Guyana Times - Tuesday, November 10, 2020

IDB approves US$22M to P16 strengthen Guyana’s COVID-19 response Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 4465

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2020

Significant turnout as schools reopen Page 3

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WHAT'S INSIDE: Belgium cocaine bust

P9 Authorities unearth explosives at Region 4 house as local probe widens – Minister Benn …Govt alarmed that shipment made it out of Guyana

Govt completes drainage works in Buxton, Nabaclis

Page 10

$1.1B infrastructure contracts signed for housing schemes Page 7

Solid Waste Director to repay M&CC compactor’s rental fee

P11

1 more dies from COVID-19, death toll now 135 …10 new cases detected in 24 hrs

P15

26 Haitians en route to Lethem P8 nabbed

CH&PA Head Sherwyn Greaves watches as one of the 22 contractors sign the new agreements for infrastructural works

Unleashing development: Pages 12,13,14 and 15

first 100 days of PPP/C Govt

1543 homes directly impacted P2 by 2-week flooding – CDC

2 NEWS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

1543 homes directly impacted by 2-week flooding – CDC

T

he Civil Defence Commission has conducted a complete assessment of the impacts sustained during the last two weeks of heavy rainfall, which showed 1543 households being directly affected.

This was released by Director General of the CDC

Kester Craig, on Monday. He said that the country’s thundershowers were compounded by above normal high tides that impacted sea and river defences.

On the direction of Prime Minister, Retired Brigadier Mark Phillips - who has ministerial responsibility for disas-

ter management - the National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC) was activated to lend support.

The NEOC comprises representatives from the CDC, Office of the Prime Minister, Georgetown City Council, Local Government and Region Development Ministry,

Guyana Hydrometeorological Services, Education Ministry, Public Works Ministry, Health Ministry, Guyana Police Force, Guyana Defence Force, National Drainage and Irrigation Authority, Guyana Red Cross Society, Rotary Club of Georgetown and Saint John’s Ambulance Brigade.

Supplies being delivered by the CDC to affected residents A number of initiatives were completed or are still ongoing, including an assessment conducted in critically affected areas in Regions Two (PomeroonSupenaam), Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

While 1543 homes were impacted, over 1600 cleaning hampers were distributed to households and democratic councils. There has also been on the ground coordination by the Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs) and Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs).

Assessment teams have since been deployed with the support of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Coast Guard (CG) personnel and maritime assets. For now, flood and prevention alerts to the municipalities and local organs continue, as well as social media updates.

“The CDC will continue to participate in the NEOC and distribute sandbags on demand. The Commission continues to monitor weather across all ten administrative regions and provide updates and advisories while continuing coordination with RDCs and NDCs,” the Commission indicated.

On Sunday, the CDC distributed hampers on Great Troolie Island in Region Three, benefitting 28 households and

two schools. Some 20 farms also faced inundation. In the event of flooding, persons are asked to stay out of the water and keep food items safe.

Water-borne diseases can be contracted through contact with these waters. Direct contact with floodwaters can expose persons to several germs that can lead to any of these diseases. Guardians are also asked to keep children especially out of the water as they are most at risk of contracting diseases. Patrons were also advised to avoid swimming in canals and trenches.

Protective gear should be used along with regular washing of feet after exiting the waters. If necessary, Vaseline or oil can be applied to form a barrier to protect from the dirty water.

Adding to that, water poses as breeding grounds for mosquitoes which spread Zika, dengue and chikungunya viruses. Fruits and vegetables should be washed thoroughly with clean water to prevent contamination.

To protect against electric shock, turn off the main electrical switch and unplug all appliances and move them to safe areas of the home. If there is suspected electrical wiring damages, turn off the main and have it checked by a qualified electrician before turning on back the power.

GPHC launches internal probe into Liliendaal fatal accident

T

he Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) has launched an internal probe into the accident at the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) on Sunday which led to the death of a sanitisation worker.

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony would have expressed condolences to the family of 29-year-old Kevin Smith.

“Police are investigating the matter. The Georgetown Public Hospital is also conducting an internal probe into the accident,” a release from the Minister stated.

Smith, of Cummings Lodge, ECD, was part of a team of sanitation workers who were contracted to clean the hospital. He was employed with ROK Construction, which is currently completing works on the structure.

At about 08:00h on the day in question, the now dead man reported for work and began to clean the lower flat of the building, while other workers were cleaning the third flat.

However, at about 13:00h, he was asked to take some cleaning materials to the third flat.

As such, he used the stairs to the third flat to deliver the items. Upon doing so, he re-

portedly used to the metal lift located on the northern side of the building to return to the ground floor.

In doing so, the cord from the metal lift reportedly burst, thus causing the lift to go down at a fast rate of speed. Smith reportedly received injuries and was picked up and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was seen by a doctor on duty but died while receiving treatment. Doctors have since confirmed that the injured man sustained severe internal injuries as a result of the fall.

His body was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Mortuary pending post-mortem. Investigations are ongoing.

In July, two construction workers were also injured after a shed collapsed due to heavy winds at the Liliendaal facility - which is presently being renovated to function as a COVID-19 hospice care facility.

The shed was in the process of being dismantled when it suddenly collapsed, pinning the two men underneath. The men were quickly rescued and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where they were medically examined.

NEWS

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Tuesday, November 10 – 00:30h – 02:00h and 11:30h – 13:00h and Wednesday, November 11 – 01:00h – 02:30h and 12:00h – 13:30h.

Significant turnout as schools reopen

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Tuesday, November 10 – 12:45h – 14:15h and Wednesday, November 11 – 13:35h – 15:05h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

Parika and Supenaam departure times - 05:00h, 11:00h and 16:00h daily

WEATHER TODAY Light rain showers will prevail during the day.

There will be partly cloudy skies at night.

Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Southerly to South South-Easterly to East South-Easterly to Easterly to East NorthEasterly to South-Westerly between 1.34 metres and 2.68 metres.

High Tide: 12:36h reaching a maximum height of 2.32 metres.

Low Tide: 18:33h reaching a minimum height of 0.90 metre.

Education Minister Priya Manickchand speaking with students following the reopening of schools

T

he reopening of schools on Monday for Grades 10, 11 and 12 and those attending practical, technical and vocational institutes, saw a high turnout in teachers and students, Education Minister Priya Manickchand said.

Schools across the country were closed on March 16, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, following discussions with health officials, a decision was taken at the level of Cabinet to have schools reopen for these students. While the Ministry has so far only been able to

transferred to the nearest secondary school - a process that can be completed in less than 24 hours, Manickchand related.

The Minister revealed that the Ministry has had dialogues with students, teachers, parents and other officials in relation to the reopening of schools for faceto-face classes.

She said that a majority of parents and teachers expressed the desire to have schools reopen for the examination classes. That is for students preparing to write the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination

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gather information on students’ attendance from five regions as data from the outlying regions has been slow, Manickchand disclosed that there has been a 60 per cent turnout of the 21,000 registered students for Grades 10, 11 and 12.

“I think this is very high considering the many options that parents have,” Manickchand expressed.

The Education Ministry has given parents the option of keeping their children home if they were uncomfortable sending them back to school in the COVID-19 situation. Parents can also opt to have their children

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(CAPE) and the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations.

“Most parents wanted school to reopen at the lev-

el of the exam classes including Grade Six actually.

Most teachers also wanted face-to-face interaction with their CSEC and CAPE classes. In fact, so much so, that many teachers were already in the schools before today [Monday] doing face-to-face instructions just not with our permission or with any of the safety measures we had,” Manickchand said.

Having been made aware of this, Manickchand said that the Education Ministry

According to the Education Minister, international data shows that the longer children are away from school, there is a likelihood of having serious learning loss and school dropouts.

“This cohort of students will be affected for the rest of their lives economically and be disadvantaged.

And we are trying to prevent that as much as possible. These are not normal times and we are aware that we have to step outside

First Lady Arya Ali chatting with a Leguan Secondary School student on Monday

decided that it was ready to reopen schools for students at those levels.

“I am very pleased to say that we have seen almost 100 per cent attendance by teachers. It was not surprising to me because some of those teachers were already in the classrooms,” the Education Minister said.

of the rigid applications of our rigid roles and policies.

We want to make sure that our children can be educated to the point of being able to write to pass their CXC exams and be able to be productive adults and gain for themselves,” Manickchand noted.

TURN TO PAGE 7

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guyanatimesgy.com

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2020

Views Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544, 223-7230, 223-7231, 225-7761 Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707 Mailing address: Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, marketing@guyanatimesgy.com

An important breakthrough

T

he coronavirus pandemic continues to create havoc around the world with increasing numbers of deaths and infections daily. Many more countries have also reported new cases over the past few weeks and with each passing day, the level of fear and anxiety in societies everywhere is increasing.

Director General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recently referred to the virus as an "enemy against humanity", as never before the world has been threatened and affected in this manner.

The big question on everyone’s mind is when will this all end and how soon will persons be able to get on with their daily lives. The reality of the situation is that no one knows for sure, as this will be dependent on how soon a vaccine is developed, tested and given the necessary approval for use.

On Monday, the world received positive news signalling that there could be some light at the end of the tunnel in terms of the development of a vaccine to halt the spread of the virus.

International news outlets reported that based on a preliminary analysis, the first effective coronavirus vaccine could be ready soon, and it would be able to prevent more than 90 per cent of people from getting COVID-19.

A vaccine – alongside better treatments – is seen as the best way of getting out of the restrictions that have been imposed on all our lives. According to WHO, there are around a dozen in the final stages of testing – known as a phase three trial – but this is the first to show any results.

The vaccine has been tested on tens of thousands of people across six countries with no safety concerns having been raised, and the companies plan to take it to regulators for final approval, with the hope of it being in widespread use before the end of the year.

The vaccine uses a completely experimental approach –- that involves injecting part of the virus's genetic code – in order to train the immune system. Previous trials have shown the vaccine trains the body to make both antibodies – and another part of the immune system called T-cells to fight the coronavirus.

Two doses, three weeks apart, are needed. The trials – in the US, Germany, Brazil, Argentina, South Africa and Turkey – show 90 per cent protection is achieved seven days after the second dose.

The developers of the vaccine – Pfizer and BioNTech – described it as a "great day for science and humanity”, according to a BBC report.

Pfizer believes the companies will be able to supply 50 million doses by the end of this year, and around 1.3 billion by the end of 2021.

However, there are questions about how long immunity lasts and the companies have not presented a breakdown of the vaccine's effectiveness in different age groups. It should be noted though, the data presented is not the final analysis. It is based on the first 94 volunteers to develop COVID-19 – the precise effectiveness of the vaccine may change when the full results are analysed. It is expected that the companies will have enough safety data by the third week of November to take their vaccine to regulators, the BBC reported.

Even after the vaccine is approved, there is also the question of access, especially for developing countries such as Guyana. The United Nations has stated firmly that engaging in a coordinated global effort to share vaccines across borders is the only means of effectively beating the coronavirus.

Several independent experts have called on countries to support the COVAX initiative for global equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines led by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), and the WHO. The experts have outlined that under international human rights law, access to any COVID-19 vaccine and treatment must be made available to all who need them, within and across countries, especially those in vulnerable situations or living in poverty.

Additionally, we support the call for international cooperation and assistance between developed and developing countries to ensure widespread sharing of technologies and know-how on COVID-19 vaccines and treatment.

Women gather to celebrate the victory of Kamala Harris in Painganadu, near the village of Thulasendrapuram, where Harris’s maternal grandfather was born and grew up, in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, India (VOA photo)

Joseph Harmon has many demons he must confront and exorcise

Dear Editor, The A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the People’s National Congress (PNC) are in a quandary with respect to the leadership of the party.

I make that bold statement based on information gleaned from some party faithful themselves. There is a leadership squabble going on deep within the hierarchy of the party as it pertains to who is best suited, or in their pet adage, who is “fit and proper” to lead.

This has been the situation ever since Granger lost power and did not take up his position as Opposition Leader in Parliament. But as time goes by, that rift is getting wider and the discontent growing greater in intensity.

Party faithful, the likes of Aubrey Norton, did not take kindly to the idea of Granger installing a handpicked puppet in Harmon. His assessment of Harmon is one who is inexperienced, vacillating and weak and one who is not strong enough to lead.

The point I am making is this, Norton’s view of strong leadership is that you have to be a bully, one that goes around and throws his weight like a juggernaut, and may I add, this is the highly conservative view of most PNC members.

It is an age-old tactic invented by Burnham and one which served the party well these years, however, whether that will work in a new and enlightened era; I would be the first to readily give you a

resounding no for an answer!

Some members are even throwing in the name of Nigel Hughes as a genuine successor. The last-named person is not a member of the party’s hierarchy, however, as was explained, laws can easily be manipulated and Hughes takes his rightful place in the party.

But that creates another problem where an even greater hurdle is in the making, that is, skipping over Harmon. Both Norton and Hughes are not members of the National Assembly and as such cannot wield that significant an influence to get rid of him. These gentlemen would have to do so from a parliamentary standpoint.

Now, those who are formulating the plan could again at-

test to the fact that this will soon be rectified, maybe as soon as after the outcome of the next LGE. However difficult the task may appear, the wouldbe appointees are doing the groundwork needed to oust the Opposition Leader.

So, whether it is the Henry Boys’ matter, The LGE pressure brought to bear on the Government, or even Ms Waldron’s renunciation of her American citizenship, Harmon must appear as this towering, strong and unshakable leader of his party. In that regard, he is desperately trying to win support within and without the party. I rest my case.

Respectfully, Neil Adams

The criminalisation of politics Dear Editor, American politics have become criminalised. A steady drumbeat of words and deeds -- from “lock her up” chants, to prosecutions of President Trump’s associates, to Trump pushing for Joe Biden’s indictment -- has eroded the bright line between politics and the criminal law.

This is deeply troubling for several reasons.

First, criminalising politics conflicts with the bedrock principle that the rule of law applies equally to all people. Entangling the passions of politics with criminal law leads to treating people differently based on their political affiliation -- instead of on their guilt or innocence. This is antithetical to even-handed justice.

The examples of this criminalisation are endless.

Republicans want to lock up Hillary Clinton for her email practices and prose-

cute Obama Administration officials for investigating the Trump campaign. Democrats, meanwhile, want Michael Flynn in prison and Trump indicted in New York the day he leaves office. And so on.

In American politics, the messenger matters more than the message, the actor matters more than the act. This is diametrically opposed to the basic premise of the rule of law -- that all people must be treated equally and their specific alleged misdeeds are what matter.

Second, criminalising politics accelerates a disturbing trend towards ever more political polarisation. It ramps up the stakes from treating opponents like political rivals to treating them like personal enemies.

True, fierce domestic politics is nothing new. It is woven into the fabric of our democratic system. But ultimately, we are one nation in

a dangerous world. Our political disputes should not consume a disproportionate amount of our national bandwidth. Nor should they undercut our ability to respond to the many foreign threats we face. If looked at from a global perspective, Americans’ interests overlap far more than they diverge.

Put simply, Americans should focus their political energy on winning elections and setting policy, not sending officials they don’t like to jail.

Finally, criminalising politics deters talented people from entering the political arena. The United States Government already has a personnel problem. We shouldn’t further dissuade quality people from entering Government because imperfections and ambiguities in their past might be shoehorned into politically-motivated criminal accusations.

The downside for winning office should be losing the next election, not getting indicted.

These concerns about the criminalisation of politics must be looked at in context. It is, of course, true that entering the Government should neither absolve someone from past crimes nor serve as a license to commit new ones. And one aspect of even-handed justice is to prosecute not just the weak and anonymous but also the powerful and well known.

Striking the right balance is hard. But there should be a strong presumption in favour of leaving politics -- and its inherent passions and prejudices -- at the courthouse door.

Criminalising politics doesn’t just poison our Government and undermine our justice system. It imperils our nation as a whole.

Sincerely, William Cooper

guyanatimesgy.com

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2020

5

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Challenges for the newly-established Labour Ministry Dear Editor, The PPP/C Government must be commended for establishing a Ministry of Labour, as distinct from a department within another Ministry, on its assumption of office as the newly-elected Government in August 2020. The new Ministry of Labour faces the challenge of delivering fully the mandate required of an effective Ministry. The mandate is defined by Guyana’s Constitution, Labour Laws, Regional and International Labour Standards in keeping with its obligations as a member of the UN International Labour Organisation since 1966, and Caricom from its inception.

The Ministry of Labour has direct responsibility for national labour policy, industrial relations, conciliation/mediation, labour standards, labour legislation, occupational safety and health, the general co-ordination of labour administration services, and tripartite consultation and dialogue on labour matters, involving the Government and the social partners – the represen-

tatives the national trade union body, and the employers’ organisation - the Consultative Association of Guyanese Industry Ltd (CAGI), which was established and functioning since 1962, and is the recognised employers’ organisation by the UN-ILO The Ministry of Labour and social partners – representatives of trade unions and the recognised employers’ organisation – have been involved over the years in tripartite and other consultative meetings, and attendance with the Government at the annual international labour conference in Geneva.

They have also participated in the numerous events – seminars, conferences, symposia, and meetings organised or sponsored by the ILO sub-regional office for the Caribbean. The social partners are very aware of and knowledgeable about ILO standards and their tripartite obligations in the labour and social fields.

They have a stake and responsibility, in keeping with ILO conventions ratified, for the way labour administration services are resourced

and delivered, and for the observance in law and practice of international labour standards.

The Labour Ministry and the social partners constitute essentially the tripartite pillars of the industrial relations system. The Labour Ministry is required to provide effective labour administration services to workers, trade unions, employers and their organisations. This is done through the Chief Labour Officer and staff of the Ministry in their technical, advisory, inspectorate, and conciliation/mediation functions.

The Labour Administration System is informed, influenced and functions within the norms of national legislation, international labour standards, and regional labour policy of Caricom. The national Constitution of Guyana, the labour laws, and international labour conventions of the ILO, ratified by Guyana as a treaty and international law, provide the legal basis, foundation and framework for the conduct of labour relations by the Government, its agencies, and the social

partners represented by trade unions and employers and their organisations.

International labour policies

There are also regional and other international instruments impacting on the work of the Ministry of Labour. As a member of the Caribbean Community (Caricom), Guyana is committed and obligated to observe the labour policies of Caricom as set out in its Charter of Civil Society, and its Declaration of Labour and Industrial Relations Principles, 1999.

Article XIX of the Charter of Civil Society provides for the right and protection of every worker to: * freely belong to and participate in trade union activities; * negotiate and bargain collectively; * be treated fairly at the workplace, and to enjoy a safe, hygienic and healthy working environment; * reasonable remuneration, working conditions, and social security; and * utilise/establish machinery for the effective conduct of labour relations.

Caricom Declaration of Labour and Industrial Relations Principles outlines the general labour and industrial relations policy to which the Caricom states aspire. The declaration was informed by ILO labour standards (conventions and recommendations) and re-enforced these standards relating to: * freedom of association, collective bargaining, non-discrimination in employment and occupation, employment policy, labour administration, industrial dispute settlement, consultation, and tripartism.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948 of the United Nations Article 23 states that: 1.

Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.

2. Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.

3. Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and

his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.

4. Everyone has the right to form and join trade unions for the protection of his interests.

The challenge for the Ministry of Labour

Given the continuing adversarial nature and practice of industrial relations by the parties, compounded by political, partisan interests, and the exploitation of ethnicity, the compelling challenge and responsibility of the Ministry of Labour (and the relevant Government agencies), the social partners and civil society, are to transform the industrial relations climate from an adversarial model to a consensus-based model through sustained social dialogue, tripartism, and partnerships which can lead to national social accords for national, economic and social development.

Sincerely, Samuel J Goolsarran

Kamala Harris, a Caribbean’s dilemma, contaminated with a controversial disillusion Dear Editor, Congratulations to both, a well-deserved US Presidentelect, Joseph Robinette Biden, an American Caucasian with maternal Irish roots and paternal British/French/Irish roots; and his Vice Presidentelect, Kamala Devi Harris, an American Black and South Asian female, with maternal roots from India and paternal roots from Jamaica.

In Ireland, people celebrated jubilantly in the streets of Ballina for their hometown hero, Joe Biden, while, in the village of Thulasendrapuram, Tamil Nadu, prayers were said at the mandir and villagers set off firecrackers for their pride, a world celebrity, Kamala Harris. It is not known whether Jamaica celebrated with the same exuberance.

Being of both Indian Tamil and Afro-Jamaican ancestry, Kamala Harris is a multiracial American.

Harris will be the first female Vice President in US history, and will also be the first African American and first Asian American to hold the post. She will be the highest-ranking female elected official in United States history, and the third person with acknowledged non-European ancestry to reach either of the highest elected offices in the federal executive branch.

It is capricious how certain people want to hug the limelight of Kamala Harris suddenly, because of her overnight stardom and associate with her ancestry in a limited capacity, confining her roots to a careful and selected convenience. Some have particularly eliminated her South Asian maternal generations

and only refer to her paternal specification, recognising her with a Black American and Caribbean identity. Poised to proliferate and punctuate her black Jamaican father as a focal centre, there is a pain-staking inclusivity that is warily missing.

It is so obvious that these individuals chose to deliberately disregard any mention of Kamala’s mother because it means giving credit to an Indian and only address the issue of her father, and also because kudos can be paid to an Afro Jamaican who hails from the Caribbean.

Is jamoon plucking and gooseberry discarding a case of sour grapes? Is an alignment to a Black placement more favourable and easily accessible than an Indian inheritor? Why is there mention of this blatant presence of a Black sensitivity only? Is the Indian component not worthy to mention, or, is there no need to respect this value?

History is being distorted and a convoluted theme is being incorrectly highlighted with a misplacement of true and collaborative identity.

To distinguish one root and overlook the other, serves a racial biasness and reflects the prejudice thinking that is so prevalent in those who want to obviously segregate the Blacks from others and to promote a preferential personality with an assumed superiority, even if it is momentary. This careful and calculated adumbration is mischievous, premediated with an agitated purpose and politically motivated to create devious aspersions.

A woman’s intuition and affection are sadly missing,

concealed in provoked interpretations and hidden in sarcastic deliberations. Any projector, especially with a woman’s perception, would accommodate a feminine intuition to explore the feminine composition and elements which incorporate VP-elect, Kamala Harris as a wife, mother, sister and daughter, bearing an origin in particular, to Shyamala Gopalan, a divorced mother, who happens to be a South Asian woman. Kamala was brought up in an Indian cultured environment also and obeisance should be paid to this qualitative effort, unsuppressed by her characteristics. To do otherwise, is it an exercise of displaying nescience or a displacement of personality?

Kamala Harris has visited both India and Jamaica to explore the genesis of both her father and mother. She is married to an American Jew, Douglas Emhoff, who also is an attorney. It is interesting to note how the world is reacting and what hap-

pened yesterday in Europe.

A member of the Northern Ireland Assembly received heavy criticism on Monday for referring to United States Vice President-elect Kamala Harris as “the Indian” on Twitter.

Yesterday, Lord Kilclooney, a member of the House of Lords, said: “What happens if Biden moves on and the Indian becomes President? Who then becomes Vice President?” Lord Fowler, the Lord Speaker of the House of Lords, demanded that his peer apologise.

“Lord Kilclooney should retract and apologise,” he said on Twitter on Monday. “This is an offensive way to refer to anyone, let alone a woman who has just made history.”

“The comment is entirely unacceptable and has no place in British politics. I could not be clearer,” he said.

The 56-year-old California Senator, also the first person of South Asian descent elected to the vice presidency, represents the multiculturalism that defines the United

States, but is largely absent from Washington’s power centres. The Indian PM Modi congratulated Kamala Harris but did not refer to her origin with an Indian identity. But the Jamaican PM Holness was specific, “America will have its first female Vice President in the person of Kamala Harris, and we are proud that she bears Jamaican heritage,” he said.

PM Holness hugged and embraced a Jamaican heritage

and did not protect or single out a Caribbean or American Black root. This conversation for claim will continue with conceited quibbles, curious questions, confused queries, cautious quarrels, concerned qualms, challenging quizzes and conscious quests, only to quell in a quiver of satirical comedy!

Respectfully, Jai Lall

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2020

Page

Foundation ◄

Restate in exponential form, then calculate: 1) 3 x 3 x 3 x 3 x 3 + 2 x 2 x 2 2) 4 x 4 x 4 – 5 x 5 3) 7 x 7 x 7 x 7 + 9 x 9 – 5 x 5 x 5 Restate using scientific notation: 4) 4,561,095.02 5) 97,105.2 6) 0.01056 7) 211,057,610,152 8) 74.67 9) 32,541,218 Calculate using order of operations (BODMAS): 10) 4 x (7 –5)2 + (14 – 4) x 5 + (4 -2) 11) 17 – (9 + 5) + (9 – 7) x 3 + (8 – 3)2 12) 23 + (2 + 4) x 4 + (5 – 3)4 13) 33 – ( 3 – 2)3 + (5 x 2 + (4)2 What number property does each number display?

14) 2 + 3 + 4 = 4 + 3 +2 15) 4 (5 + 7) = 4(5) + 4(7) 16) ( 16 + 17) + 19 = 16 + (17 +19) 17) 35 (1) = 35 18) 9 + 0 = 9 19) 15 (4 – 2) = (15 x 4) – (15 x 2)

Æsop’s Fables

Unit Test

Solve for x: 20) 5 + x = 8 21) x – 6 = 13 22) 30 – x = 26 23) x + 31 = 91 24) x/6 + 7 = 27

FOR CHILDREN Graph #1

Solve the equation and indicate the point on the number line that corresponds with the answer:

25) i. 5 + (– 8) ii. – 9 + 5 + 4 iii. – 7 + (– 4) + 7 iv. 6 – 4 + (– 8) Grid#2 Provide the ordered pairs for the points plotted on graph #1 26) A = 28) C =

27) B = 29) D =

30) Plot on grid #2 A = (– 3, 5) C = (– 1, – 3.5)

To make your paper diya, you’ll need: Lots of coloured paper.

Glue Corrugated sheet Markers Scotch Tape Sequin stickers Scissors Instructions: Cut two-inch strips from a letter-sized sheet of paper along the shorter edge.

Start making small accordion-style folds along its longer edge.

B = (– 4, 2) D = (– 2, – 5)

Cut out a three-inch strip from the paper tape and stick half of the tape on one side.

Carefully bring the other end together and stick the two ends together. Fold the excess tape at the back.

Repeat the same step to make multi-coloured diya shaped folds.

Cut out a flame-shape piece from an orange corrugated paper. You could use any paper. Even gold would look awesome. Add some accents to it with a red marker and some glitter. Line each paper diya with the sequin stickers and that’s it.

You are done! Arrange all your paper diyas in a pretty pattern.

(Adapted from artsycraftsymom.com)

A

rich old farmer, who felt that he had not many more days to live, called his sons to his bedside.

“My sons,” he said, “heed what I have to say to you. Do not on any account part with the estate that has belonged to our family for so many generations.

Somewhere on it is hidden a rich treasure. I do not know the exact spot, but it is there, and you will surely find it. Spare no energy and leave no spot unturned in your search.”

The father died, and no sooner was he in his grave than the sons set to work digging with all their might, turning up every foot of ground with their spades, and going over the whole farm two or three times.

No hidden gold did they find; but at harvest time when they had settled their accounts and had pocketed a rich profit far greater than that of any of their neighbours, they understood that the treasure their father had told them about was the wealth of a bountiful crop, and that in their industry had they found the treasure.

WORD SEARCH

NEWS

7

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

$1.1B infrastructure contracts signed for housing schemes

T

he Government has awarded over $1.1 billion in contracts to a number of companies for infrastructure works including upgrades to road networks and bridges in several housing schemes in the country, in a bid to correct deficiencies inherited from the previous A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government.

This was announced

by Housing and Water Minister, Collin Croal, during the signing of contracts at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre on Monday. During the signing, 40 contracts to the tune of $1.1 billion were awarded to 22 companies for upgrades to areas that lack basic infrastructure.

Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal handing over the contract for the upgrade of roads in Block EE Eccles which was awarded to Talbot Contracting Services

This is in light of the fact that prior to the change of Government in August, over 2000 house lots were

distributed this year by the former APNU/AFC Government even though the necessary infrastruc-

Significant turnout as...

FROM PAGE 3

Very happy

M e a n w h i l e , Manickchand and several other Ministers interacted with students and teachers, of which a majority said that they were “very happy” that schools have reopened. At West Demerara Secondary, the students told Manickchand that face-to-face contact is preferred since it ensures that they are not distracted. They said that although they were being taught online, many times they were distracted and unable to concentrate on their work.

The teachers expressed similar sentiments as their students, saying that the virtual platform has its challenges, from poor connectivity to no connectivity, among others. In most cases, the teachers said that while a favourable percentage of students have been engaged online, they are still not able to engage some of the other students.

In remarks to teachers and students, the Education Minister said that the Ministry supports schools in their efforts to complete their syllabi. She said she is aware that the Ministry is firm as it relates to certain processes in the education sector.

However, she made it

Prime Minister, Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips speaking to high school students on Monday on COVID-19 safety measures

clear that schools have the freedom to use the approach that best suits their particular situation. She cautioned that failure by school administrations to present a plan and timetable as it relates to the completion of syllabi so that students can successfully sit their CSEC and CAPE examinations will result in the Education Ministry stepping in.

She said that this approach is not one that the Ministry is keen on embracing since she wants to give schools the freedom to get their work done. Many of the schools are using a blended approach to engage

learners with both virtual and face-to-face contact being utilised.

Schools have reopened under strict COVID-19 guidelines. Students are required to wear masks; seating arrangements have been set at least six feet apart and students are required to wash their hands upon entry into the school compound. The Education Ministry has provided care packages for students, teachers, cleaners and dormitory staff. These packages include hand sanitisers, masks, face shields and a number of vitamins and tonics to keep immunity at a premium.

ture was not put in place, thereby making it practically impossible for persons to access the lands.

“When we provide and make available house lots, we want to make sure the infrastructure is in place.

So that you can speak directly about homeownership. We have prior to getting in office, for this year alone, allocations being made of 2300 house lots,” the Minister said.

“For which not one of those allottees can access the facility. And therefore, your signing here signals our intention to make those persons feel comfortable,” Croal further explained to the gathering.

Quality work

Meanwhile, Minister within the Housing Ministry, Susan Rodrigues urged contractors to do quality work, while noting that the contracts will rectify the deficiencies of the lots that were awarded.

“These works officially mark the commencement of our vision to match our manifesto promise of 50,000 house lots over the next five years. In addition to the committed 50,000, our Government is tasked with making available the infrastructure for lots which were allocated under the previous Administration in areas where no infrastructural work has been done and, in some cases, completely inaccessible. Those areas are also included in the contracts being signed today,” Rodrigues explained.

The contracts include road upgrades in Eccles, Herstelling and Great Diamond on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) and La Parfaite Harmonie on the West Bank of Demerara

Minister within the Housing Ministry, Susan Rodrigues hands over a contract to a representative of Brandon Construction Service for the upgrade of roads in La Parfaite Harmonie, WBD

(WBD).

In addition, works will be done on access roads in La Bonne Intention (LBI) on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD), Fort Ordinance, Williamsburg and Experiment, all of which are in Berbice.

Works will also be done on a number of internal roads, including in Mon Repos, Prospect and Providence.

Since coming to office, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Government has made it clear that it intends to fulfil its manifesto promise of distributing 50,000 house lots over the next five years, with the first 10,000 by next year.

During a recent Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) event, President Dr Irfaan Ali had disclosed that the Government is currently working on a series of initiatives aimed at financing projects for the local housing sector.

Among the initiatives being considered is the establishment of a Diaspora Housing Fund. The Head of State had also revealed that Government is looking

at other areas of securing financing for the housing sector. This includes efforts to raise some US$250 million for housing projects.

Additionally, the Ministry will also be working with the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL); the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC) and the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) to pursue land acquisition for housing developments.

Last month, Government published invitations for Expressions of Interest (EoIs) from interested parties to finance housing development.

Entities desirous of participating in this financing activity are invited to submit a proposed term sheet detailing: interest rate and terms; detailed term sheet clearly outlining assumptions and expectations; time period to conclude financing; capability and experience of participating entity, and such other terms and conditions as may be relevant. (G3)

8 NEWS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

26 Haitians en route to Lethem nabbed

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lerted ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) in E Division (Linden-Kwakwani) have arrested 26 Haitians who reportedly entered Guyana illegally.

According to reports, at about 21:30h on Sunday, ranks intercepted two minibuses at Mabura Trail, Region 10, with the foreign nationals.

Based on reports received, the Haitians were detained after it was discovered that they had entered the country illegally via Suriname. Police also related that they were en route to neighbouring Brazil at the time of interception.

Following their arrest, the foreign nationals were taken to the Criminal Investigation

A group of Haitians spotted in Guyana back in 2019

Department (CID), where they are being interrogated and face possible prosecution and deportation.

Back in 2019, former Citizenship Minister, Winston Felix had revealed

that between January to July 2019, some 7000 Haitian nationals were accounted for.

While the issue of foreign nationals overstaying their time in the country is not a new one, the numbers have signifi-

cantly increased since 2015.

In 2013, 188 Haitians arrived in Guyana with 99 departures; and in 2014, 227 arrived, and 113 departed.

But in 2015, there were 770 arrivals and only 136 departures; in 2016, 722 arrivals with 451 departures; in 2017, 3515 arrivals and 291 departures; and in 2018, 1237 arrivals with only 85 departures.

While the former Government has long contended that the immigrants may be leaving Guyana illegally for Brazil and Suriname and for French Guiana, there was no concrete move by them to monitor the situation or attempt to put a stop to the illegal movement of people.

TURN TO PAGE 10

Writing...

S

...by Lil Joe to Big Joe o Lil Joe Harmon of Guyana has written Big Joe Biden of the US telling him, “The APNU+AFC Coalition... looks forward to briefing you and Vice Presidentelect Harris on the political situation in Guyana.” So who’s gonna get him to present the “briefing”? He still has his lobbyists on the payroll? Then he forgot to file with the State Department!!

But what is Lil Joe going to say if he gets a hearing?

Repeat what he wrote some time ago to the US and other countries that, ““based on the vast amount of evidence” the APNU+AFC coalition “believes, and intends to prove, that the elections held on March 2 lacked credibility and legitimacy”. Isn’t this the same script Donald Trump’s reading from in the US -- while not conceding and threatening not to vacate the Presidency. So this will endear him to Joe Biden? What a chump!! Then if Trump succeeds in getting the Supreme Court to listen to his claims to deny the Presidency to Joe Biden, aren’t these going to be a mirror image of what Lil Joe and his band of riggers have already done here??

Like when he wrote the foreign community (including the US) that “based on the vast amount of evidence” the APNU+AFC Coalition “believes, and intends to prove, that the elections held on March 2 lacked credibility and legitimacy”. Doesn’t he realise that Biden will look at him as just another sleazy Third World politician whose peccadillos were adopted wholesale by his bête noir Trump??

Then there’s Lil Joe’s all-too-obvious ploy to play the race card when he cloyingly invoked Kamala Harris’s race: “She’s “the first person of colour to be elected to the Vice Presidency”. And “Our nation looks forward to engaging with you, Vice President-elect Harris”.

Doesn’t Joe Harmon realise that he’s condescendingly echoing Biden’s US critics? That Biden is tone deaf of racial matters and he picked Harris as his running mate to deflect such criticisms?

And what’s this about Lil Joe speaking for our “nation” to engage Biden? Isn’t he doing exactly what Trump is doing to the latter in the US in not respecting the will of the people that declared through their ballots that there’s a new Leader at the helm and that he, Trump can’t “speak for the people” of the US? Lil Joe’s final foot-in-the-mouth gaffe was when he wrote that Biden has “the unenviable task of restoring the United States’ status and reputation globally”.

Really?

He clearly doesn’t understand that when it comes to America’s reputation, Democrats as much as Republicans don’t appreciate pipsqueak countries talking down to them! ...in the COVID age We discovered that one of the reasons for the anomalous results in the last CSEC and CAPE exams was there weren’t any essay-type questions - -just true or false. In the estimation of your Eyewitness this is going to be a major problem for the graduates of our educational system and our country if this becomes the standard.

What essays do is to force the person writing them to focus their thoughts about a topic and put them down in a coherent and logical fashion. In a word, even for the short time during the project in school or exams, it creates some critical thinking and thinkers. And as we all know, this quality is sorely lacking in Guyana. Take the last elections.

Do you think if PNC supporters (or officials) were forced to write an essay to explain exactly what Mingo did, first at Ashmins and then at GEOM HQ with that dirty bedsheet, we’d have been in turmoil for five months?

Bring back those essays!! ...about world reaction As the world gradually settles down to accepting that Trump won’t be around – for another four years at least!

– in the Oval Office of the White House, some questions are coming to the fore.

One your Eyewitness will pose is, “Why is China happy that Biden won?”

Readers are invited to send their comments by email to eye@guyanatimesgy.com

NEWS

9

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Belgium cocaine bust

Authorities unearth explosives at Region 4 house as local probe widens – Minister Benn …Govt alarmed that shipment made it out of Guyana

H

ome Affairs Minister Robeson Benn has related that local law enforcement authorities have encountered explosives at one location during a series of searches on dwellings in Region Four (DemeraraMahaica) as the local probe into the massive drug bust in Belgium, where some 11.5 tonnes of cocaine was found in a scrap metal shipment originating from Guyana, widens.

Benn made the statement on the sidelines of an event on Monday.

“There were a number of houses searched. I am aware that care was taken to enter a particular house. There appeared to be a rigged up explosive arrangement at the normal entrance to that house. The issue is being reviewed too but yes, the efforts of the law enforcement, CANU (Customs AntiNarcotics Unit) and the police are being attended to by certain risk,” the Minister said.

When asked to provide an update on the local leg of the investigation, the Minister said that while he cannot comprehensively do so, he can safely say that months of planning went into the op-

Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn speaking to the media on Monday

eration. He added that they are extremely alarmed at the fact that the shipment of such a large quantity of illicit drugs made it past so many security checks – container scanners, container checks and others.

He said at least four persons are in custody and are being interviewed by the authorities while the manhunt is still on for businessman Marlon Primo, whose last known addresses are 701 Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara (ECD) and 69 Atlantic Ville, ECD.

Benn also assured international partners that vigorous investigations are being conducted locally.

“We have assured the European authorities, the Belgian law enforcement authorities and also the US authorities of our vigorous engagement of coming to terms and dealing with and discovering those who were involved in perpetrating this crime. Of course, the thought is this activity could not have happened overnight that it had to be in preparation and planning for a long period of time and that it would have taken quite a bit of time to plan and do the logistics. I think to compromise persons and fooling others too in respect of making the shipment so it had to be several months in preparation,” Minister Benn said.

On Thursday, the Brussel Times reported that Belgian authorities had intercepted a vessel that allegedly left Guyana in October with a whooping 11.5 tonnes of cocaine – the largest drug bust ever.

It was reported that counter-narcotics prosecutors tracked the transatlantic journey of 11.5 tonnes of cocaine from Guyana, on

the northeastern coast of South America, and seized it upon its arrival at the Port of Antwerp, Belgium, on Wednesday last.

Federal prosecutors told Belgian media that this is “the largest overseas drug bust ever, worldwide” with an estimated street value of €900 million or US$1.06 billion. The drugs were disguised as scrap metal and placed inside a steel container, which was, in turn, packed into a sea container and loaded into a transatlantic vessel.

According to the report, the massive load of cocaine left Guyana late in October, and prosecutors were able to track it following the dismantlement of a drug trafficking gang led by a former Belgian counter-narcotics chief, which revealed the existence of tight-knit links between criminal gangs and counter-narcotics and law enforcement officials.

The reports stated that three police officers, a port manager, and a lawyer were among some 20 other criminals arrested as part of an operation targeting the “well-structured” criminal organisation suspected of orchestrating large and “reg-

The cocaine that was found in one of the containers on the vessel

ular” drug shipments from South America to Belgium.

However, the record-breaking shipment was expected by law enforcement officials as it is suspected it left the port of Guyana after the drug gang’s arrest in Belgium, with drug gangs unable to intercept it once at sea, De Standaard reported.

The dismantlement of the drug gang late in September led to the arrest

and indictment of 22 people, with three people still in the Netherlands awaiting extradition.

This major drug bust comes on the heels of one in August in Hamburg, Germany, where authorities discovered 1.5 tonnes of cocaine in a container of rice shipments. The cocaine had a street value of around €300 million and had originated from Guyana.

10 NEWS Man shot dead during alleged robbery at Timehri A TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

man was in the wee hours of Monday shot dead by a Timehri, East Bank Demerara (EBD) businessman during an alleged robbery. Dead is 26-year-old Shawn Anthony Edwards of Lot 74 Alliance Road, Timehri, EBD. Based on reports received, at about 02:30h, the businessman, of Timehri

North, EBD, and his wife were reportedly awakened by strange noises coming from their bedroom door and upon checking, the businessman saw the doorknob moving.

As such, he armed himself with his licensed shotgun and opened the door.

According to Police the man said that he saw a shadow

moving swiftly in the house.

The businessman reportedly went after the shadow and saw a male going through his kitchen door.

However, the businessman told Police that upon confronting the suspect, it seemed as though he was reaching in his pocket for a weapon. A scuffle subsequently ensued and it is

2 injured in separate EBD accidents

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pensioner sustained a fractured right hip after he was struck down by a motor car along the Diamond Access Road, East Bank Demerara (EBD) on Saturday last.

Injured is 63-year-old Phillip Simons of Lot 670 Golden Grove, EBD. Based on reports received, the now injured man was riding his pedal cycle along the Diamond Access Road about 17:45h on the day in question when a motor car hit him from behind.

As a result of the impact, the man as well as his cycle fell to the grass parapet, and he sustained injuries

to his head and right leg.

He was picked up by public-spirited citizens and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was admitted to the male surgical ward.

Upon further examination, it was revealed that he suffered a fractured hip.

The motor vehicle that was involved in the accident is yet to be intercepted.

Meanwhile, the Police have launched an investigation into another serious accident, which took place in the wee hours of Sunday along the Prospect Public Road, EBD. The accident involved a motor car

bearing registration number PCC 6296 driven by Mark Anthony Singh, 26, of Covent Garden, EBD. Police stated that Singh was proceeding along the Prospect Public Road reportedly at a fast pace when he lost control of the motor car and crashed into the concrete median.

As a result, Singh received multiple injuries.

He was pulled from the wreckage in an unconscious state and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was admitted.

His condition is regarded as serious but stable.

26 Haitians en route to...

These numbers of unaccounted Haitians had raised major concerns, especially for the then parliamentary Opposition, the People Progressive Party/Civic which had alleged that there might be a people-smuggling racket.

Felix had also stated that those unaccounted Haitians might be leaving through the “backtrack” (unauthorised ports) to go to other counties.

Furthermore, he had explained that the legislative

adjustment to Schedule II of the Immigration Act, Cap 14:02, might be another reason for the influx of Haitians into Guyana.

The Act was amended to include Haiti as beneficiaries to the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME), which facilitates free movement within the region and automatic entry and stay of six months in Caricom countries.

Prior to the amendment, the Act had facilitated the six-month automatic stay

FROM PAGE 8

to other Caricom member states including Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, The Bahamas, Montserrat, Grenada, Jamaica, Suriname, Trinidad, and Tobago, with the exception of Haiti, whose nationals had required a visa and were only allowed to stay for up to 90 days or three months.

Since then, Haitians no longer need a visa to travel to Guyana and are afforded the same treatment and welcome that other Caricom nationals enjoy.

alleged that the suspect reportedly attempted to disarm the businessman of his weapon. During the commotion, however, shots were fired.

Upon hearing the gunshots, the suspect, according to Police, ran into the dining area of the house. At this point, the businessman discharged another round but the suspect reportedly went into hiding.

As the businessman made checks, he heard sounds emanating from behind a wall that leads to a private room and he again discharged another round.

This time, the bullet reportedly passed through the wall and hit the suspect.

As a result, the injured man fell onto the floor and died. His body was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Mortuary awaiting a post-mortem. The police have not confirmed if a weapon was found in the

Dead: Shawn Edwards

Anthony

possession of the dead man.

Meanwhile, when contacted, a sister of the dead man told Guyana Times that Police ranks showed up at their house at about 05:15h on Monday and enquired about Edwards.

“They come and ask who is the mental boy to us… after we tell them the relationship, we try to get information but the police refused

to release any information… they went into his house and collected his birth certificate and other documents,” the sister noted.

The family members, nevertheless, went to the Timehri Police Station and upon constant enquiries, they were eventually told that he was shot and killed during a robbery. The police also claimed that a bag containing some of the stolen items was lodged as evidence.

The aggrieved sister explained that they then leant that the now dead man was drinking at the bar prior to the shooting.

They are calling on the police to investigate the matter thoroughly.

The woman stated that the businessman CCTV cameras and they have since requested to view the footage.

The police are continuing their investigations.

Prosecutor defends life sentence imposed on murder convict

D

eputy Director of Public Prosecutions, Dionne McCammon on Monday defended a ruling by Justice Jo-Ann Barlow which imposed a life sentence with the possibility of parole after serving 25 years on murder convict, Dhupaul Singh.

Following a trial in 2016, Singh, also called “Tailor Man”, was found guilty by a 12-member jury of the September 2, 2014 murder of Balkissoon, called, “Balky”.

It was reported that the killing occurred at Helena Number Two Village, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara.

On the day in question, Singh and Balkissoon, a farmer, were involved in a heated argument over remarks hurled by Singh at the now dead man. The row escalated into a scuffle during which Singh chopped Balkissoon about his body with a cutlass.

Singh, through his lawyer, Mark Conway, has appealed against his conviction and sentence. Among other things, the convicted killer argued Justice Barlow erred in law in giving the jury the summation on provocation. He further argued that his sentence is excessive.

When the appeal hearing continued on Monday before Chancellor of the Judiciary Yonette Cummings-Edwards and Justices of Appeal Dawn Gregory and Rishi Persaud, McCammon argued that the sentence imposed on Singh is duly served.

The prosecutor pointed to the aggravating circumstances, especially the fact that Balkissoon’s head was almost severed at the hands of Singh. She said that a cutlass was used to inflict the fatal injury. According

Balkissoon

Murder convict: Dhupaul Singh

to McCammon, a pathologist testified that great force had to be used to inflict such an injury.

“The aggravating factors support the sentence given by the Trial Judge.

The Trial Judge did not find any mitigating factors relative to the offence, but there were relative to the offence,” she contended.

She submitted that under the laws of Guyana, murder is punishable by the death penalty, and as such, Justice Barlow used her discretionary power to impose a life sentence in this case.

Arguing that the sentence is not excessive, the prosecutor added that Singh would be given a chance after 25 years to be reintegrated into society.

McCammon submitted that the principles of sentencing including retribution, deterrent, rehabilitation and incapacitation were considered in this case.

Meanwhile, like in previous submissions, Conway maintained that the sentence imposed on his client was excessive and not in keeping with established sentencing guidelines.

During his submissions on Monday, the defence law-

yer argued that his client was robbed of a conviction of manslaughter because the Judge’s summation to the jury was lacking.

Among other things, Conway argued that the sentence imposed did not reflect the principles outlined in the case of R v da Costa Hall in which it is stated that full credit should be given for any time spent on remand.

Opining that the appeal against the severity of the sentence for the offence of murder has merit, Conway pointed out that in imposing the sentence, the Trial Judge failed to apply case law principles that promote fairness in sentencing.

“It is respectfully submitted that sentencing the appellant to life imprisonment and becoming only eligible for parole after serving 25 years given facts of the offence as presented and the failure to apply established principles of sentencing rendered this sentence unjustified and manifestly excessive,” the defence attorney added.

The Court of Appeal will hear further arguments in this case on November 30, 2020, at 10:00h.

NEWS

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Govt completes drainage works in Buxton, Nabaclis

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ollowing community outreaches in Buxton and Nabaclis on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD)

by Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, works have been carried out and completed to improve drainage in the villages.

On Monday, the Ministry in a statement said that residents of Buxton had complained bitterly to the Minister about the need for critical drainage work, during his visit last month. Now, however, 80 per cent of the works has been completed, with the outstanding works expected to commence within the next few days.

Chairman of the Buxton/Friendship Grantees Corp Society, Leroy Hamer was quoted by the Ministry’s release as saying that residents of Buxton are already experiencing relief following the meeting with the Minister.

“When the Minister

Drainage works at Cove and John

was here with his team, we asked for the Friendship Middle Walk and the Friendship East and West Sidelines to be cleared.

Today I can say that works on the Middle Walk and the East Sideline were completed.

The works were done in a timely manner even with the current weather and because of that we have not experienced any flooding, even with the heavy rains that are falling. I want to thank the Minister for being a man of his word,” Hamer said.

Belladrum

S

Solid Waste Director Walter Narine

the next six months.

Guyana Times understands that the sum is pegged at $900,000.

In August 2019, Town Clerk (ag) Sharon HarryMunroe was sent packing after failing to comply with orders of the LGC to provide financial documents requested by the Office of the Auditor General. But when contacted, Narine argued that the information provided by the Mayor is totally inaccurate.

He explained that in June 2019, the M&CC truck that usually collects garbage from the Stabroek Market area developed mechanical problems and could not operate.

The truck was sent to the workshop where it was slated to remain some 3-5 days until the issue was fixed.

Given that Stabroek Market produces some 11 tonnes of waste per day, Narine said the best option was to seek the services of a private contractor.

He said he made contact with the then Town Clerk and informed her of the situation and was giv-

Fleece area.

Minister Mustapha committed to assisting the group with materials and seedlings to resuscitate their shade house.

The National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) recently acquired a quantity of shade house materials under its “Smart Agriculture Initiative” and, in the coming days, will hand over some materials and seedlings to the group to as-

mence a needs assessment to determine the magnitude of works necessary to bring relief to residents and farmers in the village.

Following the meeting, a team comprising research and extension officers from NAREI returned to the village and met with farmers to determine a plan of action as it relates to their cultivation practices and how the agency can assist. Additionally, an engineer from NDIA

Last month, Minister Mustapha also met with residents of Belladrum in Mahaica-Berbice to listen to some of the issues affecting them. During the meeting, it was disclosed that among the issues raised, drainage and irrigation was of major concern to the residents.

Villagers told the Minister that the lack of drainage works in the community over the years was beginning to pose a threat to the health of the young chil-

Solid Waste Director to repay M&CC compactor’s rental fee olid Waste Director of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council, Walter Narine will have to repay some $900,000 after using monies without informing the Council.

During the M&CC’s statutory meeting on Monday, Georgetown Mayor Ubraj Narine told the Council that Narine would have rented a compactor from Puran Brothers Inc without informing the Council.

He added that the Council found out of this development after the company sent an invoice requesting payment.

According to the Mayor, following this development, the Solid Waste Director then informed the Council that he requested permission from the then acting Town Clerk Sharon Harry-Munroe to use the funds.

But Ubraj on Monday said that when HarryMunroe was summoned to a meeting, she denied the claim.

It is against this backdrop that Ubraj contended that, “a Town Clerk cannot make a decision for this Council, we have a Mayor, a treasurer, and committees,” adding that “Mr Narine accepted and that is how he had to repay the money.”

The Solid Waste Director was suspended, however, the Local Government Commission (LGC) has since recommended that he repay the money in full.

During a statutory meeting on Monday, a motion was moved to have Walter Narine repay the money in instalments for

dren in the village.

Mustapha had asked officials from the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) to put systems in place to have works carried out on a number of drains and canals in the area. The NDIA has since been able to deploy the requisite resources to commence critical works on the main drainage canal, which is over 3.4 miles long.

According to the

en the green light to hire Puran Brothers Inc. The M&CC truck remained down for some time, resulting in Puran Brothers providing the service for the months of June and July.

Narine maintained that the Town Clerk knew of the arrangement and that it was her responsibility to inform the Council, not his.

Further, he lamented that the LGC never gave him a hearing during its investigation into the matter.

Highlighting that the services he contracted were for the benefit of the city, Narine argued that he should not have to repay the money.

“Why am I being punished for executing the work of the Council?”

Narine, who has been Head of Solid Waste Management for some seven years, explained that his sole duty is to help the people of the country and that he goes above and beyond on a daily basis to do this.

He claimed that to this day, the M&CC truck remains in the workshop and the Council is utilising Puran Brothers for the same services he had required.

Against this backdrop, he questioned why he is being forced to repay the Council for the services for two months last year.

Moreover, he contended that the sum for those two months is significantly less than $900,000.

According to Narine, he is engaging with his lawyers on the way forward.

(G11)

Drainage works at Buxton Pump Basin

Ministry, close to $2 million has been expended on works in the village and its environs which will assist with drainage and irrigation of over 1000 acres of farmlands. Belladrum NDC Chairman, Emile Wilson was quoted expressing delight that the meeting resulted in works being done in such a timely manner.

President of the Emanuel Foundation, Ivanho Gravesande, during the meeting, indicated that there was need for some shade house materials to assist with the rehabilitation of a shade house project in the Golden

sist with the resuscitation of the community shade house.

Furthermore, it was explained that NAREI’s Regional Coordinator for Region Five has been meeting with farmers and other members of the community, offering technical advice on shade house best practices in the lead up to them receiving the promised materials and seedlings.

Nabaclis

Meanwhile, following meetings with farmers from Nabaclis, Mustapha also made good on a promise for the Ministry to com-

will be meeting with members of the Nabaclis Water Users Association to develop an assessment report of works to be carried out.

Once the assessment is complete, NDIA will commence works to areas in need of critical and urgent drainage works. Chairman of the Nabaclis Water Users Association, Kenrick Wickham was quoted expressing appreciation for the progress made thus far. In the release, Minister Mustapha reiterated the Government’s commitment to be responsive to the needs of farmers.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 20

Unleashing development: fi

President Dr Irfaan Ali, Prime Minister Brigadier Mark Phillips, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill examining the proposal for the Parika-WBD road link

N

ovember 10th will mark the first 100 days since President Dr Irfaan Ali was sworn in as President on August 2 2020, after a tumultuous five months where concerted efforts were made to deny him the presidency.

Now comes a look at President Ali's first 100 days in office, a time which saw groundbreaking achievements made with the stroke of a pen and a vision for Guyana's future outlined by the President and his Cabinet.

The 100-day review is a feature of democracies around the world, where it gives the public a chance to see for themselves the trajectory a newly-elected President has set for his Administration. Often, it is a harbinger of things to come.

Liberalisation

Perhaps one of the People’s Progressive Party’s (PPP) signature

Payara licence that contained environmental safeguards and provisions for natural gas that would tie in with the Government’s longterm vision for a gas-to-shore project. This was all done before Exxon’s September month-end deadline to make a Final Investment Decision.

A comparison with the Payara licence and the licence for Liza Field 1 and 2 will show that the PPP Government was able to secure far improved terms compared to the now Opposition APNU/AFC. Improvements include stiffer fines for flaring, requiring Exxon to supply daily, disaggregated production statements for both oil and gas and the requirement for Exxon to submit its development and oper-

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo in discussion with US Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch

project, which would see gas pipes from Exxon’s offshore Liza field being brought onshore and used to process natural gas for local energy consumption. The Government has set up an advisory committee for this project within the 100 days, while also setting itself a target of 2023 to make the project a reality.

Likewise, the PPP Government has assembled a high-level team of experts to advise the Irfaan Ali-led Government on the formulation of a strong Local Content Policy that will ensure all citizens benefit from the country’s lucrative oil and gas sector.

Developmental projects

GPL's generators arrived in Guyana for the New Garden of Eden, EBD dual firepower plant

a new age of telecoms competition.

Over 25 other companies have since expressed an interest in Guyana.

Oil and gas

The PPP entered Government with ExxonMobil’s US$9 billion investment in Payara offshore Guyana perched in a precarious po-

ating cost estimates for the Payara field within 90 days from the date the licence is issued.

The licence also includes provisions for safety and compliance audits paid for by Exxon, which will evaluate Exxon’s management of waste. Exxon has to provide US$400,000 annually for these audits.

Another new provision is the requirement for Exxon to use a capping stack, within a specified period, in case there is a well blowout. A capping stack is a large-scale piece of sub-sea equipment which oil companies keep onshore, ready to deploy to essentially plug the leak of oil.

In the Government’s first 100 days, there was also a clear focus on infrastructure. The Government was able to negotiate and jump-start several projects which were stagnating under the former Government.

sition. The former Government had contracted British firm Bayphase to conduct an assessment of the Payara Field Development Plan (FDP), but that was since 2019. The Education Minister Priya Manickchand distributing learning materials to a hinterland school

Perhaps the largest scale and most transformative project the PPP has on its agenda is the gas-to-shore

One such project is the Diamond/ Ogle bypass road. Originally, Guyana had signed a US$50 million

Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat and Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha distributing COVID-19 cash grants at Orealla Village

Company’s (GTT) 30-year monopoly in Guyana.

This allowed for other Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to receive the requisite licenses, paving the way for them to expand, ushering in

project had not moved past assessment and Exxon was getting restless.

The Government, soon after it took office, proceeded to turn the situation around by negotiating a

President Dr Irfaan Ali shares a photo Chandrikapersad Santokhi and Surinames

price had shot up to US$175 million and the Exim bank was reluctant to fund it.

Housing and Water Ministers Collin Croal and Susan Rodrigues watch as President Irfaan Ali hands over land title to a nurse

The Payara licence, complete with improved terms over the Liza field licence, was signed within two months in office

achievements after coming to office, is that it took them less than 90 days to liberalise the telecommunications sector and bring an end to the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph

loan with the Indian Exim Bank in 2016 for the project. By 2019, that

Sport Minister Charles Ramson Jr alongside members of the GFF and Tiger Bay community

The PPP Government was able to reconfigure the project back into the US$50 million bracket within the first 100 days and the contract for that project is likely to be awarded by this year-end.

The contract for the new Demerara River bridge is another project the PPP jumpstarted. After site visits by the President and a team of officials, the Government settled on plans to construct a four● $25,000 COVID lane, high-span

Some relie

fixed bridge from Nandy Park, East Bank Demerara, to La Grange, West Bank Demerara.

As of October, over 40 companies from around the world have submitted Expressions of Interest to design and construct the bridge.

The Government is also aiming at building the bridge by 2024.

Under the for-

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020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

irst 100 days of PPP/C Govt virus.

mer Government, 2300 house lots were awarded, with no access to necessary infrastructure such as roads.

In just a matter of months after taking office, the PPP Government has set out to correct this, awarding 40 contracts to the tune of over $1 billion to 22 companies for infrastructural upgrades to these areas.

The contracts include road upgrades in Eccles, Herstelling, La Parfait Harmonie, Great Diamond, as well as works on access roads in La Bonne Intention (LBI), Ordinance, Williamsburg and Experiment. Works will also be done on a number of internal roads,

Investment/jobs

Besides taxes, another chronic complaint against the former

US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo greets President Dr Irfaan Ali during his visit to Guyana

tors have arrived in Guyana for the new Garden of Eden dual firepower plant on the East Bank of Demerara – which is currently under construction by Finnish company, Wartsila.

Relief measures/social assistance

o moment with Surinamese President se Foreign Affairs Minister Albert Ramdin

including in Mon Repos, Prospect and Providence.

This is part of the $3 billion that has been set aside for the housing sector. Additionally, $2 billion has been set aside for the Guyana Water

was perhaps the worst-hit industry under the former APNU/AFC Government, which closed down the Rose Hall, Skeldon, Wales and Enmore sugar estates and threw

One of the major concerns persons had with the former President David Granger Administration was the increase in the tax burden on the ordinary man. President Ali, in the 2020 Emergency Budget, prepared in a record 29 days, made sure to roll back these measures.

Making good on an issue it campaigned on and criticised the former APNU/AFC Government for, the President Dr Irfaan Ali-led Government rolled back the imposition of Value Added Tax (VAT) and duties on mining equipment.

VAT was also removed from exports, cell phones, medical supplies, personal protective equipment (PPE) and building and construc-

also catered for by the budget.

Pensioners were provided with free water in addition to an increase in pension. They will receive $25,000 per month. Parents will also receive a $15,000 cash grant for each of their school-aged child in addition to a $4000 uniform allowance for each child.

Foreign Affairs Minister Hugh Todd hands over COVID-19 relief supplies

APNU/AFC Government was the loss of jobs. This was made worse

This Berbice couple happily receive their $25,000 COVID-19 cash grant

Head of the United States Development Finance Corporation Adam Boehler, and team with President Dr Irfaan Ali and members of Cabinet during a working dinner

tion materials, as well as pesticides and agricultural chemicals. VAT was also removed from the importation of stones as the construction sector sets up for a boom.

The Government also rolled back VAT on electricity and water; a measure that ensured everyone could benefit from VAT reductions.

Corporate tax was D-19 cash grant per household also removed from private healthcare and edncreased pension for senior citizens ucation, thereby clearAT on electricity and water ing the way for foreign AT from all medical supplies and local institutions to AT from hinterland travel invest in Guyana. The Government also rolled AT from cell phones back the restriction on AT from building and construction materials the importation of used orporate tax on private education and healthcare vehicles older than eight grant for children years, a policy expected to open the doors for m voucher allowance thousands to own their AT from all exports own vehicles. Likewise, AT from machines and equipment used tyres can now also ies on machines and equipment be imported, easing the an on importation of vehicles older than eight years burden on vehicle owners. ncreased fees on land lease Pensioners, school ee bonus for Joint Services children and COVID-19 frontline workers were Incorporated.

Additionally, hundreds of persons have since received their land titles that were languishing under the previous Government.

With an expected completion date set for April 2021, genera-

ef measures and social assistance

$800 million has been set aside for the Amerindian Development Fund. This will provide funding to support the socio-economic development of Indigenous communities and villages, through the implementation of Community Development Plans (CDPs) the Indigenous communities themselves picked.

In the field of education, $52 billion has been given to the education sector including $1.7 billion for construction and rehabilitation of schools.

One of the major social assistance offered to Guyanese as the world fights the COVID-19 pandemic is the $25,000 cash grant to each family. Since taking office, the PPP Government has significantly increased COVID-19 testing, imported numerous equipment, made substantial donations and improved the health sector’s ability to combat the

by the COVID-19 pandemic and the lack of measures from the former Government. It’s a situation the PPP set out to address in its emer-

thousands of former workers on the breadline.

The PPP has since rehired over 200 sugar workers, while committing to rehiring over 400 by yearend. The Government has also started the process to reopen the closed sugar estates, which it says will be fully functional by 2024.

Other than sugar, the Government recently granted 100 contracts to small and new contractors, who are tasked with work ranging from cleaning the road to sea defence. It is estimated that the spin-off from this initiative will see at least 500 people being hired. This was all done within 100 days and the Government is moreover looking at repeating the initiative next year.

Meanwhile, the Natural Resources Ministry announced that there are investors who are seeking to develop the Tarakuli bauxite deposit near the Orealla-Siparuta

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony hands over PPE to Linden Hospital Complex

gency budget, with private sector friendly measures intended to keep businesses afloat and preserve jobs.

The Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) and the sugar sector

Suriname’s Public Works Minister, Dr Riad Nurmohamed and Guyana’s Public Works Minister, Juan Edghill planting the flags of the two countries at Long Island, Corentyne River

community. This will now pave the way for hundreds of persons living in that community to gain employment.

Major mining companies – Aurora Gold Mine and Omai – are set to restart operations in Guyana.

Already also, Head of the United States (US) Development Finance Corporation (DFC), Adam Boehler, who visited Guyana, has revealed that the United States is eyeing opportunities in a number of sectors, including energy, agriculture and infrastructure.

Shortly after the PPP took office, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Guyana and signed a Framework Agreement to strengthen cooperation in various sectors including energy and infrastructure, under the umbrella of the Growth in the Americas Initiative, with Foreign Affairs Minister Hugh Todd.

TURN TO PAGE 15

14 NEWS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

100 days of discoveries

Bombshell revelations: a chronicle of nepotism, corrupt practices, wanton spending by APNU/AFC

T

he return of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) to power on August 2, 2020, symbolically restored democracy to Guyana – just as it did in 1992 when the party won the first free and fair elections in the country, bringing an end to 28 years of dictatorial rule by the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR).

But even with this new ray of hope and eager ambition to continue to transform the country, the new Dr Irfaan Ali-led Administration was confronted with ghastly revelations of activities conducted under the previous PNC-led APNU/AFC Administration that pushed the country’s developmental track backwards.

Former Finance Minister Winston Jordan

Government”.

To make matters worse, Rambarran is a known associate of the APNU/AFC and at the time of the deal, the Granger Government kept the details tightly hidden from the public.

Compounding the situation is that even though millions were expended on the project, the facility was still

Ocean View International Hotel, which is now the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention

From blatant nepotism to corrupt deals and enormously excessive spending, all under five years – experts argue that it is no wonder the David Granger-regime desperately tried to cling on to power in spite of its massive defeat at the March 2, 2020 polls.

Ocean View exposé

Upon its return to office, the PPP/C Administration was first confronted with the controversial $1 billion Ocean View Hotel rehabilitation which was hurriedly ignited during the waning days of the APNU/AFC coalition.

More specifically, the new Government was confronted with the bombshell revelation that the former Administration had spent over $1 billion to renovate the hotel into a COVID-19 hospital even though it never properly acquired the property from the owner, Wilfred Rambarran, who wasted no time in submitting a letter to the Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony, demanding that he be paid some $13 million per month for the use of the facility for a period of 12 months, as per an arrangement he had with the Granger Government.

Attorney General Anil Nandlall had expressed that this exposé amounted to criminal conduct since “hundreds of millions of dollars were drawn from the Consolidated Fund for a capital project without parliamentary approval.” He has only contended that “$1.6 billion was apparently spent on a property that is not even owned by the

Former NICIL Head, Colvin Heath-London

PNCR member James Bond

David Granger

ing monies under false pretence. They are said to have obtained over $200 million.

Moreover, the couple – who has rejected the charges and claims that their operations are illegal – is also being investigated for money laundering.

$4.9 million worth of items Jones acquired.

Additionally, the audit found that the items pur-

from citizens that they had invested millions and that they were not getting their returns, the Government promptly launched an investigation which unearthed the suspected Ponzi scheme.

In another bombshell revelation, it was discovered that the then Minister of Citizenship, Winston Felix, had granted citizenship to the Cuban national, Yuri Garcia-Dominguez, even though he had received reports of the individual being involved in unlawful activities.

Felix had, however, denied knowledge of the Ponzi scheme, but this was not supported by available documents which revealed that the Guyana Securities Council had written to him, warning that “it has discov-

The PPP/C Administration could not catch a break as yet another bombshell revelation was made in August, whereby senior APNU/AFC member Christopher Jones – who was Director of Sports at the time – questionably received $4.9 million worth of barbershop equipment under a Government programme that aimed to promote entrepreneurship among young people who do not have the means for such ventures.

Former Director of Sport, Christopher Jones

PNCR General Secretary Amna Ally

Barbershop scandal

not close to being fit for an infectious disease hospital, causing the Health Minister to describe the undertaking as a “total disaster”.

In fact, millions had been budgeted in the PPP/ C’s Emergency Budget for 2020 to remedy the facility to make it operational.

Former Head of Lands and Surveys, Trevor Benn

chased were not put to the intended use as they were stored in a room at the residence of Jones.

This prompted ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to visit Jones’ house in a bid to retrieve the State assets, resulting in a heated confrontation between APNU/AFC senior officials, coalition supporters and law enforcement officials.

Jones was eventually arrested and released on bail. Crime Chief Wendell

elations that came under the spotlight when the new PPP/C Administration assumed office.

PNCR supporter Larry London was one of many who seemingly benefited from specially-created positions which saw him raking in millions of dollars. London was employed by the former Government as Director of Parks, with a net salary of $500,000 per month and his electricity, internet and telephone bills paid by the State. Further, he benefited from duty-free allowance for the highest grade of vehicles, and a gratuity of 22.5 per cent every six months.

All the while, London hardly spent any time in Guyana.

London was also the beneficiary of the multimillion-dollar contract for the printing of birth certificates under the previous Government. London is listed as one of the Directors of a Florida-based company called Universal Procurement Services Inc which was sole-sourced for the printing of some 500,000 birth certificates.

London was previously involved in the controversial D’Urban Park project where $1 billion was spent by the Granger Government which cannot account for the spending of the funds.

London was the co-owner of the company, Homestretch Development Incorporated (HDI), which was used by the Government to build the D’Urban Park. Efforts by the Audit Office of Guyana to figure out how the monies were spent over the past few

Ponzi scheme

Days after settling into office, the new Administration was bombarded with reports of a major unregulated operation, suspected to be a Ponzi scheme, that swindled millions of dollars out of thousands of Guyanese.

The scheme, operating under the company Accelerated Capital Firm Incorporated (ACFI), was ongoing under the Granger Government but nothing was ever done to investigate the suspicious transactions and protect the citizen-

Former Minister of Citizenship, Winston Felix

ry from this massive fraud.

After being inundated with reports and complaints

ered two illegal investment Audit documents had schemes (pyramid-like) ap- revealed that approval parently run by Yuri Garcia- was not granted from the Dominguez and Ateeka Ishmael… these two parties have apparently used two companies to assist in their scheme, n a m e l y ; Accelerated Wealth Inc of Lot 10 First Street Industry and Forex Trade, a registered business of the same address.”

The Ponzi scheme was allowed to grow, resulting in a disastrous situaPolice removing some of the tion that had items from Jones’s home to be quickly addressed National Procurement and by the new Administration. Tender Administration Today, the Cuban nation- Board (NPTAB) for the proal and his Guyanese wife curement of a Condensing are before the courts on Unit valuing $1.528 million over 70 charges for obtain- which formed part of the

Blanhum had told this newspaper that Police investigations found that Jones would have made false representation to the Social Protection Ministry in order to be eligible for the Sustainable Livelihood and Entrepreneurial Development (SLED) programme under which he was granted the barbershop equipment.

At that time, former Chief Whip of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), Amna Ally was overseeing that Ministry – a party to which Jones is an executive member.

Jobs for the boys

The mega-salaries of political appointees were a number of bombshell rev-

years have been futile.

Local Government and Regional Development Minister Nigel Dharamlall also stumbled upon a bombshell revelation whereby some $800 million was collectively being paid to over 50 contracted workers of the then Communities Ministry headed by APNU/AFC’s Ronald Bulkan. What’s worse is that there is no evidence of the work they had done during their time at the Ministry.

Some of these individuals were Oscar Clarke, who was named special ministerial advisor with a salary of $418,674 with a $25,000 non-taxable duty allowance and a $15,000 telephone allowance per month.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

NEWS

15

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

1 more dies from COVID-19, death toll now stands at 135

– 10 new cases detected in 24 hours

T

he Health Ministry on Monday announced another COVID-19 death, thus taking the total number of fatalities to 135.

The latest death is an 80-year-old female from

Region Four (DemeraraMahaica). She died while receiving care at a medical facility.

Prior to her death, a 58-year-old male from the same region succumbed at a medical facility.

However, 10 new cases were detected over a 24hour period, raising the total positives thus far to 4524. This includes 2374 males and 2150 females.

There are eight persons in the Intensive Care

Unleashing development: the...

President Ali has since explained that this agreement will not only pave the way for the US private sector to expand its investment portfolio here but also

Land fees

Back in 2017, the former Government had increased land rentals for rice farmers from $1000 to $7000

Unit (ICU), with 69 in institutional isolation, 757 in home isolation and 47 in institutional quarantine. The country has also seen 3549 recoveries – 23 of which were reported in one day.

Of the 10 new cases,

FROM PAGES 12&13

measures, within their first 100 days.

Connecting with Guyanese

In his first month in office, it was immediately impressed on Guyanese that this was a Government intent on visiting as many communities as possible and hearing from the people themselves what their concerns are.

Leading in this regard has been the President himself. On August 30, 2020, President Ali, in partnership with several civil so-

ed a visit to Canal Number 1, West Bank Demerara, where he did a walkabout that attracted scores of residents. Housing and Water Ministers Collin Croal and Susan Rodrigues also used the first month to visit communities across Guyana, where attention was paid to concerns over adequate housing and water. Other Ministers who did visits across the country include Education Minister Priya Manickchand, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha; Public Works

President Dr Irfaan Ali during a visit to the proposed site for the new Demerara River bridge

partner with the Guyanese Private Sector.

Secretary Pompeo had stated that the US will do all it can to help American companies have access to investment opportunities in places such as Guyana.

But at the same time, he impressed that this has to be done in a fair and transparent manner as the US is equally interested in seeing the wealth that is created from these opportunities benefit Guyanese.

and drainage and irrigation fees from $2500 to $8000.

In addition, rent for cattle pastures went from $487 to $2500 and fees for other pastures to $1400.

The situation led rice farmers to protest the increase and the then PPP Opposition had moved a motion calling for the reversal of the fees back in 2017, although it was ultimately defeated. The new Government has since reversed these oppressive

Prime Minister, Retired Brigadier Mark Phillips meets with members of the CJIA Board

ciety groups, paid a visit to Tiger bay in Georgetown, where hampers were distributed and the concerns of residents were listened to.

His other visits includ-

Ministers, Juan Edghill and Deodat Indar; Local Government Minister, Nigel Dharamlall; Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai among others who hosted several outreaches.

one was detected in Region One (Barima-Waini); one in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) and eight in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica).

The number of positives remained constant in the other regions, which stood at 91 in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), 33 in Region Five (MahaicaBerbice), 79 in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), 382 in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), 143 in Region Eight (PotaroSiparuni), 376 in Region Nine (Upper TakutuUpper Essequibo) and 151 in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

For the past months, the PPP/C Government has initiated a massive testing drive to ensure that all positive cases, especially asymptomatic cases, are detected. This has resulted in a high number of cases being detected, bringing some hotspots under control.

A few weeks ago, they had launched a massive campaign titled Operation COVI-CURB, aimed at sensitisation, through collaboration with the Joint Services. Officials say that it has seen successes as they continue to address

Bombshell revelations: a chronicle of...

the myths associated with the virus and enable compliance with the measures to keep themselves and others safe.

Guyanese are reminded to observe the protocols of the COVID-19 Emergency Measures (No 10), which are in effect until November 31, 2020.

This order emphasised, among other measures, the need for correct and consistent use of a face mask when leaving home; the importance of maintaining the six feet physical distance from others; and the need for good hand hygiene to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

If anyone is displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19, or need any additional information, kindly contact the COVID-19 Hotline 2311166, 226-7480 or 624-6674 immediately or visit www. health.gov.gy.

This is especially given the fact that the Region of the Americas, which is made of Latin America and the Caribbean, has been identified as the most affected region by the virus. In the Americas, there are 21,370,015 cases with 654,512 deaths.

FROM PAGE 14

Land giveaways

Former Director of Parks, Larry London

Rupert Hopkinson, the former controversial Regional Executive Officer for Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam), was employed as a special advisor who earned $376,807 per month with a non-taxable allowance of $70,000 and telephone allowance of $10,000, every month.

APNU/AFC’s Ganesh Mahipaul was on the Ministry’s payroll with a salary of $210,982 per month and a non-taxable duty allowance of $10,000 per month for being a Community Development Officer of Region Three. It is unclear what Mahipaul was actu-

ally doing as a Community Development Officer.

Former APNU/AFC Member of Parliament Barbara Pilgrim was also on the payroll receiving $210,982 per month, a $10,000 non-taxable duty allowance and a $10,000 telephone allowance.

Interestingly, senior member of the APNU/AFC coalition, Joseph Harmon was earning $900,000 per month plus benefits as Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency.

The former David Granger Administration had created the post of Director General specifically for Harmon after he was forced to resign as a Member of Parliament and ultimately as the Minister of

State in 2019. In addition to his salary, Harmon received a non-taxable duty allowance of $250,000 per month; a non-taxable entertainment allowance of $100,000 per month; a non-taxable maid allowance of $128,400 per month; and a non-taxable gardener allowance of $65,000 per month.

Moreover, his housing, telephone bills, internet bills, electricity bills, and security were paid for by the State. He also received a motor car and driver provided by the State or duty-free concession of up to 4000cc per three years period.

Harmon was also benefiting from a gratuity of 22.5 per cent of his basic salary every six months.

Perhaps the latest and most egregious bombshell revelation made by the PPP/C is the massive land giveaways conducted under the former APNU/AFC Administration where large tracts of prime State lands were frantically distributed to known associates of the party as well as to legitimate businesses, unbeknownst to them.

About five companies that were vested lands by the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) have since returned those to the State, in a bid for a more transparent process. The lands were vested to them under controversial and nontransparent circumstances – and in some cases, unbeknownst to the investors. In fact, in many of the cases, former Finance Minister Winston Jordan had, during the controversial period after the March 2 polls, signed vesting orders even though the companies had made little to no down payments for the lands.

Apart from this, it was also revealed that senior

File photo: Former Finance Minister Winston Jordan and former NICIL Head Colvin Heath-London at a sod-turning ceremony at Plantation Ogle

member of the PNCR, James Bond had received US$1 million for prime lands at Peters Hall on the East Bank of Demerara – lands he had flipped. The lands were reportedly leased to Bond for a fraction of that cost.

The scenario with Bond is just one of numerous instances where questionable land deals were struck under the former coalition Government.

A former Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC) Board member paid $12 million for lands at Mandela Avenue in Ruimveldt, Georgetown.

The GLSC member was first issued with a lease for the land at a rental of $232,000

per annum and subsequently, the title at a purchase price of $12 million for the plot of land totalling approximately one acre and a half.

This value significantly differed from the price paid by other companies for similar properties at the same location. In one case, a city bank paid $85 million for a 0.723acre plot of land in the same area, and in another, a local shipping company paid a whopping $105 million for an acre plot.

The Government has since launched an extensive investigation into this massive land giveaway – for which the former Finance Minister has since denied any wrongdoing.

16 NEWS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

IDB approves US$22M to strengthen Guyana’s COVID-19 response

A

s Guyana seeks to ramp up its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved a loan of US$22 million aimed at strengthening the country’s public health response to the deadly virus.

The loan, which falls under the Contingent Credit Facility for Natural Disaster and Public Health Emergencies, seeks to finance public expenditure necessary to contain transmission of the disease and mitigate further health and economic consequences.

According to the IDB, given the ongoing global health crisis and its impacts, “the

Government is facing the challenge of strengthening the country’s health system, while also confronting the financial and liquidity constraints that limit its capacity to continue investing in closing the gaps and building preparedness and response capacity”.

“The IDB loan will provide an efficient financial coverage under the Contingent Credit Facility to support, in a timely manner, the implementation of Guyana’s strategic response plan to COVID-19,” the Bank states.

The IDB outlines that as the number of COVID-19 cases increases, “it is critical to ensure that the Government

has the necessary funding to quickly implement all measures required to control the ongoing emergency and save people’s lives”.

The resources of the loan will be used for, among other needs, the purchase of medical equipment, laboratory equipment and inputs, ambulances, and Personal Protective Equipment for health workers, surveillance officers, and border personnel.

The operation will also benefit the affected population of Guyana who will receive emergency assistance under the proposed coverage.

According to the IDB, the loan, of which US$15.4 million, is charged to the reg-

ular ordinary capital of the IDB, with a repayment term of 25 years, a grace period of 5.5 years and an interest rate based on the London InterBank Offered Rate (LIBOR).

A total of US$6.6 million is charged to concessional ordinary capital, with a repayment and grace term of 40 years and an interest rate of 0.25 per cent, the Bank further explained.

As of November 9, 2020, Guyana recorded a total of 4524 COVID-19 cases with 135 fatalities. To date, some 3549 persons have recovered from the life-threatening viral disease. A total of 22,092 persons have been tested for the novel coronavirus thus

far.

Since taking office, the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government has embarked on a massive testing drive to ensure that all positive cases, especially asymptomatic cases, are detected. This has resulted in a high number of cases being detected.

The authorities have been pleading with, and reminding Guyanese to observe the protocols of the COVID-19 Emergency Measures (No 9). This order emphasises, among other things, the need for correct and consistent use of face masks when leaving home; the importance of maintaining six feet of phys-

ical distance from others and the need for good hand hygiene to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Meanwhile, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), as of Monday, some 50,266,033 confirmed cases were reported globally along with 1,254,567 deaths.

The Region of the Americas, that is, Latin America and the Caribbean has been identified as the most affected region by the virus. WHO also reported that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Region increased to 21,730,622 while the death toll has gone up to 659,080.

“This is blows” – La Grange farmers after suffering major losses due to flooding …accuse NDC of neglecting drainage network

By Lakhram Bhagirat

F

armers at Independence Street, La Grange, West Bank Demerara, are accusing the La Grange/ Nismes Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) of continually neglecting the main drainage canals, resulting in them being severely flooded whenever it rains.

This time, the farmers said enough is enough since

blocked culvert at Factory Dam. The NDC is vested with the mandate of ensuring that the culvert – which is blocked by rice farmers - is opened whenever there is heavy rainfall in an effort to drain the farmlands faster. The same is with the Palmer Street canal which, the farmers allege, have not been cleaned in a long time.

They also claimed that

A section of one of the flooded farms

the majority of their farmlands is now under water, leaving them with hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses. They are now calling for urgent intervention from the authorities since they seem to be getting nowhere with the local NDC. Though the Independence Street, La Grange area is not a traditional cash crop farming area, there are several former sugar workers and cane farmers who have now converted their lands into cash crop farms. The income from their farms serve as the sole means of providing for their families and in the time of the coronavirus pandemic, even the smallest loss can be perceived as the greatest.

The farmers complained that every time it rains, they are flooded and their constant pleas to the NDC seem to be falling on deaf ears. They understand that the NDC has no power to control the natural elements but are arguing that they have been neglecting the aspects that they are responsible for.

The main issue lies within the Palmer Street canal, which serves as the main drainage source for many of the farmers in Section A of Independence Street and in Section B, the issue is a

whenever the canal is cleared, it is done at selected parts rather than holistically.

Farmers’ stories

Farmer Rohan Murray said he has been planting in the area for about eight years now and every time it rains; his crops are under water.

He plants boulanger, ochro, thyme and peppers in an effort to take care of his family.

“It all flood out. The trench bad. The trench got to clean that mek we ah get

flood out. Me get over a thousand balanjay (plants) now that got big big balanjay and that done (getting killed by the floodwaters). All that go rotten out. Water deh high to

the root of the plant. I spent about $200,000 on the balanjay,” he said.

The man said he also has over 2000 ochro plants that are now beginning to bear but now they are completely inundated. He noted that those plants would eventually die after the water recedes.

Another farmer, Mukesh Kumar, said that they have been advocating for the Palmer Street canal to be cleaned and maintained on a regular basis but the authorities seem to be disinterested.

“This problem we does get every rainy season. Look I am planting soursop, fine leaf thyme and so and right now I get over 160 (plantain and banana) suckers at the back there and all under water. When the water go down now all me thyme tree and everything else go start rotting and we got to start over again. It get big grass in the (Palmer Street) trench at the back there and them man nah do nothing about it budday,” Kumar posited.

Bisnauth Prabhudyal has been farming for almost all his life. He currently plants red beans, cassava and other cash crops. The man explained that the water destroys his crops almost every rainy season. He stands to lose over $300,000 in investment now that 70 per cent of his farm is knee-deep in water.

Many of the farmers depend on their produce as the main sources of income but every rainy season, they are suffering hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses with no compensation. Their is-

sues were recently raised at a meeting, on Wednesday, with two Councillors from the NDC who promised to address it.

However, to date, they are

yet to hear any word as to the progress.

The Councillors also advised the farmers to visit the Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) Regional Democratic Council (RDC) and seek a meeting with the Regional Chairman in an effort to have their issues highlighted.

A team of farmers heeded that advice and travelled to Vreed-en-Hoop where they met with Regional Chairman for Region Three, Ishan Ayube on Thursday. They reported that Ayube met with them shortly after 09:30h while he was preparing to attend a meeting. He promised to address their concerns at the level of the Regional Democratic Council.

“We talk to the Regional Chairman and he say them get a Hymac (excavator) and it deh at the road top and them go send the Hymac just to clear the sideline. They

Rohan Murray in his flooded farm

ing at the market. He, like many of his counterparts, is constantly inundated and has no one to assist him.

Additionally, Deonarine Singh said the recent meeting was held at his residence but they have been getting nowhere with the authorities.

“Them say that them guh

Totaram Mangru looks at his hard work under water

send it and we now pass and we see the Hymac by Isaac (former NDC Chair) cleaning the middle walk,” farmer Totaram Mangru explained.

The middle walk, according to the farmers, does not need to be cleaned since it is always cleared. Rather it is the Palmer Street canal that requires the cleaning.

Mangru and his son farm cash crops on a medium scale and they would have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars preparing their lands and planting. Almost 90 per cent of their combined farms are under water and now they stand to lose their investment in addition to anticipated profits. Farming is their main source of income.

For over 20 years, Sundar (only name given) has been planting cash crops and sell-

go in to talk to the people them and unto now nobody nah come and say nothing.

We nah get no feedback yet.

Presently some ah the farmer them what plant rice they would block the culvert and wouldn’t open um when is rainy season. About 2-3 years gone back they block it and we had to go open it we self,” he said.

“We made representation”

However, NDC Chair Anjanie Narine vehemently denied the NDC’s role in neglecting the drainage systems in the area. She related that it is unfair for the farmers to claim that no representation is being made on their behalf.

In fact, she related that she would have written to both the Regional Chairman and Ministry of Agriculture

to have machinery released to clear the drains.

“To my surprise, some of these farmers prefer to bypass the NDC because they have never come to the NDC, they have never made a report at the NDC. However, during our yearly survey of drainage that needs to be cleared two months ago and at that time we did not had the new Chairman sworn in it was the former Chairman (Julius Faerber) final month that I wrote to the Region asking for them to assist us with both a long broom and a mini excavator for internal and major drainage,” she explained.

She added that the NDC does not have the resources to execute the projects and would have to rely on the Agriculture Ministry, RDC and the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority for assistance.

She said that the delay in getting the excavator into the NDC was based on the fact that it was engaged in Canal Number Two and was just released to them about a week ago.

“We are supposed to start from Palmer Street by clearing the drainage at the back there coming out and there were some mix up whereby the ranger took it upon himself to give directives to the operator and we cleared it up.

The mini excavator is working in Palmer Street. The machine is back in there cleaning,” Narine said.

When asked to provide a date of when last the main Palmer Street canal was cleared, the NDC Chair could not have done so, rather she indicated that she believes it was last done at the beginning of the year – which the farmers are disputing.

NEWS

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Hess shifts focus to “world-class investment opportunity” in Guyana – CEO …completes sale of interest in Gulf of Mexico field

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hirty per cent stakeholder in the Stabroek Block, Hess Corporation has completed the previously announced sale of its 28 per cent working interest in the Shenzi Field in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico to BHP, the field’s operator, for a total consideration of $505 million, with an effective date of July 1, 2020.

According to Chief Executive Officer John Hess, “this transaction brings value forward in the current low price environment and further strengthens our cash and liquidity position.”

Hess explained that the proceeds from the sale will be used to fund the company’s “world-class investment opportunity in Guyana.”

The Shenzi field had produced an average of 11,000 net barrels of oil equivalent

per day in the first eight months of 2020.

Just recently, Hess Corp announced plans to invest approximately US$1.8 billion in the Payara Development project, excluding pre-sanction costs and Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) purchase cost.

The company had said that it made a final investment decision to proceed with the development of the Payara Field offshore Guyana after the development plan had gotten the goahead from the Government of Guyana.

The Stabroek Block is 6.6 million acres. ExxonMobil affiliate Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited is the operator and holds 45 per cent interest. Along with Hess’ 30 per cent, CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited,

a wholly-owned subsidiary of CNOOC Limited, holds 25 per cent interest in the Stabroek Block.

Payara is the third Field Development Plan (FDP) in the Stabroek Bock to gain approval. The first FDP that the Guyana Government approved was for Liza Phase One, while Liza Phase Two is expected to start up in 2022.

The Liza Phase 1 development, with a production capacity of 120,000 gross barrels of oil per day, achieved first oil in late 2019. Liza Phase 2 remains on track to achieve first oil by early 2022. It will produce up to 220,000 gross barrels of oil per day at peak rates using the <<<Liza Unity>>> FPSO, which is under construction in Singapore.

The US$9 billion Payara development will target an

estimated resource base of about 600 million oil-equivalent barrels and is considered to be the largest single investment ever made in Guyana.

The project is expected to produce up to 220,000 barrels of oil per day after startup in 2024, using the <<<Prosperity>>> FPSO vessel.

The Guyana Government has said that it remains committed to managing and harvesting Guyana’s oil and gas resources sustainably “in keeping with internationally recognised acceptable environmental standards and transparency for the benefit of all Guyanese”.

It has also assured that oil revenues will go towards developing modern infrastructures and ensuring that citizens benefit from improved social services.

4 students at President’s College test positive for COVID-19 upon return to school

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our students who returned to their dorms at President’s College at Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara, have tested positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). All four of them are from Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni). The students were only tested for the virus upon their arrival at the school.

During a press conference on Monday, Education Minister Priya Manickchand provided an update on the situation, pointing out that the first batch of students was tested upon entry into the school.

“From the first batch, four of those children are positive. That was a batch that came from a specific community. Today

[Monday] we received results again for the wider population of students that came from all over the country and four more are positive,” the Minister said.

Additionally, she pointed out that for all the schools that have dorms, returning students will be tested “because it makes sense to test them.” Manickchand explained, “In dorms, students interact a little bit more with each other than in the regular classroom. So, we are testing with the consent of parents, of course. Once we test the 5000 dorm students you will see positive persons.”

According to her, once students are found to be positive for COVID-19, the Health Ministry will step

in. She explained that like in any normal case, students will be given the option to isolate at home or to go into institutional care.

The Minister assured that all systems were put in place to ensure students are safe upon their return to the classrooms on Monday.

The Education Minister was asked why the tests were not done on students from outlying regions prior to them coming into dorm schools in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) and in response, she said, “medical personnel wants to know where exactly the students are after they are tested so to prevent any kind of contamination after a test.

So, you do not want to test someone and not be sure of

where they are exactly because we have no facilities to keep them. Then have them go back home where they can be reinfected. You get a negative test and then the student comes in the school and we didn’t know they were infected between the time they were tested and the time they went home.”

According to the Education Minister, it would not have been wise to test all students who are returning to school for COVID-19.

“If we are to test all the students coming back in given the large number, we will find persons who are positive. The science, across the world, says that generally in children and young adults the symptoms are very mild if any are detected at all.”

Meanwhile, Education advisor at the Education Ministry, Olato Sam noted that it is critical that students return to school. He added, “The world is not waiting for anyone. And we have recognised that.

If you look at universities abroad, schools in Jamaica, Barbados, they have gone ahead with the phased reopening.”

He noted, too, that the approach adopted by Guyana’s Education Ministry has not been “plucked out of the air”.

Sam continued, “We took into consideration what UNICEF and UNESCO have been saying, what some other sister states in the Caribbean have been saying. It is a process. We will watch and we will learn… we cannot stay in seclusion for the rest of our lives. This thing [COVID-19] is with us. So, what we have to do is strategise and plan to deliver quality education which is in keeping with the Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education.”

Woman slapped with 2-year sentence for ganja granted bail pending appeal

Anitha Qualis

Attorney-at-Law Siand Dhurjon

nitha Qualis, a mother of four, who was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to trafficking one pound of marijuana, was on Monday released on $50,000 bail pending an appeal.

At her first court appearance on September 21, 2020, Qualis pleaded guilty to the charge when she appeared before Magistrate Crystal Lambert at the Bartica Magistrate’s Courts.

Police had stated that on September 19, 2020, Qualis was at Karrau Landing, Mazaruni River, Essequibo, when she was seen acting in a suspicious manner.

She was arrested and taken to the Bartica Police Station where a search was conducted on her person. It was at that time, a small black plastic bag containing the cannabis was found hidden in her hair.

At the very first chance, Qualis had expressed remorse to the police and claimed ownership. She begged for mercy, claiming that the father of her children had abandoned her and, as the police alleged, she said that she was trying to get food for them to eat.

In fact, she told the court, “I accepted the weed, I am a mother of four, and my children’s father left for the interior, and I never heard from him again. I decided to try a thing to provide for my children.” A probation report noted that she was not fortunate to have opportunities in life to advance herself.

The 35-year-old woman was unable to complete primary school because she had to tend to her sick father in the Arima, Berbice River area. She became a mother at the age of 15 and sought refuge in an abusive relationship which saw her producing three more children.

The man who fathers Qualis’ last three children, according to her lawyer Siand Dhurjon, abandoned her this year.

According to the lawyer, on the day of sentencing, Magistrate Lambert accepted that there were special reasons in Qualis’ case which warranted a sentence below the minimum

sentence prescribed in the Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act. The Magistrate, however, did not agree with the lawyer’s submissions that Qualis should be given a short sentence or no sentence given the mitigating factors in her favour.

Despite an application by Dhurjon under the Criminal Law Reform Act to have his client’s sentence suspended, the Magistrate refused to grant it, stating that she “did not see reason enough for the suspension of her sentence.”

In his application for bail pending appeal before High Court Judge Navindra Singh, Dhurjon argued, “the refusal of the learned Magistrate to suspend Qualis' sentence goes against recent precedents and practices in the summary courts as Qualis is a firsttime offender of a nonviolent crime faced with such exceptional circumstances.”

According to the defence counsel, this is especially in light of the novel coronavirus which has afflicted at least 200 inmates of the prison population. To date, only just over half of the population has been tested for the disease.

“The policy of Government is that firsttime offenders shouldn't be in prison for small amounts of cannabis; it is a burden on our penal institutions. I read in the news that legislation is being drafted to mandate that jail sentences be removed for such small quantities, nevertheless, the Magistrate had the discretion under Section 73(1) of the Act to order little or no jail time.”

Further, the lawyer contended that the sentence imposed on his client is “excessive, inordinate and, unduly severe.” This is so, he said, because it fails to take into account the mitigating factors in favour of his client.

Moreover, the defence attorney argued that the fine of $754,500 which Qualis was ordered to pay is also excessive because the “illegal drug itself - just about one pound - was incapable of being worth more than $50,000, that being its street value.”

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guyanatimesgy.com

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2020

Regional

Evo Morales returns to Bolivia Peru’s Martín Vizcarra faces another impeachment vote from exile in Argentina

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ormer longTwitter. time Bolivian These findings leader Evo have since been Morales crossed the disputed, and he border back into has maintained Bolivia on Monday, that he was the ending a year in exvictim of an orile, one day after a chestrated coup. close ally and memLast month, ber of his MAS leftnew President ist party was sworn Luis Arce said that in as President.

Morales would Morales, who play no role in his led Bolivia for algovernment. most 14 years as Evo Morales waves to a large crowd during a welcoming M o r a l e s the first Indigenous ceremony for him in Villazon, Bolivia [Courtesy of crossed the border President, entered Gentileza Sixto Valdez/MAS media office handout] from Argentina, the country from where he has been Morales, who left Bolivia living in exile, at 09:00h ET Argentina after a farewell under a cloud of suspicion in (14:00 GMT) and is expected ceremony presided over by Argentine President Alberto November 2019 after interna- to head to his rural strongtional observers cited irreg- hold, Chapare in central Fernandez.

“I had no doubt that I ularities in an election that Bolivia. would return (to Bolivia),” he gave him a fourth term in ofAround 2000 supporttold a large crowd of support- fice, said that being able to re- ers, including members of ers who came to welcome him turn filled him “with happi- Argentine social and politiin the city of Villazon, which ness”. cal groups, gathered at the La “Today is one of the most Quiaca crossing on Monday borders Argentina, “but I did not imagine that it would be important days of my life, to morning to see him off. so soon – something so histor- be returning to the country (Excerpt from Al Jazeera) ic and so unprecedented,” he that I love so much fills me with happiness,” he wrote on said.

Maduro hopes to resume “decent” dialogue with US after Biden win

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enezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said on Sunday that he would work to resume “decent, sincere” political dialogue with the United States, a country with which his Government maintains tense relations, once Joe Biden assumes the presidency in January.

“In time … we will work, hopefully, to resume decent, sincere, direct channels of dialogue between the future Government of Joe Biden” and Venezuela, the leftist leader said in a televised speech.

Maduro had said on Saturday that he was open to “dialogue” after congrat-

ulating Biden on his victory. Opposition Leader Juan Guaidó, who has declared himself the Latin American country’s interim leader, also congratulated the US President-Elect.

The target of US sanctions aiming to force him from power, Maduro broke off diplomatic relations with Washington in January 2019, after President Donald Trump’s Administration – along with around 60 other countries – recognised Guaidó as Venezuela’s President.

“Donald Trump left a minefield between the Government of the United States and Venezuela …

he left a swamp. I know, we know,” Maduro said, adding he hoped Biden’s Administration would end US “interventionism” in Latin America.

Washington has led international pressure to force the socialist leader from power and was one of the first countries to back Guaidó’s January 2019 claim to be Venezuela’s acting President, after Maduro’s May 2018 re-election was deemed fraudulent.

The US imposed financial sanctions on Venezuela, including an oil embargo that has been in force since April 2019. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Jamaicans urged to support National Blood Transfusion Services

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tate Minister make donations in in the Health this COVID-19 panand Wellness demic, donors should Ministry, Juliet be encouraged and Cuthbert Flynn assured that the necis appealing for essary safety protopublic support cols are in place at of the National blood collection cenBlood Transfusion tres. Jamaica needs Services (NBTS), enough for everyone through the donathat has a need,” the tion of blood and State Minister Juliet Cuthbert Flynn (left); NBTS Records State Minister said. blood products to Clerk Gregory McHargh (right); Dr Alisha Tucker (second “This is an opporincrease supplies at left); and Massy United Insurance Limited Branch tune time for all of us Manager Winsome Gibbs at a blood drive organised the entity.

by NBTS, in partnership with Massy United Insurance to consider our famiSpeaking at the Limited (JIS photo) ly, friends and comopening ceremony munities to make a She emphasised that the for a blood drive, concerted effort to doheld on Friday, November 6 at NBTS was depending on do- nate and help to save lives,” Pan Jam Investment Limited nor assistance to provide she added. courtyard in Kingston, blood and blood products to Meanwhile, acting Cuthbert Flynn said the do- patients.

Director of the NBTS, Dr “The transfusion of blood Alisha Tucker, told JIS News nation of blood was especially important at this time as and blood products has saved the blood and blood product the country faced the corona- thousands of lives in Jamaica stores at the Service were at virus (COVID-19) pandemic, and every donation helps to “critically low levels”. (Excerpt as well as the dengue and flu save three lives. Although from Jamaica Observer) persons may be afraid to seasons.

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eru’s Congress was expected to vote later on Monday on whether to impeach President Martín Vizcarra over corruption allegations.

A previous impeachment vote held less than two months ago failed to get the necessary votes.

Eighty-seven votes are needed in the 130-member Congress to remove the President from his post.

Vizcarra has denied any wrongdoing and says the vote creates turbulence just months ahead of elections.

Vizcarra said he would go to Congress later on Monday to give his defence

to allegations he accepted bribes worth 2.3 million soles (US$640,000) when he was governor of the southern Moquegua region.

The impeachment vote is expected to be held once Vizcarra has finished presenting his defence.

Last week, 60 lawmakers voted in favour of the proceedings going ahead, while 40 opposed the move and 18 abstained.

An impeachment vote held on September 18 fell far short of gaining the necessary votes when only 32 lawmakers cast their ballot in favour of removing Vizcarra from office.

The impeachment pro-

ceedings two months ago focused on allegations that Vizcarra had misused public funds, which he denied.

Vizcarra became President in March 2018 after his predecessor in office, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, resigned amid allegations of vote buying.

Vizcarra has been embroiled in a bitter battle with Congress, which is dominated by rival parties, since he took office.

Last year, the President dissolved Congress arguing that lawmakers were obstructing his anti-corruption agenda. (Excerpt from BBC News)

PAHO panel: States should protect citizens against unhealthy eating

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aribbean States’ interventions to prevent Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) have reached a turning point with the global pandemic.

In a Region that was already faced with obesity, unhealthy diets, a lack of meaningful action to stem NCDs can be problematic.

This warning came out of a PAHO panel discussion on Monday morning.

It addressed the increase of NCDs in the Region, the human rights approach and front-of-packaging warning labelling.

Anand Grover, former UN special rapporteur on the Right to Everyone to the Enjoyment of the Highest Attainable Standard of Physical and Mental Health, said global trade and increased foreign direct investment in the food sector, as well as pervasive marketing of unhealthy foods, had increased the consumption of unhealthy foods, fats, trans fats, sugars and sodium, which have been linked to diet-related NCDs.

Anand Grover, former UN special rapporteur on the Right to Everyone to the Enjoyment of the Highest Attainable Standard of Physical and Mental Health (news.un.org photo)

He said, “Thousands of people are dying in Latin America and the Caribbean and we need to take action.

In the food sector, there is the marketing of unhealthy foods which have, of course, increased consumption.

“Citizens have the right to the availability and accessibility of healthier food options, including increasing information and awareness about the health risks posed by unhealthy foods.”

Grover said States have the obligation to respect, protect, and fulfil the need for various accountability and remedial mechanisms to redress healthy food op-

tions.

“The right to health is incorporated in the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights, which many countries have ratified and incorporated in common-law or civil-law systems,” Grover said.

Nicole Foster, a lecturer at the Faculty of Law at UWI Cave Hill, said while having international laws and ratification was fine, integrating them into culture and ways of thinking was also critical to promote a healthy region. (Excerpt from Trinidad Newsday)

Leaders of Latin America’s biggest countries hold off on congratulating Biden

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he Presidents of Latin America’s two largest countries have held back from congratulating Joe Biden for winning the US presidential election, even as other leaders of allied countries around the globe sent their best wishes.

Biden, a Democrat, cleared the threshold of 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the presidency on Saturday, after four days of ballot counting following the November 3 election. Incumbent Republican President Donald Trump has yet to concede.

Brazil’s right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro had boasted he would be the first leader in the world to congratulate Trump,

for whom he has often expressed admiration, on his re-election. But he has been silent on the matter in recent days.

In Mexico, leftist President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador reiterated he would not recognise the election winner until legal disputes were resolved, but said he had “no problem” with Biden.

Trump has launched an array of lawsuits to press claims of election fraud, without producing evidence.

State officials have said they are not aware of any significant irregularities.

Lopez Obrador and Bolsonaro are part of a shrinking group of world leaders to not congratulate

Biden that also includes Russia’s Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping.

Bolsonaro’s silence could herald a rocky start in bilateral relations with Biden, who is expected to put Amazon deforestation and human rights at the top of his agenda with Brazil.

“I think the President is waiting for this imbroglio over fraudulent votes to be resolved: if there is nothing, he will give his view,” Brazil’s Vice President Hamilton Mourão told reporters on Monday.

Bolsonaro will congratulate Biden “at the right time” and wait to see what happens with Trump’s lawsuits, Mourão said. (Excerpt from Reuters)

guyanatimesgy.com

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2020

19

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS IEA sees new European lockdowns denting oil demand outlook

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enewed lockdown measures in Europe aimed at containing a rise in COVID-19 cases appear set to push the outlook for global oil demand toward the downside, an official with the International Energy Agency (IEA) said.

Keisuke Sadamori, IEA Director for Energy Markets and Security, told Reuters the impact would, however, likely be less severe than under lockdowns earlier in the year.

“Major parts of the European continent are in lockdown. This would surely work toward the negative side,” he said in an interview, but stopped short of saying the group would formally lower its forecast.

“We certainly expect this time for there to be a lower impact than the last lockdown ... This time schools are kept open and some of the stores are still open.”

Oil prices have recovered from sharp falls earlier in the year to hover around US$40 a barrel but demand fears persist, while markets remain on edge over a knifeedge US election result which appears headed for legal challenges.

“The oil and gas industry, in the US in particular, is looking at the outcome of this election with a huge amount of interest,” Sadamori said.

“If the Democrats plan for radical energy low-carbon transformation -- if the Senate remains in the hands of Republicans, there will be obstacles to that legislation.

Overall, we need to see the entire outcome.”

The IEA kept its 2020 and 2021 oil demand forecast steady in its monthly report on Oct 14, before major European countries including Germany, France and the United Kingdom imposed strict new curbs on movement to check the spread of the virus.

The Paris-based agency is set to publish its next analysis of the oil market on Thursday.

China remains the world’s major bright spot after suppressing the virus earlier this year and is on track to be the only major country to boost its year-on-year demand for oil, Sadamori said.

Products demand presents a mixed picture, he added, with jet fuel and kerosene continuing to suffer but diesel, fuel oil and gasoline performing better. (Excerpt from Reuters)

“Mutant coronavirus” seen before on mink farms, say scientists

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mutant form of coronavirus found in Denmark has arisen previously in mink, scientists have revealed.

The mutated virus, which appears to have spread from animals to humans in Denmark, has been detected retrospectively at a mink farm in the Netherlands, according to a leading Dutch expert.

The mink were culled and the mutation did not infect humans there, he said.

Six countries have reported coronavirus outbreaks at mink farms.

They include the Netherlands, Denmark, Spain, Sweden, Italy and the US. Mink are known to be susceptible to Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, which can spread rapidly from animal to animal in conditions where thousands of animals are kept in close proximity.

The farmed weasel-like animals have become infected by farm workers during the pandemic, and have occasionally passed the virus on to humans, raising the risk of the virus acquiring mutations.

Danish scientists are worried that genetic changes in a mink-related form of the virus, infecting a dozen people, has the potential to make future vaccines less effective.

The genetic change is in the spike protein of the virus, which is important in the body’s immune response, and a key target for vaccines.

The Netherlands launched a widespread cull of mink after signs, in a small number of cases, that humans had picked up coronavirus from mink. (Excerpt from BBC News)

COVID vaccine: First “milestone” vaccine offers 90% protection

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he first effective coronavirus vaccine can prevent more than 90 per cent of people from getting COVID-19, a preliminary analysis shows.

The developers - Pfizer and BioNTech - described it as a “great day for science and humanity”.

Their vaccine has been tested on 43,500 people in six countries and no safety concerns have been raised.

The companies plan to apply for emergency approval to use the vaccine by the end of the month.

No vaccine has gone from the drawing board to being proven highly effective in such a short period of time.

There are still huge challenges ahead, but the an-

The trials – in the US, Germany, Brazil, Argentina, South Africa and Turkey – show 90 per cent protection is achieved seven days after the second dose.

nouncement has been warmly welcomed with scientists describing themselves smiling “ear to ear” and some suggesting life could be back to normal by spring.

“I am probably the first guy to say that, but I will say

that with some confidence,” said Sir John Bell, regius professor of medicine at Oxford University.

A vaccine - alongside better treatments - is seen as the best way of getting out of the restrictions that have been

imposed on all our lives.

The data shows that two doses, three weeks apart, are needed.

However, the data presented is not the final analysis as it is based on only the first 94 volunteers to develop COVID so the precise effectiveness of the vaccine may change when the full results are analysed.

Dr Albert Bourla, the Chairman of Pfizer, said: “We are a significant step closer to providing people around the world with a much-needed breakthrough to help bring an end to this global health crisis.”

Prof Ugur Sahin, one of the founders of BioNTech, described the results as a “milestone”. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Ukrainian President, 3 top officials contract coronavirus

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krainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced on Monday he had tested positive for the coronavirus, and the Finance Minister, the Defence Minister and Zelensky’s top aide were also reported to be infected.

“Despite all the quarantine measures, I also received a + (positive) result. I have 37.5, and I wish everyone 36.6!”

Zelenskiy said in a Telegram message, referring to his body temperature.

Minutes after Zelenskiy’s announcement, Andriy Yermak, head of the presidential office, said on Facebook

that he had also tested positive for the virus.

Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko’s office said he had been diagnosed with COVID-19 and would work remotely. State news agency Ukrinform reported that Defence Minister Andriy Taran had also tested positive.

On Thursday, Marchenko, Prime Minister Denys Shmygal and other Ministers took part in a parliamentary session. Shmygal’s office said he had no signs of the infection but would undergo a test today.

The President’s wife,

Olena, contracted COVID-19 in June and spent several weeks in a hospital.

Shmygal said last week the number of new cases could jump to 15,000 a day by the end of November and to 20,000 daily by the end of the year.

Ukraine’s Health Minister said last week the coronavirus situation in Ukraine was close to catastrophic and that the nation must prepare for the worst.

Zelenskiy said earlier on Monday Ukraine may introduce a lockdown at weekends in an effort to curb the pandemic, and such a move

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks during a joint news briefing with Polish President Andrzej Duda (not pictured) as they meet in Kyiv, Ukraine, October 12, 2020

would not have a serious negative impact on the economy.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Donald Trump fires US Militant Islamists “behead Defence Secretary Mark Esper more than 50” in Mozambique

U

nited States President Donald Trump said on Monday that he had “terminated” Defence Secretary Mark Esper, appearing to use his final months in office after his November 3 election defeat to settle scores within his Administration.

Trump, who publicly split with Esper in recent months over a range of issues, said on Twitter that Christopher Miller, Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, will become acting secretary of defence. The Senate would be highly unlikely to confirm any new nominee before Trump leaves office in January.

The Pentagon had no immediate comment.

Esper had long been preparing for the prospect of his resignation or dismissal following the election, particularly if Trump were to win a second term in office, sources said.

The two men fell out earlier this year when Esper opposed Trump’s threat to use active-duty troops to suppress street protests over racial injustice in the US. Esper also disagreed with Trump’s dismissive attitude toward the NATO alliance, sources said.

M

Trump has steadfastly refused to acknowledge his election loss to Democrat Joe Biden, alleging widespread voter fraud without evidence.

His campaign team has launched legal challenges in several states.

Trump has had an uneasy relationship with the Pentagon, where Esper and top brass have repeatedly sought to avoid being seen as a political instrument of the Trump Administration.

Esper’s predecessor, Jim Mattis, quit in 2018 over policy differences with Trump, including on Syria. Mattis in June criticised Trump as the “first President in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people – does not even pretend to try. Instead, he tries to divide us.” (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

ore than 50 people have been beheaded in northern Mozambique by militant Islamists, state media reported.

The militants turned a football pitch in a village into an “execution ground”, where they decapitated and chopped bodies, other reports said.

Several people were also beheaded in another village, state media reported.

The beheadings are the latest in a series of gruesome attacks that the militants have carried out in gas-rich Cabo Delgado province since 2017.

Up to 2000 people have been killed and about 430,000 have been left homeless in the conflict in the mainly-Muslim province.

The militants are linked to the Islamic State (IS) group, giving it a foothold in southern Africa.

The group has exploited poverty and unemployment to recruit youth in their fight to establish Islamic rule in the area.

Many locals complain that they have benefited little

from the province’s ruby and gas industries.

The gunmen chanted “Allahu Akbar” (“God is greatest”, in English), fired shots, and set homes alight when they raided Nanjaba village on Friday night, the state-owned Mozambique News Agency quoted survivors as saying.

Two people were beheaded in the village and several women abducted, the news agency added.

A separate group of militants carried out another brutal attack on Muatide village, where they beheaded more than 50 people, the news agency reported.

Villagers who tried to flee were caught, and taken to the local football pitch where they were beheaded and chopped to pieces in an atrocity carried out from Friday night to Sunday, privately-run Pinnancle News reported.

M o z a m b i q u e ’ s Government has appealed for international help to curb the insurgency, saying its troops need specialised training. (Excerpt from BBC News)

20

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2020

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ARIES (March 21April 19)

You may crave change, but before you make a move, consider your motives and your options. Patience will be required if you intend to reach your goal. Settling for less will lead to dissatisfaction.

Take the plunge. Stand up TAURUS for your rights, go after your (April 20goals and engage in converMay 20) sations that address sensitive issues. A partnership will encourage personal growth and professional gains.

DILBERT

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SUDOKU

Do something that requires energy, agility and a competitive mindset. A physical challenge will bring out the best in you. Aggressive action will deter anyone from taking you for granted.

Moderation is favored.

Speak up if you don’t like what someone is doing. You may not relish making a change, but consider the alternative, and do what’s necessary to improve your situation.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Take care of matters that require physical exertion.

A change will encourage you to strive for a better future. Distance yourself from a movement that doesn’t share your point of view.

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Your emotions will push you in a positive direction.

An unusual partnership will encourage you to try something new and incorporate what you learn into your everyday routine.

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Don’t expect to get along or agree with the people you encounter today. Consider your options and put your energy into something that will bring you closer to your goal.

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Don’t sit back when you need to take action. Harness your energy and get moving. Don’t count on others when it’s up to you to effect change.

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You’ll face opposition if you pressure others to do things your way. Go about your business and finish what you start. An unusual offer will entice you.

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Resolve money matters.

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Share your ideas and look for equality in every personal or professional interaction you encounter.

An unexpected change will work in your favor.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2020

21

Regrouped Delhi in way of Mumbai’s 5th title I

t was brave of Delhi Capitals to shake things up in a big match like Qualifier 2, but, as they say, fortune favours the brave.

tered a nine-wicket victory in their second group game against Delhi. Their victory in Qualifier 1 was as clinical as it gets as the Rohit Sharma-led side beat Delhi by a huge margin of 57 runs to book a play-off berth.

Why DC stuttered

Delhi have come out a much better team after their victory against Sunrisers Hyderabad. The reason why Delhi Capitals had lost their last five matches out of six, including four losses on the trot, before their victory against Sunrisers Hyderabad, was the brand of the cricket they were playing.

Delhi Capitals became one of the first teams to qualify for t h e Indian Premier League (IPL) 2 0 2 0

playo f f s , because they played positive cricket and took the attack to the opposition. However, they tried to play it safe in the second half of the tournament, which cost them.

Back to aggressive mindset

With their backs against the wall, Delhi decided to return to their fearless ap-

Mumbai on autopilot

proach in the last game.

They dropped Prithvi Shaw and promoted Marcus Stoinis to open the batting alongside Shikhar Dhawan, which was a great move.

Although, Stoinis departed for 38 off 27 deliver-

ies, he had done his job b y setting the pace of the innings.

Dhawan a n d Shimron Hetmyer then took Delhi Capitals to 189.

With the ball, Kagiso Rabada, who looked a bit off colour in the last few matches, joined the party, taking four wickets. Stoinis, on the back of his good hit with the bat, pocketed three wickets as Delhi announced them-

selves, back and running to claim their final berth.

MI ahead in head-to-head

D e l h i Capitals and Mumbai Indians

have faced each other thrice in the tournament – twice in the league stage and once in the play-offs, and Mumbai have emerged victorious on all three occasions.

What will give Mumbai Indians confidence, not that they don’t already have a lot of it, is that all three victories were comprehensive.

While they won the first league match against DC by five wickets, Mumbai regis-

Mumbai Indians’ campaign is going on autopilot and the team do not need to do anything differently. If they play their best cricket on the night, despite Delhi Capitals’ resurgence, Mumbai have just too much prowess to get beaten.

The final also brings an opportunity for Rohit

Sharma to score big in the most important game of the tournament and stake his claim for the Australia tour.

Pandya, Pollard and Bumrah key

Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard remain key for Mumbai as the finishers. They will expect both Trent Boult and Jasprit Bumrah to continue picking up early wickets.

Mo Farah & Hollie Arnold trusted to make right decisions, says British Athletics

B

ritish Athletics “trusts” Mo Farah and Hollie Arnold will make the “right decisions” regarding their Tokyo 2020 plans during their stint on “I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!”

The duo are part of the line-up for the ITV show, which starts on Sunday.

Last year, Farah, 37, revealed his plan to return to the track and bid for a third successive Olympic 10,000m title at the delayed Tokyo Games.

Arnold, 26, is looking to defend her Paralympic F46 javelin title in 2021.

Because of coronavirus restrictions, this year’s “I’m a Celebrity” is taking place at Gwrych Castle in north Wales, rather than the usual Australian jungle location, and will last for three weeks.

“I hope by going on the programme, it inspires people,” said Arnold in a statement.

“Yes, I have a missing arm and I am in the Paralympics, but I want to show people nothing stops me and it shouldn’t stop anyone else either.”

British Athletics confirmed that in line with their policy, they will suspend the APA (athlete personal award) funding for

athletes involved in the programme and will reinstate it once they return to full-time training.

BBC Sport understands this will only impact Arnold as APAs are means-tested and Farah’s commercial income makes him ineligible.

“We trust in them and their support networks to make the right decisions around their preparations before the Tokyo Olympics

and Paralympics,” said a British Athletics spokesperson.

Olympic champions Sam Quek (hockey) and Rebecca Adlington (swimming) have both taken part in the series in recent years, but after announcing their retirements from their respective sports.

Both the Olympics and Paralympics, scheduled for last summer, were postponed in March because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Olympics, which will still be called T o k y o 2020, will be staged from July 23 to August 8 , 2021 and the Paralympics will take place from August 24 to September 5, 2021.

(BBC Sport)

Probable playing XIs:

Mumbai Indians (MI) – Rohit Sharma (C); Quinton de Kock (wk); Suryakumar Yadav; Ishan Kishan; Hardik Pandya; Kieron Pollard; Krunal Pandya; Nathan Coulter-Nile; Rahul Chahar; Trent Boult and Jasprit Bumrah

Delhi Capitals (DC) – Marcus Stoinis; Shikhar Dhawan; Ajinkya Rahane; Shreyas Iyer (C); Rishabh Pant (wk); Shimron Hetmyer; Axar Patel; Ravichandran Ashwin; Praveen Dubey; Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje (cricketworld.com)

Masters: Sergio Garcia withdraws after positive coronavirus test

F

ormer Masters champion Sergio Garcia will miss this year’s event at Augusta after testing positive for coronavirus.

The 40-year-old Spaniard, who won the event in 2017, missed the cut in last week’s Houston Open.

“On Saturday night after driving back from Houston, I started feeling a bit of a sore throat and a cough,” he said.

“The symptoms stayed with me on Sunday morning, so I decided to get tested and so did my wife Angela. Thankfully, she tested negative, but I didn’t.”

This year’s Masters starts on Thursday having moved from its traditional early April staging because of the initial COVID-19 outbreak earli-

er in the year.

Garcia is the second player to have withdrawn because of the virus, after Joaquin Niemann pulled out last week following a positive test result.

The Masters policy is not to replace players who choose to withdraw and this year’s field is now at 92 players.

“After 21 years of not missing a major championship, I will sadly miss the Masters this week,” Garcia said on Twitter.

“The important thing is that my family and I are feeling good. We’ll come back stronger and give the green jacket a go next April.”

Garcia has missed the cut on his last two Masters starts and tied an unwanted record for most strokes on a hole in the tournament’s history after running up a 13 on the 15th during the first round of his title defence in 2018.

(BBC Sport)

22

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2020

Mandhana, Khatun lead Trailblazers to Women’s T20 Challenge Title

S

mriti Mandhana starred with the bat while Salma Khatun picked three wickets as Trailblazers beat Supernovas by 16 runs to clinch the Jio Women’s T20 Challenge title at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Monday.

Needing 119 runs to win, Supernovas lost Chamari Athapaththu early as Sophie Ecclestone trapped her leg before wicket to give Trailblazers their first breakthrough.

Trailblazers kept things tight, restricting Supernovas to 28-1 at the end of the powerplay. As Supernovas looked for some quick runs, Trailblazers then struck twice in the space of three overs as Deepti Sharma got Taniya Bhatia and Jemimah Rodrigues out.

While Bhatia was caught a t

through Trailblazers’ batting order. Radha Yadav, brought back into the attack in the 18th over, picked two wickets, dismissing Sharma and Richa Ghosh and then went on to pick three more wickets in the final over to become the first bowler to pick up a five-wicket haul in the Women’s T20 Challenge, helping Supernovas limit Trailblazers to 118-8.

(IPLT20)

short mid-wicket, Nattakan Chantam, who had earlier pulled off a stunning diving save near the boundary rope, completed a remarkable catch to dismiss Rodrigues.

Supernovas needed a partnership to get their chase back on track and the experienced duo of Harmanpreet Kaur and Shashikala Siriwardene did just that, putting up a 37run stand.

But just when it looked like the two would shift gears, Khatun dismissed Siriwardene after the Sri Lankan top-edged her sweep and Jhulan Goswami completed an easy catch.

The required run-rate continued to rise for Supernovas as Trailblazers squeezed the flow of runs.

While Kaur, despite struggling with her hamstring, kept the team’s hopes

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Trailblazers celebrate their win

alive, with 28 needed from the last two overs, Trailblazers dealt the decisive blow as they picked three wickets, including that of Kaur after Khatun disturbed the timber.

Trailblazers conceded just seven runs in the fin a l over, beating Supernovas by 16 runs to clinch the title.

Earlier, Supernovas, who brought in Pooja

overs. The pair added 18 runs in the next three overs and completed a fifty-run stand in the seventh over, with Mandhana doing the majority of the scoring.

However, Supernovas pulled back things in the next four overs, conceding just 15 runs and that helped them get a wicket in the 12th over as Poonam Yadav dismissed Dottin after Radha Yadav completed a juggling catch.

Mandhana, though, completed a fine fifty in the same over, hitting Poonam for a four and a six as Trailblazers reached 85-1.

Smriti Mandhana plays a shot

Smriti Mandhana top scored with 68

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Vastrakar in place of Priya Punia in the team, elected to bowl against Trailblazers who picked Nuzhat Parween in place of Dayalan Hemalatha.

While Deandra Dottin creamed a four in the first over, skipper Mandhana hit three fours and a six in the next two overs to take

While Trailblazers moved past 100 in the 15th over, they lost Mandhana for 68 in the same over, courtesy of a fine piece of work behind the stumps from Bhatia.

Supernovas then ran

SCOREBOARD TRAILBLAZERS INNINGS (20 OVERS MAXIMUM) DJS Dottin c Yadav b Poonam Yadav 20 S Mandhana (c) st †Bhatia b Siriwardene 68 RM Ghosh c Athapaththu b Yadav 10 DB Sharma c Athapaththu b Yadav 9 H Deol c Selman b Yadav 4 S Ecclestone c Selman b Yadav 1 J Goswami st †Bhatia b Yadav 1 NM Parween † not out 0 N Chantam run out (Kaur/Yadav) 0 Extras (b 1, lb 1, nb 1, w 2) 5 TOTAL (20 Ov, RR: 5.9) 118/8 Did not bat: Salma Khatun, RS Gayakwad Fall of wickets: 1-71 (Deandra Dottin, 11.1 ov), 2-101 (Smriti Mandhana, 14.5 ov), 3-112 (Deepti Sharma, 17.2 ov), 4-112 (Richa Ghosh, 17.4 ov), 5-117 (Sophie Ecclestone, 19.1 ov), 6-118 (Harleen Deol, 19.4 ov), 7-118 (Jhulan Goswami, 19.5 ov), 8-118 (Nattakan Chantam, 19.6 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W A Khaka 2-0-13-0 AA Patil 4-0-25-0 RP Yadav 4-0-16-5 SC Selman 1-0-7-0 P Vastrakar 1-0-10-0 Poonam Yadav 4-0-23-1 HASD Siriwardene 4-0-22-1

SUPERNOVAS INNINGS (TARGET: 119 RUNS FROM 20 OVERS) AMCJK Athapaththu lbw b Ecclestone 6 JI Rodrigues c Chantam b Sharma 13 T Bhatia † c Gayakwad b Sharma 14 H Kaur (c) b Salma Khatun 30 HASD Siriwardene c Goswami b Salma Khatun 19 AA Patil run out (Sharma/ Salma Khatun) 8 P Vastrakar c Ecclestone b Salma Khatun 0 RP Yadav not out 5 SC Selman not out 4 Extras (nb 1, w 2) 3 TOTAL (20 Ov, RR: 5.1) 102/7 Did not bat: Poonam Yadav, A Khaka Fall of wickets: 1-10 (Chamari Athapaththu, 1.6 ov), 2-30 (Taniya Bhatia, 6.5 ov), 3-37 (Jemimah Rodrigues, 8.3 ov), 4-74 (Shashikala Siriwardene, 14.4 ov), 5-93 (Anuja Patil, 18.2 ov), 6-93 (Harmanpreet Kaur, 18.3 ov), 7-94 (Pooja Vastrakar, 18.5 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W J Goswami 4-0-17-0 S Ecclestone 4-0-26-1 RS Gayakwad 4-0-23-0 DB Sharma 3-0-9-2 H Deol 1-0-9-0 Salma Khatun 4-0-18-3

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ATP Finals: Jamie Murray & Neal Skupski keep alive hopes of qualifying

B

Radha Yadav wickets

bagged

five

Trailblazers to 27 after three

ritons Jamie Murray and Neal Skupski kept alive their hopes of reaching next week’s ATP Finals with a first-round win at the Sofia Open.

The Britons are chasing the final spot in the doubles event at the prestigious end-of-season tournament in London.

They beat Slovakia’s Igor Zelenay and India’s Divij Sharan 6-3 3-6 10-6 in the Bulgarian capital on Monday.

Murray and Skupski must reach the final there to have a chance of qualifying for the ATP Finals, which start on Sunday.

The pair need to over-

take Jurgen Melzer and Edouard Roger-Vasselin, who currently occupy the eighth and final qualifying place. If top seeds Melzer and Roger-Vasselin were also to reach the final in Sofia, Murray and Skupski

would not be able to qualify.

The British second seeds face Alex de Minaur and David Vega Hernandez or Radu Albot and Artem Sitak next. (BBC Sport)

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2020

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

23

Forde concerned about preparations for Gold Cup

By Jemima Holmes

N

ext year, the senior men’s national football team, commonly referred to as the Golden Jaguars, will begin their journey towards a second qualification for the CONCACAF Gold Cup. However, with the coronavirus pandemic still lurking, it poses a threat to the preparedness of the squad.

“That is a very tough question and it is one that keeps me up quite often, because as it is right now, we are behind.”

That was the answer given by Guyana Football Federation (GFF) President Wayne Forde when probed about the state of the senior men’s national team in relation to their Gold Cup preliminary round participation in 2021, during an exclusive interview with Guyana Times Sport.

The Golden Jaguars’ quest will begin on July 2, next year, as they take on Guatemala in the United States. Thereafter, should the local boys come out victorious, they will be tasked with defeating the winner of

The Golden Jaguars starting XI at the 2019 Gold Cup

a Guadeloupe vs Bahamas match-up in order to make their way into the Gold Cup competition.

After revealing his concerns about the preparations, the GFF President went on to share that his main concerns regard the training of the local players, whose involvement in the national team he is passionate about.

“And we’re behind in a sense that when we hired Coach Maximo, we made it clear to him that one of

his main focus is to ensure that the locally-grown players are given the best possible chance to break in to the squad. And I think you would have witnessed the consistency with which he prepared those players,” Forde noted.

“Those players like all other players in Guyana have been inactive for 10 months.

We should’ve already been … [preparing] the training pitch. We’re not there, and I cannot say when we’ll be there, because it’s not entire-

Blackwood: Windies prepared for Black Caps pace attack

J

ermaine Blackwood said West Indies were braced for the onslaught from New Zealand’s speedsters during the upcoming twoTest series, but was confident the Caribbean side’s batting line-up had the ability to deal with the challenge.

West Indies are expected to encounter the likes of seamers Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Neil Wagner, all of whom proved a handful on the touring’s side last Test series in New Zealand three years ago.

In fact, Wagner snatched 14 wickets and Boult, 10, on that 2017 tour, propelling the hosts to a comprehensive sweep of the two-Test series as both matches finished inside four days.

“New Zealand have a very good [bowling] attack – they have experienced fast bowlers,” Blackwood told the

Observer newspaper in Jamaica.

“Once we can go out there and conquer those bowlers, we’ll come from the tour victorious.

“We know Wagner is going to come and give us a lot of short balls, so we have to be prepared for that and be prepared for anything.”

Blackwood missed the ill-fated tour after being dropped a couple of months earlier after a poor run which saw him manage just 15 runs from five i n nings.

However, he returned to the side this year following a three-year break, impressing with two half-centuries on the tour of England where he emerged as the Caribbean side’s leading batsman and the only one with over 200 runs.

West Indies’ batting struggled badly on the England tour, but Blackwood said the return of left-handed strokemakers Darren Bravo and Shimron Hetmyer would be a fillip for the department.

“I have confidence in the top order to now get the job done,” said Blackwood, who averages 30 from 31 Tests.

“Our top order didn’t really get the runs that we wanted in England, but I have all confidence in the top order, because Darren Bravo is back in the team and Shimron Hetmyer.”

Both Bravo and Hetmyer opted out of the England tour owing to concerns over the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

West Indies open their Test series on December 3 at Seddon Park in Hamilton before travelling to Wellington for the second Test bowling off eight days later at the historic Basin Reserve.

Three Twenty20 Internationals will precede the Tests, with matches in Auckland and Mount Maunganui November 27-30. (CMC)

ly up to me and that is very troubling.”

Forde went on to share that should the odds remain not in their favour, there were international players on hand to take up the mantle. He added that their constant training and playing even through the pandemic would be a plus for the team.

“We have a complete team of internationally-based players who are actively engaged in competition and I think if the situation continues this way, I think it is very likely that we will almost exclusively have to rely on those players,” he said.

“But we must know that that is not the best strategy for us. It’s not something that I feel good about, but if it comes down that, that is

what it is, then that is what it will have to be,” Forde declared.

In the meantime, the GFF boss disclosed plans to present a ‘bubble plan’ to Culture, Youth and Sport Minister Charles Ramson Jr and by extension ,the Government of Guyana, that will allow the locals to prepare in a safe environment under COVID-19 guidelines.

“We’ve been also speaking to the Minister of Sport and we’ve been actively refining a plan that we’ll be presenting to him that will give us a chance to create some semblance of a bubble as resources and local conditions and circumstances permit in Guyana,” the GFF President shared.

“Once he feels that it is a practical plan within the context of Guyana, I think his commitment is that he’ll make representation to the COVID-19 task force on our

behalf and coming out of that, I’m expecting we can have a broader discussion, where we will discuss how this plan will be implemented and what level of support we will need.”

Forde also stressed on the need for Government’s involvement, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, owing to the fact that it is a national team and the required resources will be a great burden for the GFF to shoulder alone.

The GFF boss commented, “’Cause again, the Guyana Football Federation does not have the resources to do all these things. This is not the Guyana Football Federation Golden Jaguars, this is Guyana Golden Jaguars and if we’re going to prepare a team to represent Guyana, we’ll need all the help we can get from the Government and other stakeholders.”

Hetmyer living his dream of playing in IPL final …urges DC to be patient

T

he Delhi Capitals have stormed into the final after a resounding win over the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH); there were many key performances that led them to this position.

But, one in particular was from Guyana’s very own Shimron Hetmyer, who played a handy knock of 42 off 22 balls. Hetmyer will now be able to live his dream of playing in his first Indian Premier League (IPL) final. Although no stranger to playing in finals, the young Guyanese lefthander will have his work cut out for him.

In an interview with DCTV when asked how he felt about storming into the final, Hetmyer said, “It is a dream come true for me, I have always wanted to play in an IPL final, so as I said, it is really a dream come true.

When we played SRH, I think we had a fantastic night with the bat: everything came off right for us from the start to the middle overs and coming up to that back end of the innings. Then to go into the field and get one of their main batsmen out in the second over, for us, it was a great all-round performance.

It is just up to us to recuper-

ate and come again – do the same in the next game.”

He also noted that it was great to see everyone coming together and doing their part and taking responsibility for the team. The Berbician went on to state that it was a highlight for him to watch S o u t h African pacer Kagiso Rabada bag four wickets when the team needed him the most, and “we will just have to repeat that performance yet again and cross over that line”.

In closing, Hetmyer left a message for the Delhi Capitals

fans near and far: “Thanks a lot for supporting us, guys; it’s just one more hurdle to go and I hope you stick with us and see us through.”

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2020

Sport is no longer our game, it’s our business

guyanatimesgy.com

Hetmyer living his dream of playing in IPL final

…urges DC to be patient

See story on page 23

Pg 23

…. adamant about participation of local players

Regrouped Delhi in way of Mumbai’s 5th title Pg 21

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