Kaieteur News

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Gov’t launches Wednesday Edition NEWS investigations into asphalt plant racket AIETEUR

September 23, 2020 - Vol. 15 No.36

Online: www.kaieteurnews.com

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

Price $80

- Harbour Bridge management distances itself from allegations

Online readership yesterday, 145,451

PPP must not repeat APNU+AFC’s mistakes by ignoring advice to renegotiate Stabroek deal $95M allocated to MoveA Positive

by Pres. Ali replace ministers’ - Gail damaged vehicles Teixeira

93,000 households to benefit from $1.8B PM Mark in hampers Phillips Cops, civilian accused of stealing parts from dead policeman’s motorcycle - wife begs magistrate to give them a chance Gruesome murder of Berbice teens…

Parts of the CJIA expansion that Pres. Ali did not see

Sixth suspect in- ricecustody grandson for Henry boys to befarmer’s laid to rest today

COVID-19 death rate above one per day

At long last, there is a welcome development.

President Ali, speaking of the long-delayed, defects-plagued and overpriced Cheddi Jagan International Airport Expansion Project (CJIAEP), said, “I will not accept this project.”

We are heartened that the President is gaining a better understanding of the corruption and swindling which has come to characterize public works projects such as the CJIAEP. These projects are never completed on time and bleed the country through overblown costs and endless tax and duty concessions.

We applaud the President’s stance. We empathize with his anger and support his rejection of the works done thus far. We hope he extends his attention to investments in the natural resource sectors where foreign companies are also shortchanging the government and the country.

The gouging has gone on for too long. It is time that the government put a stop to these practices and ensure that the country gets value for money for projects and a fair deal for the country’s resources. President Ali must show that he means business.

APNU+AFC wants Govt. to mandate 50% oil sub-contracts for locals

- but refused to set targets while in office

Who really owns the Kaieteur and Canje oil blocks, do the leaders of this land care to tell the nation?

Kaieteur News

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Wednesday September 23, 2020

PPP must not repeat APNU+AFC’s mistakes by ignoring advice to renegotiate Stabroek deal Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo TRINIDAD

Stabroek

km

VENEZUELA 7

Now that the PPP/C regime is in place, international, regional and local stakeholders are hopeful that the new government would honour its campaign promise to secure maximum benefits from the oil sector.

Specifically reiterating this appeal in his most recent commentary was Dr. Jerry Jailall. The Education Consultant at the North Carolina State Department of Public Instruction, US, insists that the PPP/C administration must not walk the same reckless path as the (Continued on page 18)

20

In spite of receiving critical advice from regional and international actors on the many ways it could secure maximum value for Guyanese in the Stabroek Block Production Sharing Agreement (PSA), the APNU+AFC regime, driven by other intentions, chose to do otherwise.

The consequence is that Guyana left approximately US$55B or more on the negotiation table. Even after this became known, there were numerous calls to renegotiate the lopsided deal but the coalition refused to correct its actions.

Legend Payara Project Development Area

GUYANA

Liza Phase 2 Project Development Area Liza Phase 1 Project Development Area Petroleum Prospecting Licensing Area Water Depths (meters)

SURINAME 0

National Boundary

25

50 Kilometers

Figure EIS-1: Location of the Payara Project Development Area within Stabroek Block

Kaieteur News

Wednesday September 23, 2020

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COVID death rate above one per day

By Kemol King Hundreds of young persons were tested positive and have since recovered from COVID-19.

It is matter-of-factly more likely to know someone who has recovered from COVID-19 with little hassle, than to know someone who has endured pain and suffering, or even worse, died after being infected by this virus. And it is easier for the young and strong to go about their lives knowing that many of them will be alright.

But COVID-19 is creeping up on Guyana, and the reality is that the country’s eagerness to return to ‘normalcy’ is manifesting itself in real consequences in the lives of the vulnerable.

Guyana is well into September and the death rate for the month has surpassed one death per day.

When the rate of death is compared to past months, it becomes evident that the death rate is on the increase, and COVID-19 will not let up any time soon.

A chart prepared by Kaieteur News shows the number of deaths recorded as of the 22nd day of every month after March. The chart demonstrates the increasing death rate; the steeper the line gets, the higher the rate goes. From March to June, deaths remained relatively low. However, from then onward is where the action started. Seven

deaths were registered between June 22 and July 22. Twelve were registered from July 22 to August 22. From August 22 to yesterday, the Ministry of Health registered 36 more deaths.

When this growth is extrapolated, it shows that Guyana is likely to register 54 deaths in the next 30 days up to October 22, almost two deaths per day.

If that is startling, observe the projection from October to November: 94 deaths, totaling 215 since the pandemic came to Guyana.

Finally, Kaieteur News projects that in the month beginning November 22 to days before Christmas, Guyana’s COVID-19 death toll is likely to meet 385.

Guyana has detected many more COVID-19 cases, and that is owed to a steep increase in testing when the new administration took office on August 2.

Before then, controversy over election rigging and the credibility of the elections had dominated the country’s attention, and testing was generally only being done on the symptomatic.

Between June 22 and July 22, the Ministry had registered 3,919 tests .

By the time the new government took over, it ramped up testing and by the following month,

by August 22, 6,760 tests had been

done. Testing done in the last month, leading up to yesterday shows a figure almost double from the previous month: 12,454 tests.

With this ramp up in testing came more startling results. In late August, this newspaper reported that every one in four tests came

back positive.

It has gotten even worse, with every two in seven tests coming back positive for September so far.

That frequency in detection is expected to increase as well.

Industry experts studying the impact of this pandemic all over the

- and growing exponentially

world predict that it could last well into the latter half of 2021, with the most devastating effects on poor families.

These numbers may be difficult to grapple with, but this is the reality that threatens Guyana if the status quo is maintained.

Opposition vote against $800M budget for Indigenous development

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light chaos erupted yesterday at the N a t i o n a l Assembly after 25 Parliamentarians from the Opposition’s A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition voted against the more-than $300 million budgetary allocation for indigenous development.

That sum was budgeted for equipment to support agriculture, youth development, the reinstatement of the Community Support Officers project, transport; which includes procuring of ATVs and pickup trucks for Amerindian villages.

The issue arose after Speaker of the House, Manzoor Nadir, announced that he could not allow further time to scrutinize estimates for the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs in the 2020 National Budget.

The MPs had already exhausted the one-hour allotted for scrutiny and the Speaker went ahead and put the funding for approval without any further questions being asked.

This erupted in unrest from the Opposition who requested a division of the

Government and Opposition MPs in the National Assembly

House.

That request was followed by loud shouts of “We must know why, what the money is for.”

In a statement later that day, the Opposition deemed the action “a flagrant attempt” by the People’s Progressive Party Civic government to use the Indigenous peoples as “decoys for the misuse of state funds.”

The Coalition claimed that: “Following credible

information that the new PPP/C ‘Ministry of Amerindian Affairs’ is creating a slush fund to allow for corrupt practices, the APNU+AFC Coalition today pressed the subject Minister, Ms. Pauline Sukhai for answers during the consideration of the budget estimates.”

The Parliamentarians, they added, sought answers to questions about where, when and how the $800,000,000 allocation to

the ‘Amerindian Fund’ will be disbursed under the Ministry’s Community Development and Empowerment Programme.

“Ms. Sukhai appeared confused and was unable to provide clear answers to the direct questions,” the Opposition said, citing that the Coalition could not give its approval for the “misuse and abuse of taxpayers’ monies.”

The Coalition stressed that it was an “early attempt

to defraud the Treasury while using our Indigenous peoples as the cover for doing so.”

“Our Indigenous peoples deserve transparency and accountability,” APNU+AFC said “They deserve better than the mischievous and coercive tactics that the PPP/C uses to address their needs.

This is not the first such attempt as the PPP did similar in their previous terms.

The age-old PPP/C policy of siphoning off the major share of funds for party friends while a minuscule portion is delivered to the people in the villages is well known.”

The Coalition made it clear that they will continue to represent their interests and scrutinize the sums being sought by the PPP and vowed to register disapproval whenever obvious instances of possible corruption arise.

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday September 23, 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

Warning to leaders: Nothing Stays Hidden for Long Today this space is used to share something with Guyana’s political leaders: nothing stays hidden for long.

This is what was confirmed by an online article from the BBC dated September 16, and titled “Boeing’s ‘culture of concealment’ to blame for 737 crashes.”

Some telling phrases from a 250-page report, the documented results of an 18-month congressional investigation (what we would call a COI) should help to emphasize where things stood and what came about because of weaknesses and failures.

First, Boeing lived with a “culture of concealment” that smoothed over “faulty technical assumptions” and “troubling management misjudgments” which led to the deaths of hundreds of air travelers in separate crashes impacting Indonesia and Ethiopia.

In other words, the people at the top at Boeing made many serious mistakes, and then compounded the problem by concealing what really happened, while pretending at working feverishly to fix the situation.

We zero in on the mention by the US Congressional investigation of “a lack of transparency on the part of Being’s management” because that same “transparency” is a word kicked around frequently and loudly by every Guyanese political leader. The problem locally is that there are no corroborating actions that support any such claims.

For here, the reality is that, regardless of which party is in power, transparency is most conspicuous by its glaring absence in most matters of substance. Those matters usually involve much money and more than a few wellplaced people, who reap the fruits of their crooked actions.

But, unlike Guyana, such cleverness is coming to light in the US and about Boeing. The toll has been horrendous and is continuing involving many deaths, huge public outcries, and heavy losses in reputation and earnings.

Again, unlike Guyana and its thieveries and mockeries for investigations, the FAA was made to look corrupt and criminally negligent, with phrases that are full of fury at its ineptitude and willing collaboration with Boeing.

The watchdog FAA has been exposed for having neither bark nor bite at the worst possible time, which was when it was most needed. Specifically, the congressional report hammered it for being guilty of “inherent conflicts of interest” and “grossly insufficient oversight” of Boeing and the Max 737 aircraft.

Those are damning words and have special meaning here in Guyana where political leaders ruling a captive roost handpick mostly men and women (when they do condescend to do so) to populate Commissions of Inquiry and furnish what is desired to be satisfactory outcomes that are then sold to a gullible public.

Such members of local commissions regularly turn no stone, find nothing, and end up nowhere, while providing the government of the day with the camouflages that are needed to disguise the facts.

That may be so in Guyana, but it is not so in America, where those assigned have reputations to live up to, and have to live with themselves and answer to a barrage of critics and questioners in an unsparing society. We do not have such a microscope and filter here, which is why so many consequential issues remain unresolved, because they are so sparsely approached by government. We can think of Lusignan and Bartica and Lindo Creek, while going way back to Rodney, and then coming forward today to Exxon and those rich Canje and Stabroek oil blocks.

Leaders may think that they are so bright that they can get away with their conspiracies, crookedness, and manipulations. But in colloquial Guyanese: “moon does run till day ketch am.” Though, there are these beliefs about the mostly scoundrels that we have for leaders and governors, we take comfort that nothing lasts forever, and the truth usually comes to light; darkness can only prevail

We have to give our hardworking medical people the help and comfort they desperately need DEAR EDITOR, I want to share so many things but will limit myself to the promise of the future and the threat of today. The former is about education and our young ones, while the latter is about the COVID-19 pandemic and all of us, without exception. I start with the inspiring.

Here are the little ones, not yet in their teens, and already excelling under the most demanding circumstances. I hail Rovin Lall (no relation) and Samuel Barkoye. Well done lads!

The future beckons with great challenges and many good things; go ahead boldly and conquer the mountains that stand.

I say the same things to Alexander Singh in third place (The Marian Academy), and all those others, who did exceptionally well, whether from public or private institutions of learning.

They are still way young in years, and I believe once and forever students.

E d i t o r, i t d o e s f e e l sparklingly refreshing to write about youth and education (and not the evils and evildoers that wrench our land). That these youngsters (Lianna

Dharampaul, Brandon Ramdin, Danash Tularam, Gabriel Felix, Britney Peters, Charisma Etwaroo, S a l m a h B a c c h u s , Yu k i Clarke, and Robert Forrester) rose above the occasion of unique circumstances and delivered is testimony to concentration and dedication and application.

It certainly brings good feeling, a ray of light, that even COVID-19 could not thwart them nor mar their singular efforts.

Congratulations to all.

In the next instance, I am troubled-and deeply soby developments in Guyana relative to the pandemic. First, the facts, as known. A week does not pass, without scores of new confirmed cases being reported a couple of times, a n d now with seeming monotonous regularity.

There are deaths, too; though always regrettable, they are thankfully not in any alarming numbers.

But there is severe danger, what I hesitate to label potentially catastrophic confluences.

For, there was a leading medical professional going public to articulate that if the number of new confirmed

cases continues at the rate that they have been occurring, then Guyana’s medical system could collapse, as in “break.”

E d i t o r, that is frightening to hear, worse to consider as to its implications, the full reach of its consequences.

I would have preferred to see and hear our departed and incoming authorities sharing intelligence and commonsense intuitions (gained from the rough trenches of experience) rather than undo and take umbrage at each other.

Currently, the citizens of this country need tempered and concentrated minds, from top to bottom, to find a way to stand in unified approach to combat what looms as an existential threat.

Instead, there is the dreariness of cross talking and finger pointing that layers a local political pandemic on a growing medical one.

It is a measure of my distaste for ‘political’ and its Guyanese practitioners, almost without fail, that I consider it the dirtiest of words in the national lexicon.

Even when we are sick or dying, or close to being, there is bickering, backbiting and bringing down.

When we need all hands at the wheel for a concerted fight, we have not a country waging war together, but a circus with a cohort of clowns preening and jostling for cheap points.

Worse yet, there is the specter of a system rupturing and mortuaries overflowing, and Guyanese leaders revel in their unending Titanic moment.

The people need them, but the priority of their urgencies is how good and smooth they appear, and how poor and shabby they make adversaries look.

Though it is sure to fall on deaf ears and hardened minds, I think it is time to cut the damn nonsense. Let us have a sober and sensible approach that cuts out the squabbling and strategize on how to give our hardworking medical people the help and comfort they desperately need.

I call on leaders, I demand of all of them, that they put personal and party interests on the back burner and figure out how to get ahead of what hovers over our heads.

There is a storm brewing.

How do we minimize the soaking feared?

Sincerely, GHK Lall

Coming out of our Comfort Zones for Change DEAR EDITOR, I disagree with the argument in the article (“We must resist being robbed”/on 21st Sept), that nearly all Guyanese shrug at the numerous economic crimes being conducted by the political leaders, regardless of the issue; be it, the Liza’s, Exxon contract or Canje/ Kaieteur blocks. It’s the same reason why so many skewed contracts get jammed down our throats in broad daylight.

There are traits in our behavioural DNA that allow certain people to get exploited, by foreign entities, followed up by complimentary rollovers by the political leaders.

There comes a point when complaints for good governance and transparency to past and present leaders only go so far. In these times, the solution for a change of direction is to head to the streets. Simple. This is the

reality of the world that we live in NOW. The downside to this position is that escalating matters demanding good governance/accountability, etc. to the streets has a low probability of happening in Guyana. Wishful thinking perhaps.

That is not who we are.

But this is the strongest avenue for change to come about, in this new era. It works to a degree if it’s sustained.

Something happens, regardless of the region where it occurs.

In spite of COVID-19’s deadly reach, the Israelis have been demonstrating for weeks (Fed up with corruption at the highest level), the intensity of demonstrations in Belaraus has become greater (they are not pleased with the results of the recent elections) and now the citizens in Thailand are on the streets peacefully demonstrating. Of all places Thailand. Since there has

for so long. It does take a long time and a lot of patience, but how men have been with the trusts and responsibilities placed in them only stays out of sight for so long.

So, as we hear of this deception and that trickery, through playing with words and dancing upon pinheads, we watch our leaders-new and old-and warn the day is coming when there will be a hard reckoning. Boeing now stands as testimony to that truth that never fails. Be forewarned.

always been that divide between the different ethnic/racial/tribal groups, in Guyana, to our own demise, and peril; the idea of coming together (in the streets) as one, with common demands, isn’t even in the cards. And that is where the problem starts.

Once we realise we have to come together for common goals to succeed, with one voice, (this century

hopefully) then maybe the political leaders will be forced to change, and do what is right. There is strength in numbers. No? Reluctance to come out of our comfort zones, and play it safe, means the status-quo remains. It is the simple truth of the matter.

Guyanese need to step out of their comfort zones for change to occur.

Yours truly, Chi Kansi

The spread of this virus should be taken seriously DEAR EDITOR, With the number of COVID-19 cases increasing almost daily (especially in Region 4), the spread of this virus should be taken seriously by all Guyanese.

Those who continue to ignore social distancing and/ or wearing a mask is putting not only themselves at risk but all whom they come in contact with in getting the virus. Such persons when caught should be approached by a police officer and given a ticket to pay a

fine of two thousand ($2,000) Guyana dollars for not wearing a mask and ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for ignoring social distancing.

Failure to pay the fine, instead of wasting the court’s time, he or she should be apprehended and immediately placed in jailed for a period of not less than two weeks that every Guyanese realize the seriousness of spreading the virus.

Yours truly, Gloria Holder

Wednesday September 23, 2020

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Kaieteur News

Dr. Irfaan Ali would not be in the presidential house An opportune time to had it not been for Granger doing a lousy job discuss the trajectory of Indigenous people DEAR EDITOR, “Don’t be distracted by emotions like anger, envy and resentment. These just zap energy and waste time,” the words of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the first female Jewish member of the U.S. Supreme Court and the second woman to serve on the Supreme Court, a pioneering advocate for women’s rights, who in her ninth decade became a much younger generation’s unlikely cultural icon, died last Friday at her home in Washington, on one of the holiest days in Judaism, as many of the country’s nearly six million Jews welcomed the new year 5781, based on the Hebrew calendar. She died due to complications from metastatic pancreatic cancer at the age of 87 as a hero, an icon, a fighter for women and girls, a leader for humanity and a preceptor for all legal luminaries to follow.

Ginsburg was raised in a secular household, but explained in 2018 that her religious background influenced her life’s work: “I am a judge, born, raised and proud of being a Jew. The demand for justice, for peace and for enlightenment runs through the entirety of Jewish history and Jewish tradition. Judges do read the newspapers and are affected, not by the weather of the day, as distinguished constitutional law professor Paul Freund once said, but by the climate of the era. “Then, too, we must try hard to understand that for righteous people, hate and prejudice are neither good occupations nor fit companions.” Former President Bill Clinton (who had appointed her) said that it is “superficially hypocritical” for President Donald Trump and Senate Republicans to push to put a new justice on the Supreme Court before the November election. On a Saturday evening in February 2016, just hours after Justice Antonin

Scalia died during a hunting trip, Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican majority leader, interrupted a Caribbean vacation to draw a line in the sand. “The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court justice,” he said. “Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president.” Will President Donald Trump adhere to this advice or succumb to his cowboy’s action? He already indicated that he will replace Ginsburg with another woman. Ginsburg’s dying wish, dictated to her granddaughter Clara Spera, underscored the battle she knew was coming. “My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed,” she had said. Meghan Markle paid a touching tribute in honour saying, ”With an incomparable and indelible legacy, Ruth Bader Ginsburg will forever be known as a woman of brilliance, a Justice of courage, and a human of deep conviction. She has been a true inspiration to me since I was a girl. Honour her, remember her, act for her.” Her life and work serve as a mentor for many around the world.

Many of the women in Guyana, especially those occupying important positions, can pattern her example and take a page from her book, especially those sitting in parliament, on the bench, brandishing placards, protesting, picketing, displaying public vulgarity and issuing statements.

At the last Democratic Convention, former President Barack Obama delivered a stunning takedown of the man who followed him into the White House. Obama said that Trump simply does not take the job “seriously”. He said that Trump uses the government’s vast powers in a purely “transactional way”.

And most powerfully, he said

this: “Donald Trump hasn’t grown into the job because he can’t, and the consequences of that failure are severe.” Consider what Obama is saying there: As someone who did the job for eight years, he not only believe Trump cannot rise to the demands of the presidency, but also that there are very real effects of Trump’s deficiency. As a retort to an earlier address by Michelle Obama, Trump had said, “Somebody please explain to Michelle Obama that Donald J. Trump would not be here, in the beautiful White House, if it weren’t for the job done by your husband, Barack Obama.” Though his accomplishments are not popular with his critics, Trump for better or worse has been a consequential and divisive president in modern US history so far, but has had a remarkably steady approval rating due to his staunchly loyal supporters. Indeed, President Dr. Irfaan Ali would not be in the presidential house had it not been for Granger doing a lousy job with the gross mismanagement of the economy and country, his lies and deceits and all the numerous skullduggery he and his party had incorporated, causing bankruptcy and the eventuality of election rigging. Yet, it’s disturbing to reflect how easy Granger and Trotman were able to infiltrate the community of Afro Guyanese in Berbice with their racial incitements and violent insinuations, causing chaos and confusion that subsequently produced so many disastrous consequences, including two deaths, personal and psychological injuries and millions of dollars in property damages and losses, all borne by the Indo Guyanese. Why should Guyana allow such perpetrators who are society’s destabilizers to

continue their destructive activities to flaunt all the rules and regulations and the keepers of law and order should remain silent?

As Guyanese desperately try to settle into a groove that will dictate an acceptable norm, there is a subliminal thought that pervades in the back of the mind, which tries to anticipate what may be next on the danger menu and from what direction this element may be coming from. The lives of Guyanese are relatively not safe and secured when taking into account the number of deaths, accidents, injuries and personal and property losses, occurring almost daily throughout the length and breadth of Guyana. Factored into this nightmare are the various sources for this fear: topping the list is the COVID19 pandemic; the dangerous streets and roads; the haunting crime situation from choke and rob, burglary and stealing; domestic violence; murder due to drinking spree, quarrels and arguments and other criminal behaviour and activities; and now to crown this infamous impressive list, we now need to add the recent political upheavals subscribed by leading opposing politicians who are on a warpath spreading rumours and lies with their deceitful insinuations, perpetrating racial incitements and scandalous remarks, all meant to ferment mischief and division in a fragile society.

All Guyanese need to voice their concern and speak up about this sudden change that has grappled Guyana by its neck and driving the fear factor into the hearts of Guyanese since the new government has taken over.

The crime situation is atrociously out of hand and the police need to put their feet down, urgently and immediately.

Respectfully, Jai Lall

DEAR EDITOR, The current pandemic is causing turbulent times for people in Guyana, particularly the Indigenous and rural population that are facing vulnerable survival situation.

There are crucial issues to be dealt with for example, ongoing academic learning for our children that was halted because of the closure of schools in the country to contain the spread of COVID19.

I hope authorities come up with alternative initiatives to assist our children who are being left behind in formal learning, just as how there is that obsession to invest and reinstate community support officers (CSOs) in hinterland communities.

Nevertheless, we are still in Indigenous heritage month an opportune time to discuss the trajectory of Indigenous people and Stephen Campbell, the trailblazer, who is the genesis of September activities.

Editor, it’s great to remember Mr. Campbell going to the queen to present his petition on behalf of us for our lands to be recognized in the advent of Guyana’s independence.

However, to juxtapose colonial and pre-Columbian history, the former represents a subordinated system or in simple terms top downwards approach to us. Hope I am not sounding subversive.

Reading literature on preColumbian history by

Brazilian Archaeologists like Pedro Mentz and Guyanese Dennis Williams, among others, they documented that Indigenous people inhabited the South American continent for thousands of years prior to 1492 when Columbus set foot on it. Their study further highlighted that that time there was no Brazil, no Guyana, no Venezuela, etc., only a huge expanse of inhabited territory by native people.

This understanding showed that Indigenous people inhabited the wild land of modern day Guyana which eventually evolved into a nation state by the latest colonial power, the British that UNITED the three colonies of Berbice, Demerara and Essequibo which became known as British Guiana in 1831.

Analyzing pre-Columbia history, in my opinion, the inverse situation should have occurred with Mr. Campbell granting permission to the British to use the first inhabitants’ lands.

This system should also be practice by modern state governments in Guyana and other countries to Indigenous people where they seek land permission from us, rather than we make formal requests and pleas to get authorities to demarcate and grant us land titles and extensions.

Happy heritage month to all!

Yours faithfully, Medino Abraham

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday September 23, 2020

Cannon-balling the sugar industry DEAR EDITOR, The Agriculture Minister, the Honourable Zulfikar Mustapha’s words will reverberate in the minds of Guyanese for a long time to come when he profoundly declared to the Coalition in Parliament that sugar had ‘lost its taste’ under the APNU+AFC administration, but the ‘sweetness of sugar’ will return under the PPP/C Government.

No doubt the Coalition did everything in their power to make sugar bitter and unpalatable as the Minister reminded Khemraj Ramjattan of the ultimate insult he cast on the industry by scornfully referring to it as a ‘black hole’ which was robbing the other sectors of financial resources.

He even blamed the sugar industry for the wages and salaries woes of the public servants. He unabashedly claimed that ‘cane sugar days are over and the rightsizing the Coalition did was very much in order’ but this was the same man who during the 2015 Election campaign had promised the sugar workers

20% wages increase and “vowed” to make sugar profitable again. What Ramjattan should have accepted is the fact that even the ‘right sizing’ was a miserable failure since the APNU+AFC never had the will to bring sugar back alive, they wanted it dead just to spite the sugar workers who are perceived as PPP/C supporters. It is also evidenced that in his induced amnesiac state that Ramjattan did not mention the findings of the multimillion dollars COI which his Government had carried out which recommended no closure of any estate but a five year plan to turnaround the industry.

When the Coalition spoke about ‘right-sizing’, it was just a synonym for closure of the entire industry so they began to create excuses for that.

This vindictiveness is still evidenced when Ramjattan claimed during his debate speech that the PPP/C Government’s aim is to “reward” its political base.

This is a typical case of “mouth open, story jump

out”! Imagine even after all the sufferings his government cast upon the sugar workers, their families and the various communities, he is still bent on echoing the Congress Place narrative feigning absolute amnesia to even the rhetoric which Granger himself spun about Guyana being the “sugar bowl” of the Caribbean. The “right-sizing” had resulted in a rapid decline in the annual sugar production and the losses became bigger even though meagre targets were set. The industry produced the lowest amount in 2019 since 1923 and, according to Minister Mustapha, 2020 will be far worse. It would seem that the Coalition has a penchant for breaking its own record when it comes to underachievement and incompetence. The Minister also made a very profound statement when he said that GuySuCo is more than about the profitability of the estates, it must be considered “beyond the balance sheet” and must be seen as a ‘socioeconomic entity. He also

provided vitally important reasons why any government should ensure that sugar is kept alive quoting the example of the USA subsidizing agriculture to the tune of billion annually. He stressed that monies allocated to GuySuCo must not be seen as ‘bailouts’ but rather as a government ‘taking care of the needs of the people’. No truer statement has ever been made and the Minister has made another indelible impression in the hearts of Guyanese.

Let Ramjattan digest these factual statements: the $30 billion “largesse” was meant to ensure that the fat cats are well-fed and the monies are squandered, filling the pockets of those in the SPU and by extension some in the Government. It must be painfully recalled that even though GuySuCo was given an average annual subsidy of $5 billion, all the estates were operational, foreign exchange in excess of $100 million US was garnered from exports, jobs were saved and workers were enjoying a reasonable

OAI’s Response to Letter from Mazahar Ally DEAR EDITOR, Capt. A. Mazahar Ally of Air Services Ltd. in letters published in the Sunday Kaieteur and Stabroek News (20th September), represented himself as a “substantial shareholder” of Ogle Airport Inc. (OAI), when, in fact, he, personally, has no shares in OAI. His Company, ASL, however, is a minority investor in the Airport, holding roughly 14% of the shares in OAI. Immediately prior to his writing the media, Ally, inexplicably and irresponsibly, sent a series of threatening and grossly insulting emails to members of the OAI Board. He has now taken to the media to make completely unfounded and unsubstantiated allegations against the Airport, which are entirely false and have absolutely no basis in fact. I respond with some reluctance to this entirely misplaced letter.

It is now well known that the Eugene F. Correia International Airport (EFCIA) is managed and operated under a comprehensive Agreement, entered into in 2001, between Ogle Airport Incorporated and the Government of Guyana. The management of the Airport is

further strictly regulated by the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and operates in compliance with all of the International Agreements, which govern the operation of an International Airport.

The transformation of Ogle Airport, now the Eugene F. Correia International Airport, from a small aircraft airstrip in 2001 to a fully licenced Regional, International and Domestic Airport, is a Public Private Partnership success story that any country would be proud of.

The private investment which made this possible was funded by the issue of shares offered to all of the private aircraft operators using the Airport at the time of the Agreement, including ASL, each with an equal opportunity to invest.

The Airport is governed by a qualified and highly respected Board of Directors consisting of: Michael O. Correia Jnr. Nicole Correia Ronald Reece Marcel Gaskin Malcolm Chan-A-Sue Anthony Mekdeci Timothy Jonas It’s worthy of note that four (4) of the seven (7)

Directors represent minority shareholders.

Since the new government has come into office, both the Minster of Public Works, Hon. Bishop Juan Edghill, and the Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Hon. Deodat Indar, have visited the Airport, have been fully briefed on its operations and have been given an extensive tour of the Airport, including the construction site for the development of the Exxon Office Headquarters.

The investment by Exxon in the Airport’s development and their substantial aviation operations adds significant value and importance to its operations and benefit to the shareholders which we would expect Capt. Ally to understand and appreciate.

The current operational relationship between myself and ASL’s management, is good, so I am at a loss to understand Capt. Ally’s unprovoked diatribe in the media.

His assertion, for instance, that the maintenance of, what he incorrectly calls the “Capital Replacement Reserve Fund”, is sheer nonsense, as was explained in the Director’s Annual Report submitted and

accepted at the last Annual General Meeting where ASL was represented. The Reserve Fund has long since ceased to be necessary since continuing capital expenditure improvement at the Airport have far outdistanced the need for a Reserve Fund originally required at the time of the Agreement and, in fact, the government was so advised some six (6) years ago. Again, this is a non-issue and not a matter of concern to the other Shareholders of the Company.

As for the Airport building a hangar facility for small operators, there are only two (2) small operators at the Airport adequately serviced by the Light Aircraft Park built four (4) years ago. Again, this is a non-issue.

The truth is that Capt.

Mazahar Ally seems to be out of sync even with his own company’s operations at the Airport. His letter is no more than yet another senseless attempt by him to use the newspapers to revive a decade old vendetta against the Airport.

Sincerely OGLE AIRPORT INC. Anthony Mekdeci, A.A. CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

standard of living, communities were thriving, and the US dollar was stabilized. In addition, there was little flooding, residents were getting assistance from GuySuCo, but today the resources-starved entity could hardly help itself. The COI saw these benefits to the economy and advised against any closure! But how can we expect a man like Ramjattan to have this vision.

As with other ‘blood sucking’ measures such as increased taxation and VAT which the Coalition had used to erode the standard of living of Guyanese, Minister Mustapha made it pellucid that these ‘unconscionable measures’ will be reversed not only by reopening three of the closed estates but will create a Wales Development Authority to work with former workers start up agriculture value chains which will utilize agro-produce from the outlying areas to process them into value added products.

This will employ at least 3,000 persons. This is a visionary Minister thinking outside of the box with workable plans. Already the Rose Hall Estate has employed more than 400 dismissed sugar workers to resuscitate the estate and the same is being done at the other two estates.

The PPP/C Government has allocated $5 billion for recapitalization and operation of the estates. Imagine the financial strain and burden which the Coalition has placed on the Government.

It’s ironical that Coalition had spent billions to close the estates and plunged the entire socio-economic strata of the country into Ramjattan’s “dark hole”. The former Finance Minister had said that the closed estates will not be ‘mothballed’ but remain operational to attract “investors”. Well most

definitely, he did not use mothballs but used cannon balls, since the current state of the closed estates will bear testimony to this.

The august Minister outlined the plans for GuySuCo for the next five years, which will see the implementation of measures to promote a diversified agriculture-based economy; create more jobs and increase the income of farmers. He emphasized that this will be done by modernizing and upgrading infrastructure, strengthening support services, robust marketing systems at local and international levels and increasing Guyana’s market share by tapping into the US$5 billion food import bill of the CARICOM REGION. We have already seen that the relations between Guyana and the US are being greatly enhanced by the visit of the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo.

It is an undeniable fact that the Coalition had woefully neglected the agriculture sector as is evidenced by the volumes of irrefutable data, which Minister Zulfikar dashed into the face of the APNU+AFC. Oil will be the panacea for all our social and economic ills, the Coalition had reasoned, oblivious of the “oil curse”!

The Coalition had been for their entire term in office, piloting Guyana on the course of the oil curse, which would have resulted by their willful neglect and incompetence.

Thankfully, this Agriculture Budget crafted and presented by the Minister will reverse this “oil curse” route and bring back the Sector to its former glory prior to the Coalition’s unleashing its “weapon of mass destruction” on our beautiful country.

Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf

Happy Yom Kippur DEAR EDITOR, On Sunday evening, the 27th of September to evening on Monday the 28th of September, the world will celebrate Yom Kippur. A day of atonement and an occasion of self-denial where fasting and rest is observed. I was first introduced to this holiday as a young boy in Guyana when Yom Kippur was kept as a National Holiday. Over the years, this holiday has been removed from our national

calendar.

Those of us who share the heritage of Her Excellency Mrs. Janet Jagan look forward to the eventual reinstatement of Yom Kippur to our Nation’s annual observance as a national holiday. In the interim, Happy Holidays to All. Kind regards, Mr. Jamil Changlee Chairman The Cooperative Republicans of Guyana

Wednesday September 23, 2020

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

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Wednesday September 23, 2020

Murdered fisherman’s relatives protest after court grants bail to accused killer O ver a dozen p e r s o n s , including relatives and friends of the late John Alexander Yhap, a fisherman from Kilcoy Settlement, Corentyne, Berbice converged yesterday on the Albion Public Road, a stone’s throw away from the Albion Police Station, to protest for justice.

It was on Monday that an accused, Arjune Mohabir, was charged with manslaughter and was

placed on $250,000 bail at the New Amsterdam Magistrate Court before Magistrate Peter Hugh.

He was accused of killing Yhap, a father of two children, ages 5 and 2.

The group of protestors is contending that the accused should not have been granted bail but rather charged for murder and sent to prison.

They braved the midmorning sun, brandishing placards that read “No bail, w e need jus tice” and

“Murderer, no bail”. They all chanted: “We need justice”, under the watchful eyes of the police ranks from Albion Police Station who were looking on.

Sister of the dead father of two, Maria Yhap, told reporters that they were protesting because they want justice.

“My brother was innocent and he died and leave his two children and wife and this isn’t making any sense,” she said. The

woman stressed that they are not “well off” people and it will be difficult to take care of the family, which her brother was forced to leave behind. The sister denied that her brother hit the accused first with a piece of wood.

She said the family was angry when they heard that the accused man allegedly killed her brother and then went back to work on his fishing boat.

She revealed that when the incident took place, the police attached to the Albion Police Station did not show up the said day but instead visited the scene the next day.

“One week before he (accused) cut the bai throat and he had to get stitch and dem never arrest him. When he murder my brother, he went and tell my aunty how (me done kill he, he done dead) and we get more to get,” she said.

It was further disclosed that they were not informed by the police that the accused would be charged and as

such only found out that he was and placed on bail through social media and the news.

The accused made his second court appearance at the Albion Magistrate Court yesterday and according to a police source, he had not posted bail as yet. Yhap was allegedly stabbed to death by Mohabir a week ago at a Superbet location where they were all imbibing.

Prior to the stabbing, Mohabir had injured Yhap in a fight. He was given five stitches for that wound. The matter was reported but the suspect was never arrested.

Relatives had previously told Kaieteur News that the accused had an issue with Yhap because his hair was braided by the accused girlfriend and there was jealousy. This issue began weeks prior to the victim’s death.

Police sources had disclosed that the DPP gave advice to charge Mohabir with manslaughter and not murder.

Killed: John Yhap

Accused killer: Arjune Mohabir

Relatives and friends protesting yesterday.

Cops, civilian accused of stealing parts from dead policeman’s motorcycle -wife begs magistrate to give them a chance Two police constables who were stationed at the Springlands Police Station, Corentyne, Berbice, were among three persons charged with the offence of simple larceny.

They are Police Constables, Edul Khan, of Upper Corentyne and Doran La Fleur.

The policemen were charged along with Dinesh Lakeram, 25, a farmer of No 68 Village, Corentyne, Berbice.

The policemen were accused of stealing parts off of the motorcycle of late policeman, Navindra Jodhan, which was parked in the Springlands Police Station Compound. They are accused of selling it to Lakeram.

They were accused of committing the act between 25th and 27th June, 2020. The parts were valued at $495,000.

They appeared before Magistrate Alex Moore in the Springlands Magistrate Court and pleaded not guilty. However, the wife of the late police officer intervened and begged the court to drop the matter since she felt sorry for

them and did not want to see them lose their jobs.

The late Jodhan, who was involved in an accident on June 14, 2020, on the Number 68 Public Road, which also killed a pedestrian, died at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) sometime after.

Jodhan was attached to the Anti-Crime Unit of the Central Police Station in New Amsterdam and was also a part of a bikers’ club from Berbice.

After the accident, the CBR motorcycle was taken to the Springlands Police Station and lodged there. It was reported that the two constables conspired with Lakeram to steal the parts and sell it to him.After it was realized that the parts were missing, a report was made and an investigation was launched and the two constables were arrested.

A file was prepared and sent to the DPP and it was recommended that they be charged with simple larceny.

Wednesday September 23, 2020

Kaieteur News

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High pay, low work?

P

eople who earn consultant-level salaries must be capable of producing consultant-quality work. You do not pay a medical professional a specialist fee and then expect them to only perform the functions of a medex.

Those who are paid consultant salaries should be expected to do consultantlevel work. They must not be allowed to outsource critical responsibilities.

One of the problems with the APNU+AFC was that they were some persons who were being paid salaries which are usually paid to consultants who work with international organizations but they were not producing the work commensurate with this level of salary. As such, the country was not receiving value for money.

This is not acceptable.

Once you are paid to do a job, you should do the job and not receive monies while performing duties at a lower level.

When persons are employed by international organizations, they are normally paid what persons in similar positions elsewhere would enjoy.

This is standard practice in international organizations.

You pay consultants at the existing international rates and this, naturally would be far higher than what locals are being paid by government would receive.

Those who are employed by international organizations are expected to satisfy two requisites. Firstly, they must be capable of doing the job at the level of the position, which they hold. Assuming

they hold a consultant position, they would have to do the analysis and prepare the reports which are usually prepared by consultants.

They cannot receive a consultant salary and do the work of a clerk.

Secondly, they would be normally employed after a competitive process.

They would normally through a rigorous process before they are employed.

Not many persons are handpicked for international jobs.

Often, the government requests technical assistance from an international organization. Soon after the recruitment process starts.

The government would normally have to agree to any person appointed to work but the persons selected would have undergone a careful screening process, once there was no competitive process involved.

The APNU+AFC employed persons within the state bureaucracy who were not part of any contract with international organizations.

And these persons were being paid extremely attractive salaries. Some of the salaries and benefits were so attractive that they were earning more than magistrates and judges.

Their compensation was coming from the treasury.

This means that taxpayers were financing these huge salaries.

The figures that have been made public makes one question whether these persons were providing value for money. It is extraordinary that in some agencies, persons were working for more than a million dollars per month, plus benefits. This is a

consultant-level package. But was the government receiving consultant-quality work?

It is within this context, that it was strange that the government would have had to outsource the writing of the Green State Development Strategy.

The Strategy was prepared by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) even though there were persons working in the government who were receiving consultant-level wages and who therefore should have been asked to write the Strategy.

It makes no sense paying persons consultant-level salary and not testing their capability to undertake consultant-level work. It was a travesty that the Green State Development Strategy had to be outsourced, especially considering the high-paid specialist who were employed by the APNU+AFC and paid from the treasury.

The level of remuneration which the APNU+AFC paid to some persons was staggering. It is not as if these persons were being paid by grant resources from international organizations.

They were being funded by the Treasury and therefore, in many instances, should not have been at such a high pay grade.

How much does someone employed by the Attorney General Chambers receive when compared to what some other persons were being paid for providing legal services?

It may have been best if some of these high-paid employees were given short-term contracts for project work rather than being put on the

Dem boys seh...

Poor people pass fuh grass Dem only had 35 positive coronavirus cases yesterday. That was a significant decline from the previous day when there were more than 100 cases for two days in a row.

But dem boys not getting excited because was only 60 tests was done yesterday.

This means that almost 60% of those who were tested came back positive. Expect a jump today.

Instead of de testing increasing, it moving like a yo-yo.

But de government should know by now that institutional spread is not likely to be confined to the prisons. It most likely also

deh widespread in dem government and private sector offices where some people only wearing their masks to pass through de door. When they reach inside, dem tekkin it off.

It should be clear by now de government nah gan shutdown the economy.

None of dem family nah die yet from de coronavirus. But as soon as dah happen or some rich person dies, yuh gon see how fast dem gan hurry fuh tek action.

But poor people pass fuh grass. And therefore nobody nah batting an eye when dem read how big people dying.

Dem boys wan dem fuh know that while in some

country is mostly dem people wah over 65 dying de most, here in Guyana is dem people over 45 years.

When dem boys call fuh lockdown, dem boys nah mean total lockdown, even though this will be the best thing.

Dem boys feel dat nonessential businesses should be closed and people who can, should be asked to work from home, like wah dem now reverting to in England.

Boris Johnsom nah tekkin chances. He seh dat it was a hard decision to make but he trying fuh save people life.

Is sad we can’t say de same thing in Guyana.

permanent establishment.

(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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Wednesday September 23, 2020

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

My life under three gun license ministers

I

f you are an editor, journalist, political observer, political analyst, civil society activist or a citizen who keeps informed about power and politics in Guyana, then you are a fool if you believe former ministers of the APNU+AFC regime will not

be investigated for corruption.

This columnist can say with oceanic assertiveness that two ministers are currently under the microscope for criminal corruption charges. The evidence may be shocking.

The nation is being treated to

a daily regurgitation of sordid happenings during the five-year moral bankruptcy of the regime of the APNU+AFC. It is utterly foolish for APNU+AFC supporters to continue to tell themselves that their party was cheated out of power in March 2020.

At some point very soon, they have to be truthful with themselves. They should not expect PNC and AFC leaders to tell them the facts (not the truth just the facts of the results). The PNC hierarchy and the gang of five in the A F C a r e i n a n insurmountable quagmire.

They cannot go to their supporters and tell them they lost the 2020 election by 24,000 votes (9,000 for nine small parties and 15,000 for the PPP).

It is virtually impossible for them to admit that fact because it denotes that they were failures in office. What the kings and queens of the PNC and AFC are going to do until the next national poll is to say that they won the 2020 contest but the PPP stuffed the system with bogus votes.

That song will not be sung out. That bell will not be rung out. The PNC and AFC will keep singing that song and keep ringing that bell.

The APNU+AFC lost the electoral battle by 24,000 votes because those 24,000 voters who gave them their ballots in 2015, took them back in 2020.

Thousands more who voted in 2015 for APNU+AFC stayed home.

The statements of poll reveal that the turnout of African Guyanese was painfully disappointing for the PNC. I have done several columns explaining the factors for the defeat. Those factors, Guyanese who do not dabble in political commentary, are seeing it for themselves in the media with each passing day. Guyanese voted out the APNU+AFC

because for five years what they saw the APNU+AFC leaders doing were the identical things the PPP did under Presidents Jagdeo and Ramotar for which PNC and AFC leaders criticized the PPP for and which caused those voters to put APNU+AFC into power.

This nation has been told that Khemraj Ramjattan as Minister of Public Security in the Granger administration signed 61 percent of gun license permit for 2020 (which means for just six months) without the application reaching its final resting place which was the Firearm License Board. This committee reads the analyses the police put forward for granting and denying.

The minister’s signature is a mere formality if the answer is yes. If no, the minister can overturn the denial but the final step is the document sent to the minister by the License Firearm Board for approval or rejection.

When I read that Ramjattan did this for just six months in 2020, then I reflected on my life as a political activist under two Home Affairs Ministers under the PPP government – Ronald Gajraj and Clement Rohee.

I must have penned dozens of columns lamenting the granting of gun permits by these two ministers without due process being observed.

But I can say with definitiveness those two ministers did not sign 61 percent of permits without the documents going through

Frederick Kissoon the board within the space of six months.

I look back at my life as an activist under the PPP from 1992 to 2015 and the thought is compelling. Did I waste all those years now that I am seeing what went on from 2015 under the PNC and AFC? Did all of us who contributed to the electoral defeat of the PPP in 2011 and 2015 have to live with permanent angst and sempiternal anquish?

I have no regrets of what I did as a political activist from 1968 until August 2020. But my soul is lacerated at what I saw happening since 2015.

And why?

Because I helped in some small way to bring about 2011 and 2015.

I will never look back in anger at my life since 1968 but I believe wrongs must be righted.

I campaigned against how Gajraj and Rohee dished out gun permits. I knew lots of wrong things were going on from 2015 and I do believe in my heart, mind and soul that I had to speak up.

I’m mentally happy that I did.

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

Wednesday September 23, 2020

Kaieteur News

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Wednesday September 23, 2020

Wednesday September 23, 2020

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Guyoil’s profits increase by $1B T

he Guyana Oil Company Limited (Guyoil) and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Guyoil Aviation Services Inc. (GASI), hosted their Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Tuesday, with disclosures that the recorded profits of the former has increased by $1B. The AGM was held in the parking lot of Guyoil Green Office and Store Complex, Providence with full compliance to all necessary COVID-19 guidelines, that state-owned company announced.

“The AGM reviewed the financial performance of both companies for the year ended 31 December, 2019.

Several key stakeholders were in attendance, including representatives from the holding company of Guyoil’s shareholder, The National Industrial and Commercial Company Limited (NICIL), also in attendance were representatives from Ministry of Finance, Audit Office of Guyana, PKF Barcellos Narine & Company, Guyoil’s Board of

Directors, and Management Team.”

G u y o i l ’s C o m p a n y Secretary and Legal Office, Suzanne Bullen, delivered a brief overview of Guyoil and GASI’s 2019 performance, projects, and audit reports for the year ending 31 December, 2019.

According to Guyoil, it was noted that in 2019, Guyoil recorded a net profit after taxation of $2.587B which represents an approximately $1.001 B increase or a 63% increase when compared to 2018.

The company paid $900M as dividends to its shareholder in 2019.

“On the other hand, in 2019, GASI recorded a net profit after taxation of $86.749M, which represents an increase of approximately $25.048M or 40% when compared to 2018.

The AGM concluded with Guyoil’s Chairman, Paul Cheong commending Guyoil and its subsidiary GASI, for their success in 2019.

“Mr. Cheong encouraged both companies to improve the delivery of their services

Members of Guyoil’s Board of Directors, Guyoil’s Company Secretary and CEO

for a more efficient and vibrant organization.”

Guyoil operates several service stations across the country and would set the prices of gas from time to time.

Extended Tax Returns due date is September 30

The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has issued a reminder to accountants, tax preparers and other stakeholders that the extended due date for the submission of Income Tax, Property Tax, Corporation Tax and Capital Gains Tax Returns for the Year of Assessment 2020 (Year of Income 2019) is Wednesday, September 30, 2020.“It should be noted that the estimated remaining Tax Due on the said returns should have been paid on or before April 30, 2020. Hence, every effort should be made by taxpayers to effect payment immediately or at the time of

filing so as to minimise any penalties and interest applicable for the nonpayment or short-payment of the remaining taxes due for the Year of Assessment 2020 (Year of Income 2019),” GRA said in its statement yesterday.

GRA said that in keeping with the COVID-19 safety guidelines, taxpayers are advised to place their returns in the drop boxes situated at the headquarters, the GPO Building, the LRO Office at Smyth and Princes Streets, and the other office locations across the country.

No lodgment receipts will be issued in this period.

“Submission of returns can also be done conveniently using the eServices platform. Visit the w e b s i t e , eservices.gra.gov.gy and follow the enrollment and registration guidelines to set up an account.”GRA said that internet and mobile banking and payment options are also available via the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI), Demerara Bank, Republic Bank’s e-banking facilities as well as Mobile Money Guyana (MMG). “The GRA also has an arrangement with Bill Express to facilitate over-the-counter payments.”

Kaieteur News

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Foreign Ministry establishes Diaspora and Remigration Unit The Government of Guyana has enhanced its plans of engaging and involving the Diaspora to support its national development priorities.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, it has reintegrated diaspora and remigration matters into the Ministry.

“A new Diaspora and Remigration Unit has been established and will allow for an enhanced, sustained, and coordinated engagement with all Guyanese abroad.

Further, the unit will work towards fostering greater collaboration with the Diaspora in the areas of trade and investment, philanthropy, tourism, youth

engagement, attraction of skill and remigration, as well as streamlining the contributions and resources of the Diaspora to effectively aid Guyana’s development agenda.”

R e c e n t l y, P r e s i d e n t Irfaan Ali, reiterated the Government’s commitment towards leveraging the skills and investment potential of the Diaspora.

“The Government and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) continue to collaborate on the finalisation of an Enhanced Diaspora Engagement Strategy & Plan of Action. Once concluded and approved, this Strategy and Plan of Action will align national development plans and strengthen Guyana’s

pursuit of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Within this broader framework, there will also be a special emphasis on remigration,” the Foreign Ministry said.

“The Government is focused on better harnessing the expertise, talent, and investment potential within the global Guyanese c o m m u n i t y. ” P e r s o n s requiring more information are asked to visit the Ministry’s website: www.minfor.gov.gy or visit the Diaspora and Remigration Unit on the ground floor of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; emailremigration@minfor.g ov.gy; telephone number: +592 226-1606-8 ext.

339/340.

Wednesday September 23, 2020

Constitutional Reform to be driven by nationwide consultation - AG Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall told members of the National Assembly on Friday that his Ministry has a number of pressing matters that will be dealt with urgently under the provision of the 2020 emergency budget.

Among these matters, the AG said is the work to bring about constitutional reform.

During his presentation, he asserted that, “work will begin shortly, right here in this House, utilising the Standing Committee on Constitutional Reform as the launching pad to execute our Government’s agenda on constitutional reform.”

The AG emphasized however that the process of achieving constitutional reform will be driven by a very board-based vehicle comprising of Government, the Opposition on the one hand and civil society on the other hand, in an equal partnership and will embrace nationwide consultation.

Added to that, Nandlall noted that the Ministry of Legal Affairs will spearhead wide ranging reforms, including legislative reforms, to our electoral process to make it stronger, more transparent, and more accountable and to ensure that it is manned by persons of high integrity and professional ethics, so as to prevent the electoral machinery from being “hijacked by political fraudsters”.

Additionally, the Bail Bill, Hire Purchase Bill, a new Arbitration Bill, amendments to

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall the Companies Act and a series of legislation for the petroleum industry and various other sectors are listed on top of the agenda for the Ministry of Legal Affairs.

Meanwhile, Nandlall announced that there is a provision in the budget of $25M GYD for capital works that will commence on the Ministry’s main building.

According to him, the project is to complete a two-storey expansion of the Ministry’s main building to provide badly needed physical space to accommodate existing and new staff, as the Ministry continues to grow.

“These are only activities for the next four months. The 2021 Budget will unfold the other plans,” the AG said.

Wednesday September 23, 2020

Kaieteur News

Parts of the CJIA expansion that President Ali did not see O

n M o n d a y, President Irfaan Ali toured the troubled multibillion dollar expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).

It would have followed a meeting of the stakeholders, including the Chinese contractor, China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) and supervising c o n t r a c t o r, w i t h t h e President to update him on the challenges.

However, it appeared that there were several parts of the airport where the president was not taken.

Kaieteur News has accessed photos taken in the Departure Terminal, an area that was supposed to be torn down, or evacuated, not far

from where persons would check in - it was not a pretty sight.

A wall separates it from the refurbished check-in area. It reportedly houses office spaces that are rented to airport operators for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Wires protruded and it was clear that work is still ongoing.

CHEC, the Chinese contractor, has been hauled in with the President announcing on Monday that an investigation will be coming.

Ali also insisted that Guyana will not be accepting the project as is and there must be answers given who reduced the scope of works.

The project has been

What President Irfaan Ali did not see on Monday at the airport.

dragging on now for almost a decade now with Guyana taking a loan for US$138M and plugging in another US$12M, making it one of the largest infrastructural works ongoing at the moment for the country.

The contract was criticized for being overpriced and then it was questioned for its scope reducing drastically in scope.

Among other things, the

runway was supposed to be lengthened to accommodate wide-body jets and a brandnew terminal building built nearby the existing one.

CHEC has, in the meantime, been concentrating on other privately-run projects. It started on the Movietowne project and completed it.

It is now working on the Pegasus Hotel expansion with significant progress made.

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Kaieteur News

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Wednesday September 23, 2020

Gas station attendant shot, robbed during shift change A gas station attendant is now stable at the New Amsterdam Hospital, East Berbice, after he was shot in the back during a brazen daylight robbery yesterday.

Hospitalized is Shazam Melville who is employed as a pump attendant at the M. Ali Gas Station, King Street, New Amsterdam.

According to Yadram Roonie, 40, who is also

employed at the gas station, he was taking over his shift from Melville around 9:30hrs when two men rode up on a motorcycle and demanded that Melville hand over the haversack he had on his back with the cash inside.

He was shot after he refused. It was all caught on camera. The men grabbed the bag and rode off.

“We work a 24-hr shift and so we normally hand over the shift so while I was taking over the shift and finished, I was engaging with a customer so he (Melville) came out with the bag on his back from the door and was collecting his books and so from the table.

Then two boys on the motorcycle ride up and when they ride up, they say, “Pass

the bag, pass the bag!”

The employee said he thought was a joke. “But when I see he pull out the gun and scramble the bag then I shout, “What you doing there man?” and then he fire a shot. Then they collect the bag and ride away,” Roonie said.

The men were masked.

Security footage of the robbery seen by this publication corroborated what Roonie told reporters.

No one has since been arrested.

Shot: Shazam Melville

The gunman shooting the attendant.

Kaieteur News

Wednesday September 23, 2020

PAGE 17

Gov’t launched investigations into asphalt plant racket - Harbour Bridge management distances itself from allegations

By Shikema Dey Just one day after Kaieteur News broke news of a scam at the state-run asphalt plant at Garden of Eden, East Bank Demerara, Public Works Minister, Juan Edghill, has ordered a probe into the allegations.

Expressing concern and distress over the claims as it implicates staffers at the Ministry of Public Works, Minister Edghill noted: “As the Minister responsible for this sector, both the Ministry of Public Works and the Demerara Harbour Bridge under whose management the asphalt plant falls, I have ordered an investigation.”

Well-placed sources revealed that contractors working on government projects were up to recently mandated to take their asphalt from the Garden of Eden plant.

Kaieteur News was told by a number of persons that contractors would get asphalt at huge discounts under a scam that stretched all the way to the Ministry of Public Works.

“What happened is that there is a special department

Production of the asphalt at the Garden of Eden plant.

Public Works Minister, Juan Edghill

General Manager of the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation, Rawlston Adams

in the Ministry that conducts road repairs and other maintenance works. They would order a certain amount from the plant to be billed to the Ministry. They, however, collect less. The difference is what is sold at a discount price to contractors.”

It was explained that contractors would come in a few days later and pay about half price for the asphalt from the plant being operated by the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation (DHBC).

“This has a lot of impact.

It means that a contractor is buying raw materials cheap,

below cost, and can effectively compete with other contractors,” persons with knowledge of the scam said to Kaieteur News.

It would mean that the state would have lost tens of millions of dollars in revenues.

Already, operators of privately-run asphalt plants have been complaining of little or no business.

“What they do is to force contractors to buy from Garden of Eden. In fact, contractors all the way from Berbice were asked to travel all the way to East Bank Demerara when there are asphalt plants in operations

in Berbice.”

It was explained that the only way this made financial sense is if the contractors were getting discounts.

“There is a simple way to check how it is happening.

There needs to be a special audit. Everybody knows it takes a certain amount of bitumen to make so much asphalt. An audit of what the department of the Ministry was doing will clearly show something is wrong,” one contractor said.

Minister Edghill, in his statement yesterday, urged

contractors and the general public to come forward with details that would “bring an end to this alleged racket and stop the haemorrhaging of the public purse.”

“We will not allow corruption in any form shape or fashion. The people must get value for their money and corrupt public officers or public officials must not be allowed to benefit. This is an allegation and we will get to the bottom of it,” Edghill said, promising that a full and thorough investigation will be conducted.

DHB distancing self While the allegations received widespread attention, the management of the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation sought to distance themselves from claims.

G e n e r a l M a n a g e r, Rawlston Adams, explained that per the agreement with the Public Works Ministry, written instructions would be provided “under various headings, miscellaneous roads, urban roads and special projects” to state (Continued on page 24)

Gruesome murder of Berbice teens…

Sixth suspect in custody for Henry boys - rice farmer’s grandson to be laid to rest today

A

s p r o b e continues into a heinous crime which sparked outrage and protests in Guyana, investigators have revealed that a sixth suspect is now in custody.

He is being questioned for the murders of Joel and Isaiah Henry of Number Three Village, West Coast Demerara (WCD).

Crime Chief, Wendell Blanhum, had confirmed recently that five persons were detained. They would have included suspects from the initial stages of the investigation along with one who was last seen with the boys.

However, last evening, Kaieteur News was told by police sources that those persons have since been released on station bail.

Meanwhile, the rice farmer, who was the first to be arrested in the initial stage of the probe, is preparing to cremate his grandson, Haresh Singh, 17, today.

Singh was killed days after the cousins’ butchered bodies were found dumped in clumps of bushes at

Murdered: Isaiah and Joel Henry Cotton Tree backdam, near to a coconut estate his grandfather owned.

Media houses reported the young man was found unconscious in the Number Tree Village backdam with multiple chop wounds and other marks of violence. His burnt motorcycle was also found close by.

A c c o r d i n g t o information received by this newspaper, the viewing of Singh’s body is set to begin at 09:00hrs at the Persaud’s Funeral Home, New Amsterdam, Berbice, Region Six. This will be followed by a service at the family’s home at Number Two Village, scheduled for

12:00hrs. His body will finally be cremated at 15:00hrs.

With regards to the ongoing investigation into the three teens’ murder, Guyana has requested foreign help.

In a statement sent out by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs earlier this week, it was highlighted that Guyana has sent a request to CARICOM IMPACS for investigative services, under the Regional Investigative Management Systems (RIMS), to assist with the probe.

It was further stated that IMPACS will convene a team of investigators under RIMS Barbados, Trinidad

Murdered: Haresh Singh and Tobago, the Regional Security System (RSS) and CARICOM IMPACS. This move by the Government comes after the Guyana Police Force (GPF) stated that its team of investigators failed to unearth evidence during a recent visit to the crime scene, to aid their investigations.

The team had consisted of 75 police ranks, the Major Crimes Unit (MCU), ranks from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and pathologist, Dr. Nehaul Singh.

The police force said that the team conducted an eighthour search in the backdam and had received aerial

Singh’s burnt motorcycle support from an army helicopter, ut they found nothing. It was also revealed that the motive(s) for the killings is/are yet to be outlined.

Nevertheless, investigators have been able to establish that the Henry teens were killed somewhere else and then dumped at the location where they were found.

DNA samples were also taken from the suspects who have been arrested and sent for a comparative analysis to be conducted against

forensic evidence collected from the secondary crime scene.

While investigators were scouring tirelessly in the backlands to find evidence, members of the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC), on Thursday last, visited to relatives of all three boys.

The visit was made by t h e E R C ’s C h a i r m a n Reverend John Oswald Smith, Commissioners and staff who offered words of comfort and said prayers for the boys’ family members.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 18

Wednesday September 23, 2020

More high-ranking US officials to engage Guyana

D

- Ambassador Lynch

ays after the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, paid a historic visit to Guyana as part of multi-state visit, that country’s ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch, says that it was not a one-time event.

In fact, she says, there will many more engagements from senior US officials and representatives of the private sector. Below is the statement of the US ambassador on the visit: Statement I write to you today to thank you for hosting U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last week.

Guyanese hospitality was evident throughout this historic visit in the form of flags, billboards and friendly hellos. The visit was significant not just because Secretary Pompeo is the highest-ranking U.S. official ever to visit the “land of many waters.”

N o r, w a s t h e v i s i t significant only because Guyana is on the cusp of transformational development. It was also significant because the Secretary of State reaffirmed that when the United States shows up, we make good on our commitments. Over the past year Secretary Pompeo spoke numerous times about the importance of the U.SGuyanese diplomatic

relationship and the need for Guyana to uphold the principles of democracy and good governance, while advancing improved security and prosperity. And, his visit showed that his words are backed by action.

In fact, the visit included three important action items: 1. the launch of a Growth in the Americas initiative, in which both of our countries will work together to strengthen trade and investment, cooperate on building infrastructure, and b u i l d t h i s c o u n t r y ’s n e c e s s a r y e n e rg y a n d information technology backbone; 2. the enforcement of a security agreement that enables U.S and Guyanese law enforcement to embark on joint patrols to stop the movement of illegal drugs; and, 3. the commitment to US$4.5 million of new

President Irfaan Ali meeting with Ambassador Sarah-Ann Lynch and Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo last week.

USAID assistance for youth and citizen engagement programs.

I want you, the Guyanese people, to know that this visit was not just a one-time event. I foresee many additional engagements with

Guyana by high-ranking U.S. government officials as well as a variety of private sector businesses.

Americans want to partner with Guyana. Why? They want to partner because Guyana demonstrated its commitment to democracy, the rule of law and strong government institutions.

And, they want to partner because Guyana also prioritizes the building of a safer, more prosperous hemisphere. The visit of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stands as proof of how deeply the United States values Guyana and its people – all of its people - and how we look forward to an even

stronger partnership as the country moves forward.

So, I thank you again for your warmth and that renowned Guyanese hospitality. As we enter a new chapter in our already unwavering relationship, I know that this partnership will continue to deepen and grow. Thank you, Guyana!

...PPP/C Govt. must not repeat APNU+AFC’s reckless mistake From page 2 coalition by failing to renegotiate the unfavourable deal.

Dr. Jailall said that the government can use the opportunity of approving the Payara Field Development Plan to get a better deal for Guyana.

The Education Consultant said, “It is important that the Guyana government’s position indicates that it will not just follow the beat of its own drum and ignore anyone else…If we don’t renegotiate now, when?

After we rush into another bad deal? We need to maximize our benefits from each and all of our wells.”

He was also keen to note c o m m e n t s b y Vi c e President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, some weeks ago that the government intends to strengthen the Local Content Policy and have it supported by legislation so that Guyanese can benefit via the supply chain. Dr. Jailall also recalled Dr. Jagdeo’s comments that talks would be held with ExxonMobil about the development of gas fields,

getting a good price for the nation’s gas, and working out the details on how it will benefit the people.

Dr. Jailall said that all of this is well and good but stressed that the nation still has a right to a royalty that is higher than the current two percent in the Stabroek Block deal.

The Education Consultant said: “…the biggest benefits from oil come from the royalty, the profit sharing, Exxon paying taxes which they don’t d o n o w, a n d efficiently auditing the costs submitted by Exxon to make sure we are not getting robbed of $US billions through inflated expense reports.”

Dr. Jailall added, “…The local content is important, but that’s not where the biggest gains come from and it is not a substitute for better royalties or profit share.

T h e b i g g e s t beneficiaries from a better local content policy would be the middlemen businesses, not the poor people of Guyana…”

He went on to explain that the trickle-down effect

from local content is not as huge as if one were to renegotiate for a better royalty, profit share, and/or requiring ExxonMobil to pay taxes in keeping with the tax laws.

Dr. Jailall said, too, that for every 1% increase in royalty, at US$50 per barrel, Guyana stands to gain an estimated US$4 billion.

“That’s more than you can get on a better local content policy, which simply refers to Guyanese companies getting some of the oil related contracts for goods and services, and Guyanese getting oil jobs and training,” the Education Consultant contended.

Dr. Jailall who has served in the education sector for 25+ years in Guyana, the Bahamas, the USA and the United Arab Emirates, contended that the government must understand that getting the maximum benefits for the nation’s poor, destitute people, is not a multiplechoice question where the answer is A, B, C, or D. He stated unequivocally that the answer is E – “All of the above.”

Wednesday September 23, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 19

Kaieteur News

PAGE 20

Wednesday September 23, 2020

AG signals investigation into Larry London’s birth certificate scandal The Attorney General (AG) Anil Nandlall, yesterday requested the Auditor General (AG)

Deodat Sharma to launch an investigation into the facts and circumstances surrounding the US

$150,000 awarded to longtime stalwart and executive of the People’s National Congress Reform

Director of Public Works, President and Secretary of Universal Procurement Services Incorporated, Larry London

(PNC), Larry London by the APNU+AFC administration to print birth certificates.

T h e A G ’s r e q u e s t

followed after the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Gail Teixeira had revealed to the National Assembly on Monday that the former government had awarded $30M to a barely discernible US- registered c o m p a n y, U n i v e r s a l Procurement Services Incorporated, for the procurement of 20,000 birth certificates during the period 2019-2020.

What is further alarming, the Minister told the House, is that the contract was signed by London who was later discerned to be the head of the company, registered in the State of Florida.

London was recently caught at the centre of political controversy, as Kaieteur News had reported, wherein he, once listed as coowner of the controversial Homestretch Development Incorporated, the company behind the D’Urban Park Project, was given a mystery job by the previous Granger administration.

Operating under the designation listed as ‘Director of Public Parks’, London was in receipt of a net salary of $500,000 m o n t h l y, a l o n g w i t h additional perks being footed by the state, including home security services, a personal driver and car, as well as duty free allowances and a 22½% gratuity twice yearly, despite the fact that he was overseasbased and seldom returned to Guyana.

Based on a letter dispatched to the Auditor General by Nandlall, he wrote that “the Government of Guyana wished to, immediately, commission a Forensic Audit into the facts and circumstances surrounding a US $150,000 contract entered into by the Department of Citizenship/ Ministry of the Presidency and Universal Procurement Services Inc., a Florida profit corporation of 15221 SW 20th Street Miramar, Florida 33027, in respect of the

p r o c u r e m e n t o f approximately 100,000 birth certificates, as was disclosed in the Committee of Supply of the National Assembly, during its consideration of the Estimates of Expenditure for the years 2019 and 2020.”

Nandlall indicated that the audit should forensically examine whether there was compliance with the provisions of the Procurement Act, and if not, the reasons for the noncompliance; reasons why the services of the conventional publisher of these documents were not sought; had the services of the conventional publisher of these documents retained, what the estimated costs would have been to print and publish the said documents; what is the status of the company contracted at the time of the contract; what was/ is the main line of business; what experience it possesses in relation to the similar work; what due diligence was conducted prior to the award of the contract; was there a need for 100,000 birth certificates (Continued on page 22)

Attorney General, Anil Nandlall

Wednesday September 23, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 21

PAGE 22

Kaieteur News

Wednesday September 23, 2020

93,000 households to benefit from $1.8B in hampers - PM Phillips SERVICES Visa Forms Preparer.

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Making good of their promise to support families who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) administration has budgeted $1.8B to supply and distribute hampers to some 93,000 households across Guyana.

This and other details were disclosed by Prime Minister (PM) Mark Philips, during his presentation to the National Assembly’s Committee of Supply, on Monday.

According to the PM, this COVID-19 relief is one that will benefit Guyanese all across Guyana, as he highlighted that an estimated 38,000 households in the hinterlands will also be in receipt of those pre-packaged supplies.

During the presentation to the Committee of Supply, oppositional Member of Parliament (MP), Jermaine Figueira, had queried what method was utilized to select the vulnerable households.

Against this, PM Phillips indicated that there was a process which entailed online applications and based on those responses, there would follow an assessment programme which determines who qualifies for those hampers. Persons on the coast can apply online to prequalify for a hamper or any other form of government assistance, he said.

“The Economic and Social Sub-Committee of the COVID-19 Task Force, which is working through the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security and CDC, will manage the whole process to ensure all

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Prime Minister, Mark Phillips

households benefits as the criteria mentions,” Prime Minister Phillips said.

“Based on the work done by all the agencies including the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), 45% of the population is deemed as having the need to be given some sort of assistance and support during COVID-19.

Based on that percentage we arrived at this target figure.”

PM Phillips noted that this initiative is separate from the $4.5 billion relief, popularly known as the $25,000 cash grant measures which President Irfaan Ali

announced earlier this month.

Of the budget, the PM said that $133M will be allocated to transport the hampers to communities. He added that the government intends on working with Chairpersons and Toshaos of each region to ensure that all services are procured from the locals. This is executed with aims to ensure that the government invests in the economy of each administrative region thereby generating income.

This initiative is anticipated to be rolled out over the next three months.

Truck kills pedal cyclist who swerved to avoid water pool A pedal cyclist was yesterday killed by a motor lorry, along Wash Clothes, Mahaicony Branch Road, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

The cyclist was killed after he suddenly swerved into the path of the lorry to avoid a pool of water.

Dead is Deonarine Lalchand, 68, of Wash Clothes, Mahaicony.

According to police reports, the man was struck down at around 08:05hrs.

Investigators were told Lalchand was heading south along eastern side of the road.

However as the truck was about to pass Lalchand, he

immediately swerved his bicycle to avoid a pothole filled with water.

The driver of the truck tried to avoid hitting down Lalchand by attempting to steer it towards the western side of the road. But despite his efforts, the left rear wheel collided with pedal cyclist.

As a result, Lalchand fell on the roadway, and was run over.

The man was picked up and rushed to the Mahaicony Cottage Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The driver has since been detained by the police.

AG signals investigation ...

From page 20 forms at the time when the contract was entered into; comparatively, what was the quality of the documents procured. It should be noted that investigations conducted by Kaieteur News indicate that the company, Universal Procurement Services Incorporated, is filed as a Domestic for Profit Corporation. What is alarming, however, is that data shows that the 13-yearold company is no longer active, as recorded in documents filed with the Florida

Department of State.

According to Corporation Wiki, there are a few officers known to have been associated with this organization, with London as the man leading the company’s operations. Information on this site further explicitly states that London held the position of President and Secretary, with Donna London as President; Roger Simon as Director; Victor D. Wilson as Secretary; and Lyndon Rohlehr and Diedre Downer serving as Directors.

Wednesday September 23, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 23

Bandits foiled in attempt to break into ATM at Courtyard Mall Bandits were, on Sunday last, successful in breaking into a barbershop and stealing some cash.

But they have failed in their attempts to cart off the Scotiabank ATM machine next door.

The burglary reportedly took place at the Courtyard Mall, Robb Street, Georgetown, around 04:00hrs.

According to Commander

of ‘A’ Division, Simon McBean, the thieves had broken into the hair salon and stole an undisclosed amount the cash.

After the theft, he said, the men tried to gain access to the ATM machine which was housed next door to the salon but they were forced to abort the mission.

In other sections of the media, it was reported that men had already drilled a hole

Guyana records 69th COVID-19 death The Ministry of Health (MOH) last evening announced that as of 21:00hrs, one other person who tested positive for the Novel Coronavirus (COVID19) has died.

The latest fatality is a 25year-old male from Demerara/Mahaica (Region 4) who died while receiving care at government hospital.

“The MOH expresses sincerest condolences to the family of the deceased and will make every effort to

provide all the necessary support during this difficult time to render any assistance needed. Officials of the Ministry have contacted all relatives and persons to facilitate contact tracing and rapid assistance to everyone who may have been exposed to the now-dead person. The Ministry is also appealing to the general public to respect the confidentiality of the deceased and his family and to allow them to mourn their tragic loss in peace.”

CSEC, CAPE record notable...

From page 12 Design: Unit One recorded a decline from 100 percent in 2019 to 97 percent in 2020. Further, despite improvements in several subjects, CAPE recorded a 1.47 percent reduction in acceptable grades. CXC candidates across the Caribbean will be able to access their exam results online, using their Centre Number and Candidate Number at www.cxc.org/studentresults shortly.

in the wall. However, their attempts were cut short after a security guard from a nearby business spotted them in operation.

The security guard reportedly raised an alarm and the men fled the compound of the Courtyard Mall making good their escape.

The Courtyard Mall, Robb Street (credit to Surendra Ramnauth)

PAGE 24

The A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition is now challenging the new People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration to set local content targets for the oil and gas sector, something it refused to do while in office.

The suggestion was made by AFC’s Member of Parliament (MP), David Patterson, during his budget address last Thursday.

Patterson, who is expected to serve the term as the Opposition’s shadow Oil Minister, noted that the Government has committed to training Guyanese to take up jobs and contracts in the oil sector. “We say,” Patterson added, “that this local content mandate must have definitive numerical goals through legislation and in contracts. We propose a minimum of 50% of all sub-contracts must go to local businesses; and have a mentor/ protégé programme to achieve this goal in three years to ensure the transfer of skills and knowledge.”

Kaieteur News

Patterson may have forgotten or is unaware of the fact that it was recommended that the Energy Department set local content targets while APNU+AFC held office.

Kaieteur News, for one, noted several provisions in the highly successful Ghanaian local content policy in its recommendations to the Energy Department. They were all absent from the policy.

Among these included several targets for oil companies and their sub-contractors to meet within a given period.

The Ghanaian policy stated that its Annual Recruitment and Training programme needed to ensure that the following targets are met: “(a) management staff, at least fifty percent of the management staff are Ghanaians from the start of petroleum activities of the licensee and the percentage shall increase to at least eighty percent within five years after the start of the petroleum activities; (b) core technical staff, at least thirty percent of the technical staff are Ghanaians from the start of petroleum

activities of the licensee and the percentage shall increase to at least eighty percent within five (5) years after the start of petroleum activities and ninety percent within ten (10) years; and (c) Other staff, one hundred percent are Ghanaians.

Such programme shall provide for the training of Ghanaians in all aspects and phases of petroleum activities and as many staff categories, including management, as is possible and shall be reassessed and revised on an annual basis (the “Annual Recruitment and Training Programme) and may include scholarships, industrial training for students and other financial support for education.”

Kaieteur News reported in July that the policy implemented by Ghana saw locals representing 86 percent of the sector’s workforce, among other outstanding achievements. This policy was informed by inputs made by industry experts like Trinidadian local content advisor and energy strategist, Anthony Paul.

Paul was involved in the makings of earlier drafts of Guyana’s local content policy, but was ultimately removed from the project by the former Government and replaced by an ExxonMobil affiliate, Dr. Michael Warner.

Though Kaieteur News shed light on Warner’s history with Exxon’s Centre for Local Business Development as a clear conflict of interest, APNU+AFC allowed Warner to remove several safeguards from Paul’s policy drafts.

Warner’s policy also included confidentiality provisions which inhibit Guyana’s ability to fully scrutinize oil companies’ local content commitments. It is Warner’s policy which the former Government

Wednesday September 23, 2020

AFC MP, David Patterson made final.

The new government does not accept the former’s policy, and has re-engaged

Paul on a local content advisory Panel, to assist with the crafting of local content legislation.

$95M allocated to repair, replace ministers’ damaged vehicles - Teixeira Claiming that vehicles were returned in run-down conditions by the Coalition government, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira, on Monday disclosed that $95M has been budgeted to repair and purchase new vehicles for ministers.

Teixeira indicated to the National Assembly’s Committee of Supply that when the former ministers handed over their vehicles to the new government, it was observed that there were cracked windshields, ripped and stained seats, damaged radios and even different tyres on the automobiles.

“We don’t know who did what,” Teixeira told the House, “so this money is to do some repairs and purchase new vehicles.”

She said that a number of the vehicles will have to be “boarded up” because it would be too costly to repair.

During her presentation, the Minister could not disclose details of the types/

Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira

models of the vehicles to be procured nor how much each would cost taxpayers. She maintained, however, that public tendering would be the method utilized to source the vehicles.

“I’m not aware of the type or the cost,” she said. “Due to the urgency to get the budget and get the money we had to rush and put in allocation because there was a problem, and we had to attend to the safety and security of the President, Vice President, and Prime Minister so this alloca-

Gov’t launched investigations...

From page 17 which contractor asphalt would be supplied to.

“We would then supply those asphalt to the contractor...so there is no interactions between ourselves and the contractors, in this arrangement,” Adams added, noting that the DHB would then use the corresponding bills to receive payment from the Ministry.

“We are not saying that there is not something happening outside of us,” the General Manager told Kaieteur News “but we don’t want it to be seen that we are complicit in any arrangement that is happening outside of our formal arrangement with the Ministry.”

He insisted that their system has a lot of “checks and balances” and leaves little room for errors to occur.

Giving an example, Adams pointed to the delivery note, which he says is prepared in “triplicate”.

“One goes to the truck driver, one stays with us and when we are billing the Ministry, we also attach one to the documents.”

tion is here for that purpose because we had five weeks to bring the budget.”

However, the former Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, was not happy with Teixeira’s reasoning.

He made it clear that it was pertinent to both the Committee of Supply and taxpayers to know the model of vehicles and whether the prices of each vehicle would be procured at reasonable prices.

He also argued that three months to procure the vehicles for the top officials of the government is not sufficient enough.

It is with this that Patterson asked the Parliamentary Minister to provide an engineer’s estimate for the vehicles, with the aim of transparency. In response to Patterson’s concern, Minister Teixeira stated that the figure has been arrived based on the past purchases.

“You don’t need an engineer’s for the purchasing of vehicles,” she added.

The Minister promised, however, that in the 2021 budget, all new purchases of vehicles, along with their details, will be readily available since time will permit for such.

Wednesday September 23, 2020

PAGE 25

Kaieteur News

140 prisoners positive for COVID-19; …Minister 80 taken to Madewini isolation Benn -Saturday’s deaths “regrettable” but necessary to prevent prison break While the deaths of two inmates, and injuries to five others at the Lusignan Prison on the East Coast of Demerara on Saturday, were unfortunate and “regrettable”, it was “necessary” to prevent a fullscale prison break at the correctional facility.

That was the explanation proffered by Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn, yesterday in the National Assembly in response to the oral questions without notice on the incident. The questions were asked by opposition parliamentarian, Geeta Chandan-Edmond.

The dead inmates were identified as Earl Graham, 51 and Winston Herbert, 21.

Graham was serving a three month sentence for malicious wounding, assault and resisting arrest while Herbert was in custody for rape.

The incident at the prison came four days after a large number of inmates had tested positive for the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).

That number stood at 120 on Saturday but according to the Home Affairs Minister, the pool increased to 140 as of yesterday.

In concern and protest, the inmates had refused meals and hurled missiles at prison officers.

The inmates protested for speedier trials and the granting of bail for those with minor offences.

However, the disturbance only lasted for a while and ranks from the Joint Services along with the relevant heads of the Lusignan Prison managed to calm the prisoners down.

But things got out of control after Minister Benn and Health Minister, Frank

Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn Anthony were having discussions with inmates housed in Holding Bay One on Saturday.

In a release, the Guyana Prison Service said that around 07:30hrs, the inmates began refusing their meals.

The facility administrators immediately engaged them to hear and address their concerns but the prisoners refused and demanded to see Minister Benn.

The protests continued until after noon with the refusal of the midday meals and continuing demands to speak with the Minister.

Their requests were heeded as later on, both Minister Benn and Minister Frank Anthony ventured to the facility to address their concerns.

Upon the Ministers’ arrival, they were cheered by the inmates and a discussion commenced with representatives of prisoners concerning court hearings and remands, among other issues.

During the discussion,

according to GPS, the men remained calm and the Ministers committed to address issues that are within their powers but reminded the inmates that matters that are within the remits of the courts are beyond their jurisdiction. GPS said that the initial response from the Ministers was very well received but things began turning ugly during a subsequent discussion between the ministers and prisoners from Holding Bay One. Inmates from the other holding bays within the prison became aggressive and began throwing missiles at prison officers and the Ministers.In a video seen by this publication, inmates could be heard telling others not to pelt. “Aye don’t pelt, don’t pelt,” they shouted.

The calls were ignored and chaos erupted. It was further stated in the press release that the Ministers’ were forced to end their discussions and run to safety, exiting the confines of the compound.A source told this newspaper that one of the Ministers received some hits to the head from objects thrown at him.

Things began to go from bad to worse after the Ministers exited the main gate.The situation was described by GPS as a massive disorder as prisoners rushed to break open the gate. Some scaled fences while others entered the restricted area launching attacks on the prison officers forcing them to flee.

Others reportedly set mattresses on fire and ranks had to take up positions within the tower and discharged rounds in the direction of those who

attempted to break open the gates.

It was stated that shots fired resulted in the injury of several prisoners. After some amount of order was restored, four of the injured were picked and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) while three others were treated by medical personnel on the ground.

At GPHC, two inmates, Earl Graham and Winston Herbert, were pronounced dead on arrival while the others were admitted.

The Home Affairs Minister told the National Assembly yesterday that it was the preventative and quick actions of the Prisons Officers that averted a prison break at Lusignan.

Minister Benn was also quick to point out that one of the main issues at the facilities is overcrowding.

This is primarily due to previous riots resulting in the destruction of the Camp Street Prison in 2017 as well as the recent destruction of the main building at Lusignan, both by fire.

Both incidents led to the population of the Holding Bays at the Lusignan facility.

So far, 80 of the infected inmates were transferred to the Madewini Secure Facility.

During the unrest in the prison on Saturday

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Wednesday September 23, 2020

CSEC, CAPE record notable improvements, despite pandemic Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of students in Guyana and across the Caribbean wrote the exams and obtained commendable scores.

The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) made this announcement during a virtual ceremony for the results of the July-August 2020 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) examinations.

Director of Operations, Examination Services Division, Nicole Manning said at the CSEC (CXC) level improved performance was recorded in Mathematics and English Language

(English ‘A’).

Manning noted that 52 percent of candidates achieved acceptable grades (Grade One-Three) in Mathematics; a slight improvement from 46 percent in 2019 and 49 percent in 2018. Further, 12 percent of students were able to earn Grade Ones, as compared to 8 percent of candidates in 2019.

For English ‘A’ she said that 82 percent of students earned Grade One-Three passes, with 23 percent being Grade Ones, compared to 79 percent Grade One-Three passes in 2019 with 20 percent Grade Ones.

Moreover, 70 percent of students passed Social Studies, a five percent growth from the previous year.

Science subjects such as Chemistry, Biology and Integrated Science all saw improvements with acceptable grades.

However, CXC recorded a decline in the performance for Information Technology (IT). In 2019, 92 per cent of registered candidates passed the examination, but this slipped to 90 per cent in 2020. Also, Grade Ones in IT reduced from 33 percent in 2019 to 27 percent this year.

Overall, a 3.81 percent increase in acceptable grades for all subject areas was recorded. CXC Registrar, Dr. Wayne Wesley said he was satisfied with the overall results, given the COVID-19 pandemic. He noted too that as the world continues to grapple with the impacts of the disease, innovative

Vreed-en-Hoop Secondary School students that wrote CSEC under COVID-19 restrictions last July

solutions would need to be found to reduce learning loss.

According to Manning, acceptable grades (Grade 14) were also recorded at this level, along with some advancement in some subject areas.

Pure Mathematics: Unit One, saw a modest boost from 60 percent in 2018 and

71 percent in 2019, to 72 percent in 2020. Candidates with Grade ones totaled 22 per cent, a two per cent increase from last year.

Caribbean Studies recorded a one percent elevation – from 98 percent in 2020 and 97 percent in 2019. Twenty-four percent of students attained Grade

Ones, compared to 20 percent in 2019. Other improvements were recorded in Communication Studies, History: Unit One, Management of Business: Unit Two, Computer Science and Digital Media; Unit One. On the other hand, Animation and Game (Continued on page 23)

49 Guyanese stranded in Suriname since March return home The MB Sandaka on Monday brought 49 Guyanese who were stranded in Suriname since March.

The Ministry of Health, on behalf of the Government of Guyana, yesterday expressed gratitude to the Government of Suriname after 49 Guyanese citizens who were stranded in that n e i g h b o u r i n g c o u n t r y, returned to their homeland on Monday.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the persons would have been stranded since March f o l l o w i n g t h e implementation of COVID19 guidelines at all ports of entry into Guyana and exit from Suriname.

According to the Ministry yesterday, since Suriname does not administer polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing to persons without symptoms of the COVID-19, the batch of Guyanese could not fulfill all the requirements for reentry, as a negative COVID19 PCR test, not less than

seven days old, is a requirement for Immigration authorities to allow entry for passengers into Guyana.

It was disclosed that the matter was raised at the highest order.

“When the President of Suriname, His Excellency Chandrikapersad Santokhi, visited Guyana in August 2020 for the inauguration of Dr. Irfaan Ali as Guyana’s newly elected President, both leaders committed to strengthening the bond between the two countries.

Mr. Santokhi was a special guest at the inauguration ceremony.”

During the discussions between the two heads, the matter of the group of Guyanese remaining in Suriname for several months was raised by President Ali. The Surinamese leader “readily committed to his Government’s conduct of the PCR testing to facilitate

the return travel of the Guyanese citizens”.

The Ministry disclosed that with further assistance of Guyana’s Ambassador to Suriname, Keith George and staffers of the Guyana Embassy in Paramaribo, all 49 persons were tested and the MB Sandaka Ferry was dispatched to transport the batch of Guyanese back to their homeland.

“The Minister of Health Hon. Dr. Frank Anthony and the entire Ministry of Health convey their gratitude to the Government and people of Suriname for all the assistance and hospitality afforded to the group of Guyanese while they were staying in Suriname.

As an added precaution, and in keeping with the M i n i s t r y o f H e a l t h ’s COVID-19 protocols, they will all be placed on a oneweek self quarantine on arrival.”

Wednesday September 23, 2020

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Kaieteur News

Crawford, Johnson share honours ...Cricket for some, not for all FORT ERIE, Canada, CMC – Barbadian Juan Crawford and Jamaican Kirk Johnson both rode two winners here M o n d a y, t o s h a r e t h e spotlight on the eightrace card.

Veteran Crawford, the c h a m p i o n s h i p l e a d e r, captured race one with favourite Blessed Two and returned to win race four with another favourite Station Rock.

Johnson, meanwhile, won with 7-1 chance Marriage Counselor in race three and with 12-1 bet Giant Mine in race five.

Crawford tops the standings with 40 wins, eight clear of Melanie

Pinto on 32 with Johnson one back in third in the season that wraps October 13.

It was Crawford who raised the curtain on the d a y ’s a c t i o n w h e n h e paired with four-year-old bay gelding Blessed Two to beat the three-year-olds and upward by 3-¼ lengths in a six furlong sprint.

And his second win came in a five furlong dash, getting five-year-old bay gelding Station Rock to the wire by 4-¾ lengths, to beat the three-year-olds and upward.

Four-to-one bet Yallhaveaniceday led into the stretch before Station Rock dominated the stretch run after chasing.

Johnson tasted success in his first race of the day, combining with five-year-old bay gelding Marriage Counselor to get the better of the threeyear-olds and upward over six furlongs.

Get My Gist set the pace before Johnson roused Marriage Counselor from a stalking position to edge the fastfinishing Sophistication by a nose.

Johnson’s second win was completely dominant as he made all the running with another five-year-old chestnut gelding Giant Mine to dismiss the threeyear-olds and upward by 4-¾ lengths, going a mile and sixteenth.

Wednesday September 23, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) A meeting may take place today that you don't want to attend. It could be long and boring, but you should still make the effort to listen.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) A project could be successfully completed today, Taurus. Discussions may already be taking place about the next one, but you aren't inclined to think about that, at least not right away.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) If you're involved in the study of a particular subject, today you might want to bury yourself in your books and learn as much as you can.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) This isn't the day to make investments. You may read in the paper or online about some hot new stocks, but be very careful. If you're interested, consult a professional before investing money.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Your natural urge to innovate may seem to have vanished today, Libra. You may not feel like doing anything outside of routine tasks that you can do automatically.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) The urge to stay in and rearrange your furniture might hit you today, Scorpio. You may want to clean out the shelves in your kitchen, add some new knickknacks, or rearrange your books into specific classifications.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Are you expecting an important communication, perhaps business related?

If it comes today, it will probably come late.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) A check you've been expecting to receive by mail will probably be delayed, Capricorn. It's nothing to worry about. Chances are it got hung up at the post office and will arrive soon.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Does a love partner appear to be moody today? One moment your friend may be enthusiastic and optimistic about the future, and the next moment overcome with gloom

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) You may not be your usual cheery self today. Gloom may have come over you.

You may doubt everything that happens in your life.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Are you working two jobs, Virgo? Today one could demand a lot of you, probably at the expense of the other.

You tend to be very conscientious and responsible, so this might bother you, but don't let it get to you.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Happy memories of a beloved grandparent may float to the surface today, and you may wonder why. Something or someone you've encountered in the past few days may have reminded you of this person.

From page 27 offered a three-month support package to 25 unemployed cricketers outside of the contract system.

What’s next?

Pakistan were one of the teams set to take part at the World Cup qualifiers while there was also due to be a T20 Asia Cup tournament. There is no indication of when they will be able to return to action, although the fact that the PCB are hopeful of staging cricket again over the next few months offers some hope.

Sri Lanka Where do things stand?

After the T20 World Cup where they gave Australia a fright and beat Bangladesh, it will be a barren year for Sri Lanka with the World Cup Qualifiers postponed. There has been a change of coach with Lanka de Silva taking over until the end of the year although it is unlikely he’ll have any matches to take charge of. With the retirements of Shashikala Siriwardene and Sripali Weerakkody they will need to look to the future when cricket resumes.

What’s next?

They are expected to remain hosts of the qualifiers when they are rescheduled for some time next year and Sri Lanka has an advantage of being a nation to have coped well with Covid-19 which may make it a more practical destination for hosting

...Cycling thrown into From page 29 Pogacar when asked about his entourage at UAE Emirates.

“I was 10 in 2008 and it’s weird to be talking about this because it goes against everything I believe in.”

The last notable rider to fail a doping test on the Tour was Luxembourg’s Frank Schleck in 2012. (Julien Pretot)

matches. A few of the players, notably captain Chamari Atapattu, could have their eyes on the T20 Challenge as a chance to get back into the middle.

Bangladesh Where do things stand?

Huge uncertainty surrounds the game at all levels in Bangladesh with the women’s set-up in danger of being particularly hard hit.

The cancellation of domestic cricket has left many without any income. The BCB has offered some financial assistance with two lots of payments: in March it offered grants to all those who had been involved Women’s National Cricket League and in May another payment to all male and female league cricketers.

What’s next?

It is a waiting game. The priority for the BCB is to try and get the men’s international team back into action and work towards a resumption of domestic cricket. It re-

mains highly likely that the women won’t play again this year.

Ireland Where do things stand?

Ireland’s last international cricket was a year ago during the T20 World Cup qualifiers.

Since then they have had a tour to Thailand - part of a quadrangular 50-over series cancelled along with the ODI World Cup qualifiers. There has, at least, been a small domestic programme during the summer with a two-team Super Cricket Series while there has been additional investment in a new category of retainer contracts below the full deals handed out by Cricket Ireland.

What’s next?

They will be waiting to see when the World Cup qualifier is moved to so they can resume planning for that.

They have been dealt the significant blow of losing allrounder Kim Garth who has committed her future to Australian cricket with Victoria.

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Wednesday September 23, 2020

Kaieteur News

Pogacar, UAE Team Emirates top Tour de France prize earners Cyclingnews - It took three weeks of suffering and a stratospheric final time trial but Tadej Pogaèar and UAE Team Emirates brought home the overall victory at the Tour de France. How much did they earn in cold cash, in official prize money, for their efforts? A total of €624,230 (US$734,000).

Pogaèar claimed the €500,000 for winning the general classification, €20,000 for the young riders’ classification and €25,000 for the mountains classification in addition to several other prizes along the way to rake in €602,400.

Compare these figures with other sports that €1.1 billion prize purse for the UEFA Champions League, the $11 million on offer at the Superbowl and $4 million to the winner of the US Open, the prize purse of €2,293,000 seems like a reasonable number, but it’s spread across 160 riders who then share with

their teammates and even team staff, making it far less lucrative than the majority of professional sports. It would just crack the top 10 in eSports.

How the prizes break down The money for the top overall finishers take up the majority of the Tour de France pool, with the top 10 in the GC accounting for 42 per cent of the overall prize purse.

That helped UAE Team Emirates top the overall earning list. Jumbo-Visma follow in second with €342,860.

The Movistar team can thank Enric Mas and the teams classification for most of their €166,790, the thirdranked team in the prize money haul.

Sam Bennett (Deceuninck-Quickstep) won €25,000 for taking the green jersey and, along with cash for intermediate sprints, top stage finishes and leading the points classification, the

Irishman earned €70,870. Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe), by comparison, brought in €35,290.

The mountains classification is the showiest, with prizes on each climb worth €200 to €850 depending on the category. Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana) was wise to attack on the Col de la Loze because the Souvenir Henri Desgrange was worth a whopping €5,000 at the top.

The young riders are given extra incentives, with prizes for the top young rider on the stage and the leader of the white jersey classification on each day. That and the super combativity prize worth €20,000 helped Marc Hirschi (Team Sunweb) take home €58,590.

Finally, the teams classification lead is worth €2800 per day and €50,000 for the best team, so it was worth Movistar’s time to keep four riders high up in the overall standings.

Suarez language exam for Italian citizenship rigged, say prosecutors ROME (Reuters) - Italian prosecutors said yesterday they had evidence that the language exam taken by Barcelona’s Uruguay striker Luis Suarez to obtain Italian citizenship ahead of a possible move to Juventus was rigged.

Suarez, whose wife is of Italian descent, passed the exam last Thursday at the University for Foreigners in Perugia.

It cleared the way for a fast-track citizenship approval which would mean Juventus could sign him without exceeding its permitted quota of non-EU players, but suspicions were quickly raised in the media that he was given preferential treatment.

Perugia chief prosecutor Raffaele Cantone said his investigations showed the questions had been agreed with Suarez ahead of the exam and it had already been decided what mark to give him, despite his scarce knowledge of Italian.

The university denied any wrongdoing, saying in a statement it had acted with “correctness and transparency” and was confident this would emerge at the end of the probe.

Police searched the university on Tuesday looking for further evidence, Cantone said in a statement, while Italian newspaper la Repubblica reported that five university employees had been put under investigation, including the rector.

Suarez himself is not cited

Uruguayan soccer player Luis Suarez leaves the University for Foreigners after taking an Italian citizenship test in Perugia, Italy.

(Este News/Handout via Reuters/file photo) among those under investigation.

La Repubblica published alleged conversations tapped by police during their probe, in which a tutor preparing Suarez for the exam told a colleague “he can’t speak a word,” and described him as an absolute beginner in Italian.

Suarez, 33, obtained the intermediate B1 qualification required for citizenship in just 15 minutes, his examiner said after the test, and was only required to do the oral part of the exam.

Other citizenship applicants taking the B1 exam on the same day in Rome, had to also complete a written

paper lasting two-and-a-half hours.

Suarez’s mooted transfer to Juve now looks unlikely, as the Serie A champions have moved to sign striker Alvaro Morata from Atletico Madrid, while the Uruguayan international seems set to take Morata’s place at Atletico. Suarez has had a controversial career including being banned for four months for biting Italy defender Georgio Chiellini at the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil.

He also bit an opponent while playing for his former clubs Ajax Amsterdam in 2010 and Liverpool in 2013, which were punished with seven and 10-match bans respectively.

Arrival Jan Polanc of Slovenia and UAE Team Emirates Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia and UAE Team Emirates Yellow Leader Jersey Celebration during the 107th Tour de France 2020 Stage 21 a 122km stage from MantesLaJolie to Paris Champslyses. (Photo by Stuart Franklin-Getty Images) *Prize lists are estimates based upon the rule book and published race results.

Teams Total prizes Top earner Riders contributing 1 UAE Team Emirates 624230 Tadej Pogacar 6 2 Team Jumbo-Visma 342860 Primoz Roglic 8 3 Movistar Team 166790 Enric Mas 8 4 Trek-Segafredo 162350 Richie Porte 8 5 Bahrain McLaren 113200 Mikel Landa Meana 7 6 Team Sunweb 111860 Marc Hirschi 8 7 Deceuninck-Quickstep 109380 Sam Bennett 8 8 EF Pro Cycling 74890 Daniel Martinez 8 9 Bora-Hansgrohe 72720 Peter Sagan 6 10 Ineos Grenadiers 72100 Richard Carapaz 7 11 Astana Pro Team 72080 Miguel Angel Lopez 8 12 CCC Team 48810 Matteo Trentin 8 13 AG2R la Mondiale 43450 Nans Peters 8 14 B&B Hotels-Vital Concept 39330 Pierre Rolland 7 15 Lotto Soudal 38150 Caleb Ewan 5 16 Mitchelton-Scott 36180 Luka Mezgec 6 17 Cofidis 34840 Jesus Herrada 8 18 Groupama-FDJ 33480 Valentin Madouas 7 19 Israel Start-Up Nation 22120 Hugo Hofstetter 8 20 Total Direct Energie 20820 Jerome Cousin 7 21 NTT Pro Cycling 20760 Edvald Boasson Hagen 7 22 Team Arkea-Samsic 15800 Nairo Quintana 7 Pos. Rider Name (Country) Team Result 1 Tadej Pogacar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates 602400 2 Primoz Roglic (Slo) Team Jumbo-Visma 248050 3 Richie Porte (Aus) Trek-Segafredo 111540 4 Mikel Landa Meana (Spa) Bahrain McLaren 74590 5 Sam Bennett (Irl) Deceuninck-Quickstep 70870 6 Enric Mas Nicolau (Spa) Movistar Team 68890 7 Marc Hirschi (Swi) Team Sunweb 58590 8 Miguel Angel Lopez Moreno (Col) Astana Pro Team 47290 9 Richard Carapaz (Ecu) Ineos Grenadiers 36230 10 Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe 35290 11 Wout van Aert (Bel) Team Jumbo-Visma 35130 12 Caleb Ewan (Aus) Lotto Soudal 33200 13 Søren Kragh Andersen (Den) Team Sunweb 26770 14 Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Deceuninck-Quickstep 25520 15 Matteo Trentin (Ita) CCC Team 23620 (Top 15 of 190) Pos. Country 1 Slovenia 867880 2 Spain 3 France 4 Australia 5 Colombia 6 Ireland 7 Switzerland 8 Belgium 9 Italy 10 Denmark 11 Germany 12 Netherlands 13 Ecuador 14 Slovakia 15 Norway (Top 15 of 30)

Result 182580 181850 144740 97460 80030 74310 74130 60640 53230 48540 41940 36230 34290 27260

Kaieteur News

Wednesday September 23, 2020

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Cricket for some, not for all - where does the women’s game stand?

ESPNcricinfo - The series between Austria and Germany marked the return of women’s international cricket in August, but for the top-level nations the game resumes for the first time since March this week with England facing West Indies before Australia play New Zealand. However, while there is light at the end of tunnel for some countries, it is certainly not the same for all in an uncertain landscape.

Here’s how things are for the top-10 ranked ODI nations Australia Where do things stand?

It became clear just a few days after the historic T20 World Cup final at the MCG how lucky it was that the game was played with sport shutting down less than a week later. The world champions will be back in action for the first time since that heady night when they face New Zealand this weekend (with a small crowd). After that there is the WBBL which will be played entirely in Sydney beginning on October 25. So while it won’t be normal, there should be plenty of cricket.

What’s next?

The first of three T20Is is on September 26 at Allan Border Field in Brisbane which will host all the matches against New Zealand. The tour also includes a three-game ODI series. Internationally after that things remain uncertain; India are due to tour Australia in mid-January although that was originally meant as a lead-in to the World Cup, but there are positive talks about a triseries in New Zealand during February also involving England.

India Where do things stand?

Very much in limbo. As Covid continues to rise across India it’s very difficult, or impossible, for

the female players to train as a group. The key event on the horizon, although details remains sketchy, is the T20 Challenge that is due to be held in the UAE alongside the IPL playoffs in early November. Since the initial announcement there has not been much further information which has left players nervous. The prospect of a domestic season in India looks bleak at the moment.

What’s next?

India were due to tour England, initially in June, and then there was hope of a tri-series in September also involving South Africa.

However, both fell through and the fact that the IPL could be relocated but the women’s tour could not take place - despite much of the cost being borne by the ECB - creating some controversy.

They are scheduled to have three ODIs in Australia in mid-January but it remains unclear whether they will go ahead.

England Where do things stand?

The ECB has moved mountains to ensure the women can get some international cricket this season by hastily arranging for West Indies to head over for five T20Is after visits by India and South Africa couldn’t be made to happen.

On the domestic scene, newly-created professional teams have managed to play the Rachael Heyhoe-Flint trophy, while a few players will head off to Australia for the WBBL in a few weeks and others may get a gig at the T20 Challenge.

What’s next?

Alongside the tours by India and South Africa, the launch of the Hundred - the new domestic format - has been pushed back by a year, although the ECB has ensured the salaries, which were considerably lower

Stafanie Taylor leads West Indies off the field, Pakistan v West Indies, Women’s World Cup, ©ICC/Getty

than the men’s tournament, have been ring-fenced from cuts. For those not getting places either at the WBBL or T20 Challenge, the next action could be a tri-series in New Zealand in February, when the World Cup was due to be held, involving the hosts and Australia.

New Zealand Where do things stand?

A trip across the Tasman will see them resume international cricket in a few days. The squad has had to undergo two weeks of quarantine in Brisbane, but they have been able to train for a few hours day during that period. After this short tour a number of players will remain in Australia to join WBBL clubs while others will return home (through another period of managed isolation) and prepare for the home summer which include the T20 Super Smash competition.

What’s next?

After the Australia tour it is still to be confirmed but NZC are confident of having w o m e n ’s i n t e r n a t i o n a l matches during the latter part of the season including a triseries involving Australia and England. They had been due to host the ODI World Cup next February and March but that has been delayed by a year.

South Africa Where do things stand?

That’s a loaded question in South African cricket.

Things are such a mess that it’s hard to know what the knock-on effect will be on t h e w o m e n ’s t e a m .

International travel restrictions, which mean that only individual athletes and not full teams could get exemptions, prevented the tour to England taking place so for the some the WBBL will provide a playing lifeline.

What’s next?

South Africa have been

hit hard so far with two significant series, hosting Australia and touring England, not taking place. It is also difficult to know what sort of domestic season will take place. The squad has been able to resume training with the lifting of some restrictions and while borders have partially reopened no international sport is yet allowed.

West Indies Where do things stand?

Cricket West Indies has done a huge amount to help the ECB get a season played, firstly with the Test tour by the men and now arranging the women’s visit at short notice. The players had barely been able to training before leaving the Caribbean but have spent the last three weeks in Derby preparing for the T20I series where they will look to start rebuilding after a very disappointing T20 World Cup.

What’s next?

West Indies would have been part of the World Cup qualifiers in June as they looked to secure a spot at the main event in New Zealand.

After the England tour it’s unclear what will follow, although something in West Indies’ favour is the number of Caribbean islands that have managed to keep Covid numbers down. Hayley Matthews has a WBBL deal with the Hobart Hurricanes.

Pakistan Where do things stand?

There have been positive developments in the women’s game in Pakistan over recent years and the challenge will be ensuring that does not fall by the wayside amid the multitude issues to confront. However, there was the encouraging sign of the PCB offering increased salaries to their centrally contracted players and in August the board also (Continued on page 25)

Dane Van Niekerk celebrates the wicket of Heather Knight. (Getty Images)

Harmanpreet Kaur addresses her team in the huddle. (ICC via Getty)

Kaieteur News

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Wednesday September 23, 2020

Massata Diack fights back over Door open for new Papa his corruption conviction in France DCB and GCB elections B

By Sean Devers New Sports Minister Charles Ramsey Jr made good on an earlier promise of seeing Guyana’s Cricket legally and properly administered was high on his list of priorities in the government’s effort to see local sports move to the next level.

The proactive Ramson disclosed that yesterday morning that the court of appeal ruled that the Guyana Cricket Administration Act be restored to its original condition.

This now opened the door for new elections of the Demerara Cricket Board and after that the Guyana Cricket Board.

“The court of appeal just ruled that that the order that was made originally by the single judge in the chambers to suspend the major parts of the Guyana Cricket Act, that order was discharged which means that the cricket Administration act and bill is now fully enforced once again,” informed the minister.

The original GCB, in place prior to the cricket Administration Act, was in

the interim ordered by the court to act as the Guyana Cricket Board.

“That order has now been set aside so, that situation no longer exist.

The next step for us is that we are going to have the Demerara Cricket Board and then shortly thereafter the Guyana Cricket Board elections,” Ramson added.

This issue has been affecting Guyana’s Cricket, since for more than a decade, the elections issue has been engaging attention of the Court. Ramson had said during the recent budget debate that steps will be taken to address this matter.

In 2014 The Cricket bill was passed in Parliament by both sides of the house and was signed into law by then President Donald Ramotar.

However, over the years since then several legal challenges have been mounted and illegal elections held.

“Through the current Attorney General the motion has been filed and we will be having the Cricket Administration Act be restored to its original condition where it will be

fully enforced in a matter of days,” Ramson had said.

T h e C r i c k e t Administration Act was passed in Parliament on May 15th 2014 and outlined the requirements for holding of cricket board’s elections.

The Act stipulated that for the first elections of the GCB the sports Minister must appoint a cricket ombudsman.

The then Sports Minister, Dr Frank Anthony appointed Dr. Winston McGowan who subsequently resigned due to ill-health.

The GCB moved to the courts to have the Act suspended and appointed its own Ombudsman and held elections which was deemed illegal by the Berbice Cricket Board headed by Hilbert Foster.

The Essequibo Cricket Board is headed by GCB’s acting president Faisal Bacchus, while there is no Demerara Cricket Board, and like it was before 1992 when former GCB president Chetram Singh formed the Demerara Cricket Board, Demerara Cricket is controlled by the Guyana Cricket Board.

GFF attends first virtual FIFA conference

70th FIFA Congress

T

he President of the Guyana F o o t b a l l Federation (GFF), Wayne Forde, participated in the 70th FIFA Congress last Friday.

The Congress, held virtually for the first time due to the COVID-19 limitations, was streamed from FIFA Headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland.

“The business of football must go on,” said Forde. “In these difficult times, we must keep moving forward as a show of the true power of football and not be daunted in the face of what

might be one of our greatest challenges. I am indeed honoured and humbled by the opportunity to serve Guyana’s Football at these important forum.”

According to FIFA, key amendments were made as per the Congress’s agenda: “The FIFA Congress voted to approve two sets of regulatory amendments. In line with the new global situation, the FIFA Statutes and the Standing Orders of the Congress were amended to allow future FIFA Congress meetings to be held remotely. Meanwhile, and also moving with the

times, the Regulations Governing the Application of the FIFA Statutes were amended to include new provisions relating to the exceptions to the general prohibition on changing associations and the access to national-team football for stateless players.

The Congress also approved the FIFA Annual Report 2019, the detailed budget for 2021 and the revised budget for the 20192022 four-year financial cycle.”

(Check https://www.fifa. com/ for more details of the Congress.)

BC Sport - Papa Massata Diack has goaded French authorities by saying they will have to send special forces to Senegal if he is to serve a five-year jail term handed out to him in France for corruption and breach of trust.

Diack, the son of former athletics global chief Lamine Diack who himself was given four years in prison for corruption and moneylaundering, refused to leave Senegal for the trial and was sentenced in his absence.

In 2016, the global police network Interpol issued an arrest want for Papa Massata, who has been based in his West African nation ever since.

“They can send special forces to pick me up,” he brazenly asserted on Monday as he continued to protest his innocence.

Last week, 87-year-old Lamine Diack was convicted of corruption in France in relation to a Russian doping scandal and sentenced to two years in prison, with another two years suspended.

Diack profited from a scheme that allowed Russian athletes who paid millions in bribes to keep competing when they should have been suspended for doping.

Safe in Senegal where local authorities have refused to extradite him to France, his son Papa

Massata, a sports consultant who was also given a fine of $1.2m for his role in the affair, has been disdainful of the investigation into corruption in athletics.

French investigators say Papa Massata is at the centre of years-long corruption probe that now spans Europe, Asia and the Americas, and includes the awarding of the 2020 Olympic Games to Tokyo and the 2016 Games to Rio de Janeiro.

In 2017, Papa Massata branded the accusation that he was part of a large corruption racket as “the biggest lie in the history of world sport.”

Since last week’s verdict, his lawyers in Senegal have said he was denied a fair trial and would appeal.

“I don’t need to racketeer athletes - I earned enough money to live well,” he said in the Senegalese capital Dakar.

“What France, the country of human rights, did is abhorrent. What we’ve seen in Paris was an offence to justice, a joke.”

Not only has he accused the investigation of having a political background, he has also warned that his father could reveal some hidden truths in the world of sports administration should he wish to speak.

“I’m not afraid to say that there is racism in this story,”

Papa Massata, who was banned for life from athletics in 2016, ventured on Monday.

“There is a will to do morality, but that’s not law, it’s not a legal process, it’s a moral process. They do not respect Africans and they have shown that with Lamine Diack, they do not respect anyone.

“Let me tell you now: I will react to any disclosure published in the press, because I also know things.

The day Lamine Diack speaks about the Olympic movement, let me tell you, the IOC will explode, Fifa, the IAAF.” Following a huge scandal that has hung over athletics for five years, Diack senior - who led the IAAF from 1999 to 2015 was convicted of accepting bribes from athletes suspected of doping to cover up test results and letting them continue competing, including in the 2012 London Olympics.

In his testimony, he acknowledged slowing the handling of Russian doping cases between 2011-2013 to save a sponsorship deal with a Russian bank and avoid public scandal but he denied the corruption allegations.

Diack’s lawyers said he would be appealing against the judgement, which they called “unfair and inhumane”.

“We were always behind” in loss to England – Taylor SportsMax - West Indies Women’s captain, Stafanie Taylor believes a failure to adapt to the playing surface resulted in their downfall against England at Derby on Monday.

Taylor’s side managed 116 for 6 in their 20 overs chasing an England total of 163 for 8 set by the hosts who took first strike.

England’s match-winning total was due largely to the innings of Player of the Match Tammy Beaumont who scored 62 from 49 balls aided by some wayward bowling from the Caribbean women.

Deandra Dottin led the scoring for the West Indies with a 59-ball 69 but no other made double figures as the West Indies struggled to keep pace with the required rate of just over eight runs an over.

Taylor was not happy with the performances.

“It’s not one of our best [performances].

We didn’t adapt well to the pitch,” she said.

Tammy batted really well and set the game up nicely for them. Looking back at that, we thought we were always behind and had to gain some momentum going into the batting.”

West Indies Women’s captain, Stafanie Taylor Taylor conceded that the bowlers and the batters let the team down.

“Some bowlers bowled well in patches but... not the best, really. Deandra batted well, but she needed someone to stay there with her,” said the despondent Windies captain.

“We thought too many dot balls strangled us a bit. We needed to go back to the footage and assess it and see areas we can improve on.

We have a training day tomorrow just to finetune for Wednesday’s game.”

The next match in the five-match series bowls off today.

Kaieteur News

Wednesday September 23, 2020

PAGE 35

Sanju Samson, Steven Smith, Jofra Archer help Rajasthan Royals win battle of sixes

E

SPNcricinfo Sanju Samson, Steven Smith and Jofra Archer managed to out-hit Chennai Super Kings with 17 sixes between them as Rajasthan Royals opened their campaign with a win at Sharjah.

The tournament’s first 200-plus score was fueled by S a m s o n ’s 3 2 - b a l l 7 4 , Smith’s balanced 47-ball 69, and Archer’s four sixes in a row in the last over and proved to be too much for the Super Kings whose chase m e a n d e r e d i n t o n e a rsurrender in the middle overs before bursting to life at the end. Rahul Tewatia’s three wickets played a big role in that, but Royals’ defence was aided by the Super Kings’ experimental batting order and an ostensible lack of purpose in chase; by the time MS Dhoni came in, at No. 7, they needed to score at more than 16 an over. That proved too much on the night despite a late attack from Faf du Plessis.

Brand new Rajasthan, same old Samson The area that the Royals really wanted to revamp at the auction was their opening partnership, but the experiment with Smith alongside debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal lasted a laboured 14 balls, in which they only managed to put on 11 trying to come to terms with what

Rahul Tewatia took two wickets in two balls, Rajasthan Royals v Chennai Super Kings, IPL 2020, Sharjah, September 22, 2020 © BCCI looked like a sluggish pitch.

Jaiswal was out trying to pull one that gripped and got big on him.

And then, Samson, coming in at No. 3 made the early impressions of the pitch seem questionable. He did take a couple of attempts to get his pull shots right, but once he got to pace with the surface came two short-arm pulls to clear the shortest square boundaries in the tournament. It was the start of a torrent.

The Royals got to 54 for 1 in the Powerplay, and in the i m m e d i a t e o v e r a f t e r, Samson took to Ravindra Jadeja’s quick, overpitched deliveries like they were throwdowns in training.

Two sixes off his first two balls against him - one over long-on, one over long-

off - started Samson off, and the exact feat was repeated against Piyush Chawla next over. Chawla, who was also hit straight off a full length, did try to pull his length back the next ball along with a wider line; even so, Samson produced one of his best shots of the night, reaching out to slap him over extra cover without even managing to get to the pitch of it.

That turned out to be the last real challenge until he got out. He completed a 19ball fifty - equalling Owais Shah for the Royals’ second fastest one - and by the end of that over, which went for 28 including a Smith six, had five sixes in his last nine balls. The Royals went into the first time out 96 for 1 in eight overs. It took another

three overs - with three more straight sixes off spin bowling that continued to be too full - before the partnership ended via a short ball from Lungi Ngidi that Samson could only chip to sweeper cover.

Six or nothing By the end of the secondwicket stand, Smith had also found himself in while playing in his usual busy manner. He was reprieved at the long-off boundary, drilling one to Sam Curran who couldn’t hold on to the flat hit on his left. Smith also managed a cheeky ramp off Ngidi, falling over in to the off side while doing it. But those proved to be rare highlights in what proved a downturn in the innings.

Miller was run out without facing a ball on his Royals debut, caught short at the non-striker’s end as his bat plonked in the turf as he dived.

Robin Uthappa, one of the those Royals bought at the auction, came in at No. 5 and managed only five off his nine balls. Sam Curran and the spinners had adjusted their lengths, just behind a good length, to bring some control to the Super Kings in the second half.

Paradoxically, the pitch seemed to be difficult to score on if the scoring shots weren’t boundaries or sixes; until 19th over, the Royals

only made 54 after Samson had fallen at 132 in 11.4 overs, and had lost Smith by then.

Then came what was probably one of Ngidi’s worst overs in his life; it started with a reversion to the overpitched length. On hand to take advantage in the last over was Jofra Archer, who pumped the first ball over the straight boundary. The next ball, a short one, ended up over the roof at midwicket.

Following those were two more sixes - both of which also happened to be no-balls - and a wide to immediately follow them meant Ngidi had gone for 27 runs off 2 legal balls. To his credit, he conceded only three off the next four, but the second 30run last over of this edition lifted Royals to 216 for 7.

Super Kings get stuck Super Kings’ chase began with eight off the first two overs, no boundaries scored, and it turned out to be a precursor for the rest of the innings.

T h e s i x - o r- n o t h i n g theme stuck for them as well, and they did manage to more or less match the Royals’ powerplay effort. But just after their most fluent batsman on the night - Shane Watson - had struck four sixes and a four and looked set to take on the spinners, the plan fell apart.

Legspinner Tewatia skid one on leg stump and Watson

was bowled off his thigh, trying to pull him. M Vijay’s run-a-ball 21 hadn’t helped when he fell next over, and only the promoted Sam Curran’s 17 off 6 seemed to be taking Super Kings anywhere near their big target in the face of much better lengths from Royals’ spinners.

But Tewatia had him and Ruturaj Gaikwad stumped off consecutive deliveries, a n d K e d a r J a d h a v ’s promotion meant Dhoni came in at No. 7 with 104 required off 38 balls. du Plessis had struck at less than run-a-ball for 19 balls at that point, and was dropped at long-on by Riyan Parag off Tewatia. That catalysed a late six-hitting surge from him - and a 21run over off Jaydev Unadkat.

But his second fifty of the season, 72 off 37, came at the other end of Dhoni trudging to 10 off 13 before hitting his first six and turning it into three in a row in the last over.

But the chase had already been mathematically closed off by Archer - with the ball in the 19th over, after he had done the work with the bat earlier.

Scores: Rajasthan Royals 216 for 7 (Samson 74, Smith 69, Archer 27*, Sam Curran 3-33) beat Chennai Super Kings 200 for 6 (du Plessis 72, Watson 33, Dhoni 29*, Tewatia 337) by 16 runs.

Cycling thrown into fresh turmoil with Tour doping investigation PA R I S ( R e u t e r s ) Cycling has been thrown into fresh turmoil after French judicial authorities opened a preliminary investigation into potential doping at Nairo Quintana’s team Arkea-Samsic on Monday, a day after the Tour de France ended in Paris.

Two people had been taken into custody, Marseille prosecutor Dominique Laurens said, adding that the probe was targeting a “small part of the team” and that those in custody were part of the “close entourage of the main rider”, without naming him.

Arkea-Samsic’s leader on the Tour was Colombian Quintana, a two-time runnerup, and Vuelta and Giro d’Italia champion. He finished 17th overall on this year’s Tour.

The French team confirmed their hotel in Meribel was searched by the OCLAESP, the Central Office for the Fight against Environmental and Public Health Damage, after last Wednesday’s 17th stage.

Laurens said the search had resulted in the “discovery of many health products, including drugs and especially a method that can be qualified as doping”.

A source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters that a “saline solution” and “injection material” had been found.

Injection material can only be in possession of doctors as per the ‘no needle policy’ in place in cycling since 2011.

Arkea-Samsic team manager Emmanuel Hubert said on Monday that the

investigation did “not target the team or its staff directly.

Quintana was allowed to continue working with his own doctor when he signed a three-year deal with ArkeaSamsic this year.

Quintana’s management have not responded to a Reuters request for comment.

This year’s Tour was won by Slovenian Tadej Pogacar, who produced one of the most stunning performances in recent history in the final time trial last Saturday.

The 22-year-old is with Team UAE Emirates, which is managed by Mauro Gianetti and Matxin Fernandez, sports directors at Saunier Duval in 2008 when the team left the Tour in the wake of Ricardo Ricco’s failed doping test.

FILE PHOTO: Tour de France The duo were also managing the Geox-TMC team when Spaniard Juan Jose Cobo won the Vuelta in 2011, only to be stripped of

the title because of a “violation of the anti-doping rules (use of a banned substance) based on irregularities found in his

Athlete Biological Passport in 2009 and 2011”.

“I am too young to remember that era,” said (Continued on page 25)

Kaieteur News

PAGE 36

Wednesday September 23, 2020

British government postpones return of fans to UK stadiums

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O N D O N (Reuters) - The Premier League warned yesterday that the football economy was unsustainable without fans in stadiums after Britain postponed plans to allow the return of limited crowds from October.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson told parliament that, as part of new restrictions to tackle a second wave of COVID-19, the government was putting on hold plans for 25-33% capacities from Oct. 1.

The partial reopening would have given sports a funding boost after months of empty stadiums. “ W e h a v e t o acknowledge that the spread of the virus is now affecting our ability to reopen business conferences, e x h i b i t i o n s a n d l a rg e sporting events,” said Johnson. “So we will not be able to do this from the first of October.

“I recognise the

implications for our sports clubs which are the life and soul of our communities and... the chancellor and culture secretary are working urgently on what we can do now to support them.”

The Premier League expressed disappointment and said it was certain, from evidence in Europe, that fans in stadiums could be as safe or safer “than at any other public activity currently permitted.” “Football is not the same without attending fans and the football economy is unsustainable without them,” it added in a statement.

The Premier League said its members suffered 700 million pounds ($895.09 million) of losses last season and the national game was losing more than 100 million a month with a ‘devastating’ impact on clubs and communities.

It said that it was confident that clubs, with innovative ways of getting spectators back into

Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus scores their third goal against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux Stadium. (Reuters/Marc Atkins)

grounds, would see revenues return.

“We will continue to work with government to bring supporters safely back into grounds as soon as possible,” added the statement.

Senior cabinet minister Michael Gove had earlier

told the BBC that the government, while wanting to allow the return of spectators at sporting events, needed to be cautious.

“I think a mass reopening at this stage wouldn’t be appropriate,” he said.

Sports’ governing bodies appeared resigned to the postponement and were preparing a request for more

financial help.

The Rugby Football Union had hoped to have around 20,000 fans at Twickenham for England’s game against the Barbarians on Oct. 25 but have now suspended ticket sales.

Although the risk of spreading the virus sitting at outdoor stadiums is considered relatively low,

the bigger concern is the amount of time crowds will be close together travelling to and from events, and entering the stadiums and refreshment areas.

“The virus is less likely to spread outdoors than indoors but then again it’s in the nature of sporting events t h a t t h e r e ’s a l o t o f mingling,” Gove said.

Andreescu pulls out of French Open, to take rest of 2020 off Tokyo Olympics consulting firm paid (Reuters) - Canada’s Bianca Andreescu has pulled out of the French Open and will take the rest of the season off to focus on her recuperation, the world number seven said yesterday.

Andreescu, who did not defend her 2019 U.S. Open crown in New York this year, has not played on tour since the WTA Finals in Shenzhen last year where she retired with a knee injury that also kept her out of the Australian Open in January.

“I have come to the difficult decision to skip the clay court swing this year and will be taking the remainder of the season off to focus on my health and training,” Andreescu said in a statement.

“As hard as it was to come to this conclusion, I have so much to look forward to in 2021, including the Olympics. I want to use this Canada’s Bianca Andreescu waves time to focus on my game so I can come back after retiring injured from her match stronger and better than ever.” against Czech Republic’s Karolina The French Open begins on Sunday.

Pliskova. (REUTERS/Aly Song)

US$370,000 to IOC official’s son - media

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — A consulting firm hired

by Tokyo’s Olympic bid committee paid some US$370,000 to the son of an International Olympic Committee (IOC) member before and after Japan was picked to host the Games, reports said Monday.

The claims come as French authorities probe an alleged vote-buying scandal, centring on US$2 million paid by the Tokyo bid committee to Black Tidings, a Singapore-based firm linked to Senegalese national Papa Massata Diack.

Diack is the son of the former head of the International Association of Athletics Federations, (IAAF) — now renamed World Athletics — Lamine Diack, who also a member of the IOC and said to have influence over African votes at the time of the Tokyo bid in September 2013 to host the 2020 Games, Japan’s Kyodo News said.

According to Kyodo, the now-defunct Black Tidings had transferred more than US$150,000 to the personal account of Papa Massata Diack and wired US$217,000 to a company run by him by January 2014.

Papa Massata Diack, the son of former world athletics chief Lamine Diack, speaks out ahead of a Sept. 16 verdict in his father’s corruption trial in Dakar on Monday. (REUTERS) The findings, based on financial documents and reporting by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, including Kyodo, may shed light on allegations that the To k y o b i d c o m m i t t e e engaged in vote-buying, the news agency said.

In an interview with Kyodo, Papa Massata denied the allegations, saying the money he received was related to a “sponsorship deal made in China. There is nothing to do with the Tokyo Olympics.”

Ts u n e k a z u Ta k e d a , former head of the Tokyo bid

committee, has also denied any wrongdoing.

Last year Takeda stepped down from the head of Japan’s Olympic Committee following the French investigation.

Last week Lamine Diack — who led the IAAF for 16 years — was found guilty by a French court of corruption in covering up Russian doping cases and sentenced to four years in prison, two of which were suspended.

The Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics have been postponed for one year due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Kaieteur News

Wednesday September 23, 2020

PAGE 37

Nascar: Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin form Cup Series team with Bubba Wallace as driver Bubba Wallace is Nascar’s sole full-time black driver. (Getty Images)

Michael Jordan now has an ownership stake in NASCAR’s Cup Series, with Bubba Wallace behind the wheel. (Chuck Burton/AP) BBC Sport - Basketball legend Michael Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin have formed a single-car Nascar Cup Series team, with Bubba Wallace as their driver.

Wallace is Nascar’s sole black full-time driver while Jordan is the second black team owner at its elite level.

Earlier this year, Wallace successfully campaigned to get the Confederate flag

banned from Nascar races.

Six-time NBA champion Jordan said the team would “educate a new audience”.

The 57-year-old added it would also “open more opportunities for black

people in racing”.

“Historically, Nascar has struggled with diversity and there have been few black owners,” Jordan said. “The timing seemed perfect as Nascar is evolving and embracing social change more and more.”

In June, it was feared Wallace, 26, had been subject to a racial attack

when a noose was found in his garage stall at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama.

An FBI investigation concluded it was actually a handle on a garage door and had been there since the previous year.

On joining Jordan and Hamlin’s team, Wallace said: “This is a unique, oncein-a-lifetime opportunity

that I believe is a great fit for me at this point in my career.”

Hamlin, 39, will be a minority partner in the team while he continues to drive for Joe Gibbs Racing.

The team will start racing in 2021 with their name, car number, manufacturer and sponsors to be announced in due course.

rt o p S

Faf du Plessis goes big over the leg side. (BCCI)

Sanju Samson goes airborne to take a catch. (BCCI)

Door open for new DCB and GCB elections

Sports Minister Charles Ramsey Jr Papa Massata Diack has denied any wrong doing and refused to travel to France for the trial. (Getty Images)

Papa Massata Diack fights back over his corruption conviction in France

Sanju Samson, Steven Smith, Jofra Archer help Rajasthan Royals win battle of sixes GFF attends first virtual FIFA conference

FIFA Congress President Gianni Infantino

“We were always Cycling thrown British government into fresh turmoil behind� in loss with Tour doping postpones return of Stafanie to England - Taylor investigation fans to UK stadiums Nascar: Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin form Cup Series team with Bubba Wallace as driver 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.