the West Coast Berbice Villages as well, reports began surfacing of orders to shoot at protesters. An online media platform, reported that Deputy Police Commissioner, Clifton Hicken, had given orders to shoot protesters at Berbice and on the East Coast. But police in a release made clear yesterday that no such order was given and assured that the GPF remains committed to its Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and mandate as defined by the laws of Guyana. The Force further condemned the report calling it a deliberate and consistent effort by an individual or group of individuals to spread misinformation and create mayhem. Such acts, the Force added,
Screen shot of the report alleging a police order to shoot at protesters are unlawful even as it asked that such individuals desist from actions that can be detrimental to the security of Guyana.
Protesters clashing with police
Thursday September 10, 2020
Kaieteur News
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Labour Minister puts Exxon, Tullow on notice over unequal pay, treatment of Guyanese workers - intends to visit offshore operations
M
inister of Labour Joseph Hamilton recently informed Kaieteur Radio that he has put oil companies ExxonMobil and Tullow Oil on notice, after receiving worrying reports of unequal pay between Guyanese workers and expatriates. He also noted his intention to very soon go on visits offshore, and to train labour officers, as well as occupational health and safety officers, to conduct requisite inspections. The production sharing agreement signed between government and Exxon states that Guyana must give the company seven days notice before visiting its offshore operations. The Minister made an appearance on Kaieteur Radio's Petroleum 101, where he discussed the rights of the workers in the context of the petroleum and mining sectors. “Information has come to me, and has come to the party,” he stated, “even before we got into government about instances in the oil
and gas industry where you have unequal payment for the same job.” The Minister expressed bewilderment that a Guyanese ba k e r, f o r instance, should be paid five or 10 times less than someone from Trinidad or elsewhere, when they use the same flour and water. In his meetings with the oil companies, he was keen to note that the reports of unequal pay revolve around their sub-contractors and not these two companies themselves. In this regard, Hamilton noted that it was necessary to let these two companies know of his expectations, as it is in engagements with them that the sub-contractors are brought into the local sector. “I have put that before Exxon,” the Minister explained, “and I said to them, 'you have a responsibility to speak to your subcontractors and the people you contract to execute jobs in this space' because from the Guyanese people's standpoint, the only name that comes to their
mind when we discuss oil and gas is Exxon.” He said that the companies gave commitments that they would look into the issue. On the other hand, the Ministry's officers will have to be trained for the specificities of scrutinizing offshore operations, as they would have to determine the veracity of complaints made by employees, Hamilton told Kaieteur Radio.In addition, Hamilton said that Guyanese should be given the first opportunity to be employed once they have the skills. “I said to the oil and gas industry companies I have engaged that you have a responsibility to create all the necessary conditions to ensure Guyanese are equipped with the necessary skills to function effectively and efficiently in the oil and gas industry.” From a business standpoint, he is of the view that it would be better for oil companies to have local workers, as it is more expensive to have expats
Govt. presents $330B 'people... From page 3 education and to facilitate the virtual teacher education programme”. For the University of Guyana (UG), government will be dispensing $3B in support. Of this “$221.3 million is allocated to complete and advance several roll-over projects across both campuses including the new sewer system, the human resources and bursary building, the pump house, teaching learning centre and electrical upgrade projects,” Minister Edghill explained. $34B for public works and infrastructure Edghill announced that the government intends to invest $34.4B in his Ministry for 2020. According to him, because the projects left behind by his government in 2015 were not fully implemented, the PPP/C regime is now forced to direct its energies towards seeing them come to fruition. These include energy e x p a n s i o n a n d diversification; the Amalia
Falls Hydropower Project; the CJIA expansion project; the resurfacing of the East Coast Demerara (ECD) railway embankment; remodelling of the LindenLethem road project; redesign of the Ogle to Diamond bypass road and a new Demerara Harbour Bridge. The expansion of the Hinterland Electrification Programme (HEP) remains a top priority. Some 25,000 households in Amerindian, hinterland, and deep riverain communities can expect an upgrade and replacement of their solar panels. Additionally, $400.6M has been allocated for expanded electrification of Amerindian and hinterland communities. $38B invested for National Security Some $38B is being allocated to propel the agenda of protecting the safety and well-being of citizens. These agendas include $1B invested for training, rehabilitation and construction of new police
stations, $428.1M for the procurement 50 vehicles and $63M to procure two water tenders for firefighters in Linden and Bartica. “Government will also focus on expanding the use of ICT in the fight against crime, providing better remuneration and conditions for the officers in our security forces and ensuring greater accountability by the Police Force for solving crime,” the Minister said. It was highlighted that over the past five years there has been no rehabilitation of the country's prison system. However, in the 2020 Budget, the Minister pointed out that the government will “seek to reform the prison system, to improve conditions and ensure compulsory training and educational opportunities for prisoners, security and safety prison officers.” Meanwhile, the facility at Mahdia will benefit from an upgrade, in addition to receiving additional vehicles, tools and equipment to aid in firefighting.
who they would likely have to house. Reports of unequal pay have plagued the industry for some time now. An oil service company operating aboard the Liza Destiny Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel appeared to be using the job descriptions for some of its employees to pay foreign workers more
than local workers for the same job, according to a report by Attorney-at-Law Sanjeev Datadin last year. Appearing on Kaieteur Radio's Guyana's Oil & You in October, he had said that the company would label the local employee with a different job title as the foreign employee, but that the work is the same.
Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton “In fact, it's one person working one shift and the other person working the other shift,” he had said.
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Kaieteur News
Thursday September 10, 2020
Suicide Prevention is everyone's business - Health Ministry - says everyone, everywhere can contribute
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Today, September 10, 2020, is World Suicide Prevention Day and globally it is being observed under the theme, “Working Together To Prevent Suicide.” Here in Guyana, the Ministry of Health has adopted the same theme. In a statement the Ministry noted that although there has been significant improvement in suicide prevention in Guyana, “our government will not cease to take steps aimed at improving services in mental health in general and reducing suicide in particular.” Moreover, the Ministry has underscored that there is a need for social workers at all health centres, serving their respective geographical areas to implement multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral interventions. They are also needed to promote healthy outcomes, and thereby prevent mental disease during the lifespan of every Guyanese, the Ministry added. “We need to continually build capacity for mental health care, while at the same time strengthening our human resources for mental health services. In this regard, health care workers will be trained at the primary level to ensure early detection of anyone showing suicidal inclinations,” the statement added. It also noted that “We will work to provide training of more children and adolescent medical personnel to guarantee the healthy and resilient transition of our young people into adulthood, so that they can realize their full potential in their lifetime.” Since many suicides in Guyana are related to alcohol and other substance abuse, the Ministry, in its statement, revealed too that “our government plans to enhance our capacity for treatment and care, as well as to re-integrate persons who have recovered back into communities.” With the COVID-19 pandemic and the concomitant increase in stressors, there could easily be an upsurge in mental illness, hence the Ministry's move to amplify the need for social workers in communities. Business owners dealing with pesticide and other toxic chemicals, the Ministry noted, must also play their rightful role in suicide prevention. “In collaboration with the Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control Board, we will implement laws and regulations governing the acquisition, storage, use and disposal of these substances, as well as move to acquire the appropriate antidotes,” the Ministry assured.
But in the fight against suicide, it noted, “everyone, everywhere can contribute.” In so doing it was noted that “it is especially important to involve police, fire-fighters and other first responders, teachers, media professionals, religious leaders, community leaders and other nonmedical persons for faster detection of vulnerable persons in our communities.” According to the Ministry, “we all have a collective responsibility to ensure that our family members, friends, neighbours, and other loved ones are supported to prevent suicide. Depression, self harm, suicidal thoughts and suicidal behaviours are illnesses which can affect anyone.” Moreover, it was noted that these conditions deserve the same empathy and help like all other illnesses. For this reason, the Ministry is urging everyone to “take seriously any mention of suicide anywhere in our communities, and immediately encourage professional help. Early detection is key to preventing someone from unnecessarily taking their own lives.” “If your loved one or friend is unsure where to start, offer to help them find the right mental health provider, such as a physician, mental health counsellor, psychologist, or psychiatrist,” the Ministry has advised, adding in its statement that, “accompanying them on the visits could be extremely helpful. If you feel persons will act on their suicidal thoughts, take them to the emergency room right away, and do not leave them alone, nor leave items which can be used to inflict self-harm.” Meanwhile, the Ministry also highlighted the support of the media in reporting suicides according to guidelines, is also especially important to suicide prevention. Unneces-
sary and frequent repetition of such stories, it noted, should be avoided, as it could reinforce behaviour that vulnerable persons can replicate and cause harm to themselves. Employers, the Ministry added, can also play an important role in reducing stress and recognizing distress and suicidal behaviour. As such it was recommended that companies of all sizes have health and safety policies and programmes that promote a mentally healthy workforce. Further, it was suggested that “employers should consult with their employees to identify the causes of job stress and have policies and interventions in place to address them. These can include problematic managers or colleagues, poor working conditions, hazards, low pay, and long working schedules, among other things.” According to the Ministry, it recognizes that the mental health legislation in Guyana is antiquated and this has resulted in social stigma and discrimination against those affected. Toward this end, the Ministry has promised to “take steps to update its laws in keeping with modern best practices to help mental health patients throughout Guyana.” “We will also work with communities across the country to revive existing programmes, such as the Gatekeepers and Life Savers, in order to ensure greater involvement to reduce suicide,” the statement added. As World Suicide Prevention Day is observed today, the Ministry is encouraging all teachers, non-governmental organizations, parents, first responders, health care workers, religious leaders, and all Guyanese, to become more aware of their unique role in a nation-wide effort to lower suicide in Guyana.
Kaieteur News
Thursday September 10, 2020
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I am not a racist; put an end to the violence “I will not hate, I am not racist,” were the words of Gladson Henry, father of m u r d e r e d We s t C o a s t Berbice teen, Isaiah Henry, as he appealed to protesters to put an end to their violent streak and continue their demonstrations in a peaceful manner. Tensions have escalated over the past few days on the West Coast of Berbice after the mutilated bodies of Isaiah and his older cousin, Joel, were found Sunday last dumped in clumps of bushes near a coconut estate at the Cotton Tree Backdam, West Coast Berbice. Several theories have since surfaced of the real motive for the gruesome double murder. Some have speculated that the killings were racially or politically motivated but there have been no evidence to support either. The increased attacks on random individuals by protesters have been condemned by Gladson Henry who made it clear that he will not condone any immoral act. “I am not supporting unmoral protesting because I went out in Number Five and I will tell you straight… if you want to protest, which is our right, let we do it peacefully and doing it peacefully that…we as a nation cannot be fighting against one another,” he said. The senior Henry said
- says father of murdered teen, Isaiah Henry
Protest action at Number One Road, Corentyne, Berbice
Isaiah and Joel Henry that the family is only seeking justice, adding that “the person who committed the act should pay for the crime.”
“I still love my Indian brothers and sisters,” he said, noting that his son was never a racist and even with everything that has
happened, he still holds no ill will to any race. “I wanna say…I am not a racial person. I born in Number Three, the community I live in, and I live among Indian people, we eat together, we sleep together, we live together…the majority of my friends that I move with is Indian friends, we live like brothers, big men, and because of how I was moving, they give me a nickname, and that nickname is 'geerah' and the meaning of 'geerah' is that they come up with is because
'geerah' have to go in the dhall.” AUTOPSY REPORT Meanwhile, the autopsy conducted yesterday on the bodies of the cousins by Pathologist Nehaul Singh, revealed that they were chopped repeatedly until they died. He concluded that they died from haemorrhage and shock due to multiple incised wounds. Joel received 18 wounds to the body, including many defensive wounds along with
seven to eight chops to the head. He also bit his tongue. Isaiah, on the other hand, also sustained several chops to the head. The pathologist also noted that both spines of the boys were severed, with a senior police source explaining that this was the result of chop wounds to the back of their neck which almost left the boys' heads separated from their bodies. Police have since arrested a total of seven persons as investigations continue.
Worker takes driver's seat of pick-up to save boss from violent protesters
I
n what is being called a heroic act, a worker on Monday last took over the driver's seat of a Toyota pick-up in his quest to save his rice farmer boss from scores of violent protesters at Number Four Village, West Coast Berbice (WCB). The protesters had blocked roads and resorted to violence as a way of demanding justice for two teenage boys, Isaiah and Joel Henry, whose butchered bodies were found dumped in clumps of bushes near a coconut estate at Cotton Tree Backdam. The rice farmer, who hails from Friendship, EastBerbice Corentyne, almost fell prey to violent attacks which have so far left two dead and many others injured. The rice farmer, who
requested anonymity, told Kaieteur News that he, in the company of workers, had left his home around 05:00hrs on Monday in his pick-up, in search of a combine machine at Bath Settlement. The man said that around 07:00hrs they arrived at the first road block set up by the protesters. He claimed that the first crowd was not that large and police were able to assist them in passing through. Nevertheless, they ended up being stranded for hours as tensions started to escalate. At around 16:30hrs, the rice farmer said he made a decision to turn around his pick-up and head back home. However, at Number Four Village, he said, his vehicle came under attack. The rice farmer said that at least 60 protesters circled
his pick-up and started to utter racial remarks. The protesters, he said, then turned their attention to one of his employees of Afro-descent who was sitting next to him in the front passenger seat. The man told this newspaper that the protesters started to accuse his employee of being used by him to pass the road block. They reportedly began cursing the worker and told him that he is allowing himself to be bossed around by his employer as a slave. The man revealed too that the angry mob tried to convince his employee to hand him over to them. “The people tell he you should have been his boss not him bossing you, come out de vehicle leh we deal with he; leh we teach he a lesson,” said the rice farmer.
A scene from the ongoing Berbice protest
The man claimed that he was in a state of shock and disbelief and became so nervous that he could not move a muscle or do anything. The protesters, he said, began pelting rock and other objects at the vehicle and tried to haul the employee out of his vehicle.
Instead of allowing him to be pulled out, the rice farmer said that the worker freed himself from their grips. Instead, the employee reportedly pulled his boss out of the driver's seat and took control of the vehicle which he drove through the crowd thus saving his boss
and co-workers from what could have been a brutal attack from the violent protesters. The rice farmer said that he is counting his lucky stars and will forever be indebted to his employee for taking such a bold step to protect him from danger.
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Kaieteur News
Thursday September 10, 2020
Home Affairs Minister warns against travel to Berbice as riots worsen Minister with responsibility for Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, has recommended that Guyanese only travel to the West Coast of Berbice for emergency and essential reasons. This announcement comes even as the protest situation in that section of the country intensifies over the slaying of Isaiah and Joel Henry. “Only emergency and essential travel is recommended and that with the support of the police,” Minister Benn said in a statement. “The father of the murdered youths,” he added, “has repeatedly said that he will not support attacks on people of other races, amongst whom he has blood relations and friends, but is requiring justice at the hand of the authorities.” He laid blame on former President David Granger and A Partnership For National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) and Opposition leader, Joseph Harmon, stating that the duo “descended on the communities and in their statements and rhetoric created, an atmosphere engendering unfounded suspicions leading to racial polarization and attacks.” “Further loss of life, injuries and property loss,” he said, “are being experienced.” This escalation in violence, Minister Benn said, rests squarely at the
Duke expects devaluation, negative effect on workers
Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn doors of Granger and Harmon, adding that the two are “known political agitators.” Continuing, Minister Benn said, “The emergence of these political vultures and associated criminal opportunists has led to a deteriorating spiral in safety and security in the area.” Both Granger and Harmon, he said, bear the prime responsibility for the escalation in violence, injuries and death. APNU+AFC later in a
statement laid blame on Minister Benn, saying since he assumed office; the police force has been weaponized to target innocent citizens. “The police force, under Benn’s watch,” the party said, “has indiscriminately shot at innocent protesters in select villages. Benn has not issued a single word of condemnation nor has he lifted a finger to address these clear constitutional breaches but he irrationally jumps to apportion blame for the deterioration of the society.”
NEWSDAY - President of the Public Services Association (PSA) and the National Trade Union Centre (NATUC) Watson Duke said he expects the TT dollar to be devalued, which he believes will have a negative impact on workers’ salaries. Duke was speaking at a press conference yesterday at the PSA’s head office on Abercromby Street, Port of Spain where he addressed the new budget and the government’s treatment of WASA workers. “I am of the opinion that by the time this budget is read…the foreign exchange of the US dollar will impact drastically and negatively on the TT dollar, so much so that our salaries, when looked at in its US value, will depreciate greatly, and we may well be down to 50 per cent of our purchasing power.” Duke said he expects the new government to maintain 100 per cent of workers’ purchasing power. “Even if workers do not receive an increase in salary, they must receive a top-up on their salary so they can maintain their basic standard of living. “I do not expect the government to allow this year to end without signaling to workers what they will do to restore that purchasing power.” Duke said at present workers are at 70 per cent of their purchasing power compared to 2013. He also addressed the government’s treatment of WASA employees, saying i t i s p l a c i n g blame on employees for the authority operating at a deficit. “The new (Public Utilities) minister came in and stuck his feet on the necks of workers of WASA, saying to them WASA is overstaffed…by some 4,000 workers. The PM
Watson Duke echoed that sentiment loudly by putting together a cabinet committee. “Did those workers just appear in WASA one day? Or was it the State over the last five years employ these people?...WASA cannot be financially strong so long as successive governments continue to play with WASA and use WASA as their political football.” Duke said because WASA was operating at a deficit, the government stepped in to subsidise the authority to the tune o $1.8 billion. “Now (the government) is turning their animosity and wickedness upon the staff and saying it’s the 4,000 (additional) workers.” Duke said WASA is not making enough money to pay its bills. He said the cost of producing one gallon of water is 30 cents. “ H o w c a n ( WA S A ) possibly make a profit when the cost of producing water is way more than the cost of what they’re selling?” He proposed the government revisit the idea
of metering. “Let us charge the people for the cost of p r o d u c i n g w a t e r. L e t people pay for what they use. If you do not get water, you don’t pay, or you pay a standpipe rate. If you are using water and the water is being wasted, any leak you have inside your home you must pay for it. “Stop trying to number how many persons are employed in WASA and give WASA the rate increase that it so long deserves and are asking for.” Duke also mentioned the date for the Tobago House of Assembly elections will be announced today. “I will be contesting those elections again. “So long as we have wicked people in place in charge of this government, people who do not care, I am saying I am going to fight those people. So if this PNM government thinks to themselves that they would be able to instal their PNM people into this PSA, I will let them know I will fight with everything I have to fight for the workers of this country.”
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Thursday September 10, 2020
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Kaieteur News
Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez sues his promoter and broadcast partner for more than £200 million The Telegraph - Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez is suing his promoter Golden Boy Promotions, chairman Oscar De La Hoya and broadcast partner DAZN, claiming damages of at least $280million (£217m). The 24-page lawsuit issued on Wednesday in the United States District Court for the Central District of California - cites breach of contract, intentional interference with a contract, negligent interference with a contract, fraud and breach of fiduciary duty related to the five-year, 11-fight deal worth $365m (£283m) that Alvarez signed with streaming service DAZN on October 2018.
The 30-year-old, whose only career defeat in 56 fights came against Floyd Mayweather in 2013, has won world titles at lightmiddleweight, middleweight, super-middleweight and light-heavyweight. DAZN reportedly wish to pay him less than half the $35m (£27m) he is due to receive for each fight due to the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on live audiences and travel restrictions. Canelo has not fought for 10 months. Under the terms of his DAZN contract, Alvarez was due to fight twice each year on Mexican holiday weekends in May and September, with Golden Boy
receiving $5m (£4m) per fight. Since 2018, Canelo has fought Rocky Fielding, Daniel Jacobs, and moved up two weight divisions to defeat Sergey Kovalev at light heavyweight in November last year. “Despite Alvarez’s successes, both DAZN and Golden Boy have broken the promises they made to each other, Alvarez, and boxing fans,” the lawsuit said. “In doing so defendants have breached their respective contracts and caused Alvarez damages of - at least - $280m.” In a statement to Boxing Scene, Alvarez said: “I’m the pound-for-pound No 1 in the world. I’m not scared of any opponent in the ring, and I’m
Thursday September 10, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Today you could feel full of energy and eager to get out for some exercise, Aries, but other responsibilities might threaten to keep you from doing it.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Libra, you're likely to want to retreat into your bedroom and slam the door today. You won't feel like talking or socializing with anyone, not even those closest to you.
TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) Your energy is probably pretty low today. You won't feel like socializing, nor will you feel like staying in and reading or watching TV.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) This might prove to be one of those days in which it's very hard to get anything related to work or communication off the ground.
GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Career and financial goals could seem completely stalled, and this could have you depressed, frustrated, and in something of a panic. Don't fall into this trap.
SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) You might have planned to make a particular purchase today, but a quick check of your financial situation could reveal that it would be better if you waited until your next payday.
CANCER (June 21–July 22) A colleague could be in a very bad mood,and therefore not the easiest person in the world to deal with. In fact, today he or she could resist working at all, and you might feel obligated to take up the slack.
CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) A lack of physical and mental energy as well as motivation could have you in a lethargic mood today, Capricorn. You won't feel like doing much of anything.
LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Plans to go away on vacation or perhaps a business trip could be put on hold today, Leo. Events you might have been scheduled to attend could be temporarily postponed.
AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Usually you enjoy talking with others, Aquarius, but today you won't even want to answer the phone. Your physical stamina and mental energy are low, and you could feel out of sorts.
VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) This isn't a good day to visit the racetrack, Las Vegas, or any store that sells lottery tickets. Stay away from the stock market, too, Virgo. Speculation of any kind now could be risky at best and disastrous at worst.
PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) A group of friends might want you to go out with them today, but you probably won't feel up to it. Your financial situation could also require a little belt-tightening now, so you may not feel you can justify the expense.
Saul Alvarez (Getty Images) not going to let failures of my broadcaster or promoters keep me out of the ring. I filed the lawsuit so I can get back to boxing and give my fans the show they deserve.” Canelo had back-to-back fights with Gennady Golovkin in 2017 and 2018, winning the second after a controversial opening draw. DAZN want Alvarez to meet Golovkin - also under contract with them - in a trilogy fight, but that appears unlikely until crowds are allowed to return to arenas.
Rafael Nadal to...
From page 20 that she would not be traveling to Europe for either the Italian or French Opens. No fans will be permitted inside to watch matches at the Foro Italico and players will be placed inside a ‘’bubble’’ similar to that at the U.S. Open. There will be frequent virus tests for players, coaches and others working at the tournament. Players traveling from New York and other areas will not be subjected to the 14day quarantine rule being applied to normal travelers as long as they do not test positive for COVID-19. Without ticket sales, prize money has been reduced by 40% from last year’s tournament. ‘’The economic damage to our federation is enormous,’’ said Angelo Binaghi, the president of the Italian Tennis Federation. Binaghi was holding out hope until a few days ago that the regional Lazio government would allow a limited number of spectators at the tournament. ‘’It certainly would have made more economic sense to cancel the tournament, as many others have done,’’ Binaghi said. Binaghi added that he expects the ATP Tour to approve a new tournament for Sardinia in October - only for this year.
Canelo was due to fight the British supermiddleweight world champion Billy Joe Saunders in May in Las Vegas, but that was scuppered by the Covid-
19 outbreak. Saunders pulled out of a rescheduled September fight when he was offered a much reduced sum from the $8m (£6m) for the May bout.
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Kaieteur News
Thursday September 10, 2020
IOC confident of safe Tokyo Games, too early for deadlines: Bach (Reuters) The International Olympic Committee has confidence in its preparations and in Japanese government support for next year’s Tokyo Olympics, but said all scenarios would be discussed in the coming
weeks amid the ongoing pandemic. IOC President Thomas Bach said yesterday that his organisation was committed to delivering a safe Games and had the full support of the Japanese government following the resignation of
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, but the look of next year’s Games was still unclear. “In the coming weeks you will see important and intensive discussions taking place with regard to different scenarios to COVID-19 counter measures,” Bach told
a news conference following an executive board meeting. “We remain focused on delivering safe and successful Games next year.” The Tokyo 2020 Games were postponed to next year in an unprecedented decision in March as the COVID-19
pandemic swept across the globe. Bach said while several aspects of the Games’ organisation, such as international spectators or qualifications processes, needed to be finalised months in advance, no deadline for those had yet been set. “At some stage before the Games we will have to take these relevant decisions but right now I am not in a position to give you a concrete answer. We don’t know how the world looks like tomorrow.” Qualification for the Games starts months before the event while international travel for the Olympics is also usually booked months or even years in advance.
The rearranged Tokyo Games must be held “at any cost” in 2021, Japan’s Olympic Minister Seiko Hashimoto had said on Tuesday. “The situations are changing day by day when you look at different travel restrictions around the world,” Bach said. “This is one of the examples which has direct impact on our planning.” He said progress in rapid testing and vaccine developments would play a role until next year and would also influence Games plans. “But I do not know about a deadline for the reason that we don’t really know the environment we will be in next year,” Bach said. “It is too early to set the deadline.”
IOC President, Thomas Bach, holds the IOC Executive Board Meeting at Olympic House, in Lausanne, Switzerland September 9, 2020. (Greg Martin/IOC/Handout via REUTERS)
Rafael Nadal to return to tennis at next week’s Italian Open ROME (AP) — Rafael Nadal is preparing his return to tennis after a seven-month layoff at next week’s Italian Open. ‘’The Foro Italico is always a special place for me and even more so this year as it will be my first tournament following a long period without playing,’’ Nadal, who has won the Rome tournament a record nine times, said in a video message played at the event’s presentation on Tuesday. Because of concerns amid the coronavirus pandemic, Nadal preferred not to travel to New York for the ongoing U.S. Open. He last played in February, when he won a tournament in Acapulco, Mexico. The Sept. 14-21 Italian
Open, which was postponed from its usual slot in May, will therefore be Nadal’s main preparation for the French Open later this month. Top-ranked Novak Djokovic, who was disqualified from the U.S. Open, is also entered. In all, 19 of the top 20 men’s players are entered, with only No. 4 Roger Federer missing because of injury. Four-time champion Serena Williams headlines a women’s field that features nine of the top-10 ranked players - with top-ranked Ash Barty the only big name missing. Barty cited potential health risks associated with COVID-19 when she announced earlier Tuesday (Continued on page 19)
Thursday September 10, 2020
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Kaieteur News
TKR looking to remain unbeaten as Zouks aim for first title in CPL final today Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) will look to maintain a clean sheet and take their fourth title, while St. Lucia Zouks will be looking to win their first CPL title when the teams clash in the final today at the Brian Lara stadium from 10:00am. Both teams have earned their berths in the final with comfortable wins with the TKR beating Jamaica Tallawahs by nine wickets and Zouks demolishing the Guyana Warriors by 10 wickets. Speaking at the press conference held yesterday, both Captains have expressed confidence of winning the title. TKR skipper Kieron Pollard said that while they have played some good cricket, they have always tried to improve. “So far we have played some good cricket and we always try to improve as a unit. Nothing will stop that tomorrow as at the end of the day we have reached so far and just want to just one more step.” “We are confident and there is always pressure throughout the tournament, at the end of it I have played in finals and for me it’s just another game, it’s just another day, we have nothing to lose, the four other teams would like to be in this position we are in, so it’s just for us to play consistent cricket. We have guys who have played in finals before and the result will speak for itself, we made some changes and come with a different mentality this year and it has shown on the field, so it’s just a matter to jump that last hurdle and be four time champions.” Despite being unbeaten, Pollard’s stated that they will not take the Zouks for granted. “They pushed us in the last game but when we are pushed we are able to stand up, we are wary of each and every team. They come into the final with not much to lose, but having said that I like to play my cricket on the day and plan properly and execute. We have beaten them twice and they know they have that at the back of their minds, but these things come to nothing in this game so it’s a fresh game we are charged up and looking forward to a good clash.” Pollard is pleased that they were able to give the younger players an opportunity in the tournament. “We have found ourselves in a position where we could have get these guys
into the team and given them that sort of exposure because when look at what has transpired over the years in CPL we tend to recycle the older guys because we don’t have another tournament in the Caribbean where we can unearth talent. They have done well, we have the talent on the bench, it’s just a matter of exposure and hopefully we can continue to breed new talent and give sight of what is there on offer in the Caribbean.” Pollard added while the pitches haven’t been up to standard for batting, the younger players have not adapted mentally. “What I have seen is that the players have not mentally changed their games to suit the conditions and this is something that has affected us not only in CPL but in international cricket as well. We cannot complain about the pitches all the time and we have not changed as individuals. I didn’t see the mental fortitude of the batsmen throughout the tournament in the others teams, in TKR we have tried to adjust to the situation that presented itself. I think it’s the mentality that you go into the game with, so the younger players in the tournament have not shown that they have what it takes at this time to adjust. If we go to Australia where the pitches bounce a lot will we complain or make excuses? A little bit of adaptability needs to come into play rather than look for the easy way out, yes lack of preparation, but we are fortunate to play cricket at this time and we need a good final,” he posited. Zouks Captain Daren Sammy said his players are in a good mental space and playing as a unit has helped them. “Coming into a tournament where nobody gives you a chance takes the pressure off you, but I always have the confidence in the players in this competition and we have been effective playing as a unit. We have put in some good performances and that’s why we are in the final. What happen before doesn’t matter, the team that plays better comes out successful and we believe that we can play a good game against TKR.” “We are confident and we know from the beginning of the tournament that whoever has to win has to go for TKR, you have to beat TKR and that’s what is left to do if we want to win. They have
played a really exciting brand of cricket we have that silent confidence in our team, we play well as a unit and believing in ourselves. It’s a very good match up for tomorrow and hopefully in this covid time we could bring out the entertainment that could ease the stress of the Caribbean people.” Sammy added that they pushed TKR in their previous encounter. “We know we have pushed them and they are wary of the so called unpredictability the Zouks bring, but we know if we did a few more things right we could have beaten them. But you don’t bring any of that into a final; it’s how you play on the day. We will plan and revalue how we could defeat them and it all comes down to the execution. It’s a big final they have some guys who played in finals before but the mentality my team have shown is that we don’t give up until it’s over and I know that could pull us through. I know I have a full team believing that they can go out
Darren Sammy and play a good brand of cricket tomorrow.” “All teams have the difficulty with covid, we couldn’t have the original squad and Gayle was out. I always like to give the overseas players a chance and they have done well for us. I am happy that they are here and made a significant impact in the tournament.” Sammy said that there is a need for local T20
Kieron Pollard
competition. “There should be a Caribbean T20 competition where we can get to see the T20 players, but we don’t have that and you find yourself selecting guys from the four day and one day tournaments which is not ideal. When we had the Caribbean T20 then you see the home grown talent that you could further developed, so in that case you don’t reshuffle guys and we have
to look at that in the Caribbean.” “We have the emerging players’ which is good sign, we have never been short of talent in the Caribbean and it’s just for the people in charge to pinpoint and help develop that.” Sammy commended CPL for staging the tournament while both Captains said they are looking forward to a good pitch.
Tour de France: Caleb Ewan wins thrilling sprint in Poitiers BBC Sport - Lotto Soudal’s Australian rider Caleb Ewan snatched victory on stage 11 of the Tour de France as the sprinters went toe to toe in a thrilling finish. Seven-time green jersey winner Peter Sagan crossed second but was relegated to last and docked 13 sprint points for muscling past Wout van Aert late on. Irishman Sam Bennett was promoted into second and leads the points classification by 68 points from Sagan. Jumbo-Visma’s Primoz Roglic remains 21 seconds clear in yellow. “It was very, very hectic,” said Ewan after yesterday’s win. “I knew to keep calm and wait for the right gap to open - and it did, quite late. “I did a big throw and then you’re basically looking down at the ground, so I wasn’t sure I won.” The stage was started by former French rider Francois Lemarchand, in place of race director Christian Prudhomme, who is quarantined after testing positive for coronavirus. Bennett had already strengthened his grip on the green jersey when he claimed second spot behind breakaway leader Matthieu Ladagnous at the
The victory is Caleb Ewan’s second stage win of this year’s Tour. (Getty Images) intermediate sprint. Even so early in the Tour’s three-week itinerary, the pressure seemed to tell on Sagan and his team after Landagnous was swallowed up and the finish loomed. Sagan’s Bora-Hansgrohe team-mate Lukas Postlberger shot off the front with 6km to go in an attempt to disrupt their rivals’ plans before the Slovak barged Van Aert to clear his route in the tightly contested finish. His manoeuvre was subsequently punished by the race judges to leave him with it all to do to overhaul Bennett as the race heads for the mountains.
The peloton was also reduced in number with Astana’s Ion Izaguirre suffering a nasty crash in the final 30km and BoraHansgrohe’s Gregor Muhlberger feeling increasingly unwell at the back of the pack. Both subsequently abandoned. Today’s stage features four categorised climbs as the race takes a 218km route from Chauvigny to Sarran in the heart of the France. General classification after stage 11 1. Primoz Roglic (Slo/ Jumbo-Visma) 46hrs 15mins 24secs 2. Egan Bernal (Col/Ineos
Grenadiers) +21secs 3. Guillaume Martin (Fra/ Cofidis) +28secs 4. Romain Bardet (Fra/ AG2R-La Mondiale) +30secs 5. Nairo Quintana (Col/ Arkea-Samsic) +32secs 6. Rigoberto Uran (Col/ EF Pro Cycling) Same time 7. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/ UAE-Team Emirates) +44secs 8. Adam Yates (GB/ Mitchelton-Scott) +1mins 02secs 9. Miguel Angel Lopez (Col/Astana) +1mins 15secs 10. Mikel Landa (Spa/ Bahrain McLaren) +1mins 42secs
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Thursday September 10, 2020
Kaieteur News
Team of the CPL tournament for 2020 announced The team of the tournament for the 2020 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has been announced. The team was selected by the tournament’s commentary team – Tom Moody, Ian Bishop, Daren Ganga, Danny Morrison and Samuel Badree. The team features three players from the Trinbago Knight Riders who went through the group stages unbeaten, three members of the Guyana Amazon Warriors
squad, two players from the Jamaica Tallawahs and one each from the St Lucia Zouks, St Kitts & Nevis Patriots and the Barbados Tridents. The team is as follows: Glenn Phillips (wk) – Jamaica Tallawahs Sunil Narine – Trinbago Knight Riders Shimron Hetmyer – Guyana Amazon Warriors Nicholas Pooran – Guyana Amazon Warriors Darren Bravo – Trinbago Knight Riders
Kieron Pollard (capt) – Trinbago Knight Riders Mohammad Nabi – St Lucia Zouks Jason Holder – Barbados Tridents Rayad Emrit – St Kitts & Nevis Patriots Imran Tahir – Guyana Amazon Warriors Mujeeb ur Rahman – Jamaica Tallawahs The selectors also picked one Caribbean and one overseas 12th man to round out the squad. These are as
follows: Scott Kuggelejin – St Lucia Zouks Keemo Paul – Guyana Amazon Warriors Tom Moody, CPL’s Director of International Cricket, said: “After healthy discussion and debate the commentators have finalised what they believe is a power
packed all-star XI from Hero CPL 2020. With a tournament dominated by world-class spin there was an abundance of riches, Imran Tahir again proved a challenge to all who came his way. Kieron Pollard’s all-round skills again brought some eye catching performances; it was an easy decision to make him the
captain after a flawless league stage. The final of this year’s tournament will take place today, Thursday 10 September, at 10am Eastern Caribbean Time at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy. The two competing teams will be Trinbago Knight Riders and St Lucia Zouks.
Kieron Pollard was named captain of the 2020 Hero CPL team of the tournament. (CPL)
Serena survives Pironkova test to reach U.S. Open semis NEW YORK (Reuters) Serena Williams was forced to dig deep to secure a 4-6 6-3 62 U.S. Open quarter-final victory over unseeded Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova yesterday, keeping alive her latest bid for a record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title. Williams, a six-times champion in New York, struggled with Pironkova’s slice forehand early and was at risk of her earliest U.S. Open exit in 14 years until she used her experience to find a way back. For Pironkova, who dropped to 0-5 in career headto-head meetings with Williams, the loss marked the end of a surprise New York run given this was her first professional tournament since Wimbledon in 2017. Up next for the 38-yearold Williams, who has been pushed to three sets in her last three victories, will be either Belgian 16th seed Elise Mertens or former world number one Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.
Serena Williams of the United States hits a forehand against Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria (not pictured) in a women’s singles quarter-finals match on day nine of the 2020 U.S. Open. (Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports)
Kaieteur News
Thursday September 10, 2020
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Basil Butcher 87th birthday celebrations
RHTYSC donates to young cricketers and Corriverton Links Football Club Legendary West Indies test cricketer Basil Butcher AA, who died last year December in the United States of America, was on We d n e s d a y 3 r d o f September remembered by the ten cricket teams of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club. Butcher would have celebrated his 87th birthday if he was alive and the teams handed over a quantity of cricket gears, educational materials and football items to members of the RHTYSC and the Corriverton Links Football Club in his memory. Butcher, was a honorary member of the RHTYSC and had worked along with the club to assist dozens of youths with cricket gears during his lifetime - Butcher, who represented the West Indies in forty four test matches, scoring 3104 runs at an average of 43.11 was remembered by Club Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster as a dedicated and a humble man despite walking among Kings and Queens. Butcher, was quite passionate about giving youths the opportunity to
fulfill their potential because he felt that poverty should not affect god given talent. The club handed over cricket gears and educational materials to several of its members as part of the birthday celebration. The cricket gears included batting pads, batting gloves, helmets, wicketkeeping pads and gloves. Several members carried home a complete educational package that included a school bag, exercise books, pens, pencils, rulers, calculators among other items. Asst Secretary/CEO Simon Naidu encouraged the club members to cherish the donated items and to follow in the footsteps of the legendary Butcher, who rose from a humble background to become one of the greatest ever test batsmen produced by the County and Guyana. Naidu, stated that the Club had partnered with the Berbice Cricket Board to host the Basil Butcher Trust Fund. Under the fund, over four million worth of items including cricket gears, educational materials,
Some of the RHTYSC members pose after the presentation of gears for Mr. Butcher 87th birthday celebration. cleaning detergents, footwear, clocks, bicycles, clothing, household utensils, stationery, electric, fans and food hampers have been shared out. Naidu also disclosed that the club very shortly would be handing over cricket gears for ten youths in Linden, while two students would be getting bicycles to assist them to attend school regularly.
Close to one billion allocated for Sport in national budget
F
ollowing the reading of the emergency budget yesterday, it has been revealed that out of the $330 billion planned expedition, $2.7B has been allocated for the Charles Ramson Jr. headed Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, of which, $805.3M will be for sports. Additionally, $185M will go to the National Sports Commission (NSC) to accelerate work on the synthetic tracks in Regions six and 10, as well as the purchase of sports gear and ground enhancements, although a new director of sport is yet to be appointed. This announcements comes on the heels of last Monday’s announcement by President Irfaan Ali who said that Sport development in Guyana is set to receive a massive boost with the construction of three multipurpose sport facilities in
Charles Ramson Jr. - Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport regions two, six and 10. H.E. was quoted saying, “To continue to support the growth and development of our young people, our sportsmen and women, in
finding new talents and supporting every region of our country we’re going to build three multi-purpose sports complex in Regions Two, Six and 10.”
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Captains Kieron Pollard and Darren Sammy with the trophy.
TKR looking to remain unbeaten as Zouks aim for first title in CPL final today Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd., 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown. Tel: 225-8458, 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/226-8210.