Guyana Times -- Thursday, March 17, 2022

Region 2 Police trained to identify TIP victims P13

Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 4951

THE BEACON OF TRUTH THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022

APNU/AFC refuses to discuss its role in 2020 elections fiasco – yet claims low confidence in GECOM – Govt Commissioner Page 3

Police abuse of power on roadways racking up State expenses – AG

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

USAID, Peace Corps “impacted many people positively” P14 – President Ali 20-year-old man remanded for murder of Venezuelan P12

Page 15

…says Top Cop handed legal opinions to curb misconduct by ranks Wedding house murder Page

Berbice man charged for killing USbased Guyanese Page 13

Fisherman missing after boat capsizes in Atlantic 12

Former Chancellor Justice Cecil Kennard laid to rest

GRA launches internal probe after customs officer shoots horse-cart operators P10 Man who P8 stabbed victim 6 times admits to attempted murder charge

Page 9

Man drops P11 ganja, escapes from Police …another nabbed in car transporting ganja

President Dr Irfaan Ali comforting Chan Kennard, the wife of the late Justice Cecil Claude Kennard, OR, CCH, at the funeral service on Wednesday

World Court orders Russia to halt military operations in P17 Ukraine

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THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

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THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Thursday, March 17 – 03:00h-04:30h and Friday, March 18 – 03:30h-05:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Thursday, March 17 – 15:50h-17:20h and Friday, March 18 – 16:35h-18:05h.

APNU/AFC refuses to discuss its role in 2020 elections fiasco – yet claims low confidence in GECOM – Govt Commissioner

FERRY SCHEDULE

Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 10:00h-12:00h, 16:00h, 18:30h daily

WEATHER TODAY

Early-morning sunshine will give way to cloudy conditions followed by late-afternoon sunny intervals. Partly cloudy skies are expected at night. Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North North-Easterly to East NorthEasterly between 1.78 metres and 4.91 metres.

High Tide: 16:28h reaching a maximum height of 2.70 metres.

Low Tide: 10:03h and 22:22h reaching minimum heights of 0.59 metre and 0.50 metre.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 2022

LOTTERY NUMBERS J

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12 27 28

FREE TICKET

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DAILY MILLIONS

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PAY DAY

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FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2022

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DISCLAIMER: WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ERRORS IN PUBLICATION. PLEASE CALL THE HOTLINE FOR CONFIRMATION - TEL: 225-8902

COMMODITIES Indicators

US$

Change %

Crude Oil

$98.37/barrel

+0.36

Rough Rice

$284.634/ton

-0.36

London Sugar

$521.60/ton

0.00

Live Spot Gold

USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

$1929.20

$1930.20

Low/High Change

$1894.30 +2.00

$1930.20 +0.10%

GECOM Commissioner Sase Gunraj

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t its meeting with the Guyana Elections C o m m i s s i o n (GECOM) on Tuesday, the People’s National Congress Reform-led A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Opposition expressed concern about an apparent lack of confidence in the electoral body, but allegedly refused to talk about the 2020 elections fiasco – which largely contributed to the public’s apprehension concerning the work of the Commission and its Secretariat.

Representing the APNU/AFC at the virtual meeting were PNCR Chairman Shurwayne Holder, PNCR General Secretary Geeta ChandanEdmond, AFC General Secretary David Patterson, and AFC Executive Cathy Hughes.

GECOM was represented by its Chairperson, Justice (Retired) Claudette Singh; Chief Elections Officer Vishnu Persaud and the six Commissioners: Vincent Alexander, Charles Corbin, Desmond Trotman, Bibi Shadick, Manoj Narayan, and Sase Gunraj.

Commissioner Gunraj, when contacted by Guyana Times on Wednesday for an update on the outcome of the meeting, revealed that the coalition representatives expressed concern about a lack of public confidence in the Commission.

However, he said they refused to talk about the 2020 election fiasco and how those five tumultuous months contributed to the current public perception of GECOM. “[They said] the public confidence in GECOM is low – something to that effect. So, our response is, ‘look, what caused this?’

GECOM didn’t wake up one morning and have its public confidence erode,” Gunraj contended.

Attempts were being made to sway the results of the March 2, 2020 elections in favour of the then APNU/AFC Government.

Already, a number of top electoral officials and poli-

GECOM Commissioner Bibi Shadick

AFC General Secretary David Patterson

ticians – including former PNC Chair Volda Lawrence – are before the courts on related charges.

In fact, it was the then coalition’s Business Minister Dominic Gaskin,

PNCR Chairman Shurwayne Holder

AFC Executive Cathy Hughes

the son-in-law of then President David Granger, who had called out the APNU/AFC’s attempts to remain in power despite its clear defeat at the polls, saying in a public state-

PNCR General Secretary Geeta Chandan-Edmond

ment that, “no one elected us to remain in office forever. There is no reasonable basis on which you can claim to have won more votes than the PPP/C in these elections. Level with your supporters and start directing your energies towards becoming a credible opposition party in time for 2025. Above all, try to regain the trust of the swing voter. You will never win another election without their support”.

Gunraj explained that it was pointed out to the APNU/AFC representatives that the events of the 2020 elections contributed to the low public confidence in GECOM – but the coalition members brushed the topic aside.

TURN TO PAGE 13

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guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022

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

Deaths on our roadways I

n just over a week, five persons have died in accidents as a result of drivers racing on the roadways.

On March 8, in a tragic accident at De Willem, West Coast Demerara (WCD), three men lost their lives when a driver lost control of a car and it slammed into them as they stood in a nearby sports bar. Then, one week later, on March 15, two men died in an early morning accident along the Number One Public Road, Corentyne, Berbice in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne). In both instances the drivers were allegedly racing.

In the aftermath of these horrendous and seemingly unprecedented fatal road accidents within a fairly short period of time, the consequences have attracted national attention. These families are now left trying to cope with the loss of loved ones.

The sudden and shocking death of someone close, especially due to an accident, can never be easy. The ensuing excruciating pain and mental trauma that are inflicted on surviving relatives can be unbearable.

In a fleeting moment, families have been plunged into sadness and despair, having received the dreadful news that an accident took the life of someone dear to them. That’s the painful result, and often its real and lingering impact may be hidden from the spotlight of the media.

The reality is that, people, including those who survive an accident, suffer in unimaginable ways. The recent spate of accidents even prompted some to ask the question: “How many more?” One interpretation from that simple question speaks to whether lessons are being learnt from accidents over time. In other words, how many more have to die before better care is being taken while using the roadways?

Given what has taken place over a few days, one could not be faulted for concluding that the results of the accidents may not have inspired a more responsible behaviour. However, judging from sentiments expressed by the public, it appears that more cognisance has seemingly being brought to the mindsets of many.

While that is extremely heartening, there is uncertainty as to whether the mindsets of the regular errant drivers have been impacted, or have they learnt anything from what were the obviously painful experiences of others. Judging from what continues to take place on the roadways, it seems clear that many drivers haven’t learnt, or are clearly refusing to even be bothered by the harrowing fatal accidents.

On a daily basis, many drivers use the roadways in a very reckless manner, thereby endangering occupants and other road users, the least themselves. It becomes painful even to see how they manoeuvre, seemingly without an iota of care for others. Again, it brings into question the role of law enforcement to try and curb such irresponsible behaviour, especially since some traffic violations do occur in the presence of Police.

Many of those violations involve a minibus. It begs another question: if members of the public can take the time and effort to highlight daily traffic violations for which the Police sometimes intervene, why can’t the Police themselves use the CCTV cameras in a sustained effort to make defaulters face the law?

Importantly, the Police must holistically demonstrate that sense of commitment to genuinely collaborate with members of the public to collectively tackle the situation. This becomes even more necessary given that, generally, the Police’s image in clamping down on errant drivers, is not very flattering, especially since many are believed to own minibuses and taxis. The pain people feel is real and crushing.

President Dr Irfaan Ali, along with Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall, SC, and Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag), Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards, at the funeral service of the late Justice Cecil Claude Kennard, OR, CCH, on Wednesday at his residence in Bel Air, Georgetown (OP photo)

Re-imagining the sugar industry

Dear Editor, The PPPC Government’s realistic approach to the sugar industry has created uneasiness among some people, as the administration is moving away from traditional ‘stop gap’ measures (like subsidies) to limit the negative impact of high cost of production by proceeding to “re-imagine” the sugar industry.

Enmore sugar estate would be divested and become an industrial hub. Skeldon sugar estate would be divested with industrial hemp cultivation and processing, aqua-culture, peasant cane farming, soya and corn cultivation (co-generation is not fiscally viable). Rose Hall sugar estate is being rehabilitated for sugar production, and should become operational early next year; while the Wales sugar estate would be converted into an industrial zone under the direction of the Wales Development Authority (WDA), for which funds have already been allocated in the 2022 budget.

What is central to the re-imagining process is the need to avoid heavy subsidies in the future; to ensure that workers do not lose their employment; to rehire those who have been dismissed; and to promote economic revitalisation of the four sugar estates that were closed by the previous PNCR-led Government.

When the Government says it would re-open the 3 sugar estates (Enmore, Skeldon, and Rose Hall), it does not necessarily mean that the estates’ communities would be resuscitated based on sugar, even though that would have been the understanding of many people. I believe that the Government conceive the re-opening of the sugar estates as viable economic entities, but not necessarily to be built around sugar cane cultivation, which is of course one option.

The lease of the Sugar Packaging Plant (SPP) facility to Guysons K+B

Industries (GKB) for use as a fabrication factory is one step forward in the implementation of the Government’s re-imagining approach. At Enmore, the GKB facility would employ the 30 Packaging Plant employees, and projects a labour force of 500 employees in 5 years’ time.

This project, along with others, would contribute towards the revitalisation of the sugar estate community, which has been hurled into an economic dead zone by the previous Government. The SPP would be relocated at Albion sugar estate, and put into production there. The Agriculture Minister has said SPP workers would be given two months of severance pay.

However rational a plan or strategy may be (and the Government has an opportunity to refine the re-imagining process with inputs from the technical team from Guatemala), it is not likely to sit well with some people. Mr Samuel Gittens wonders why Indian Rights activists who had been critical of the PNCRled coalition’s closure of sugar estates in 2017 have now gone silent over the Enmore SPP deal. One critic claims, “Ali is now using statistics and figures from another country, Guatemala, to buttress his arguments.” And Mr M Narine asks: “Is Government moving away from sugar and agriculture?”

The Indian Rights group was critical because the coalition Government refused to carry out the recommendations of their own COI, which recommended a 3-year turn-around time for the industry. Worst yet, the coalition Government did not provide the 7,000 dismissed sugar workers with alternative jobs, and failed also to conduct a socio-economic impact study.

The Indian Rights activists are aware that the PPPC Government has been providing relief to workers

in the form of alternative jobs; the grant of Gy$250,000 for workers still unemployed (to compensate them for the non-payment of annual productivity bonus and pay rise) as part of the process to build hope for the revitalisation of the sugar estate communities.

Indian Rights activists know that sugar estates have been losing money at an annual average of Gy$8 billion during the period 2011-2020.

They support the constructive measures set in motion by the PPPC Government to minimise, and even to eliminate, losses.

While Guyanese must continue to question the viability of projects and policies, their points of view could only gain answering reaction if these are well articulated and grounded in evidence or facts. The decision by the PPPC Government, for example, to lease the sugar packaging plant at Enmore to FKB Industries Inc is based on several critical factors; namely, (i) the run-down state of the sugar factory, including its cannibalisation and its non-operational state for over 6 years; (ii) the abandonment of sugar cane fields for a similar period; (iii) the broken bridges and poor condition of dams; (iv) heavy annual losses (averaging Gy$2.632 billion over the period 2011-2016); (vi) and low levels of productivity (4-5 metric tonnes per hectare, compared with levels of 10.7 metric tonnes per hectare in Guatemala).

These are powerful negative forces that should not be allowed to continue. The Government has therefore decided that divestment which protects jobs and increases employment level would also lead to the revitalisation of the Enmore sugar estate community. The same situation applies to Skeldon sugar estate.

Sincerely, Dr Tara Singh

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022

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You can send your letters with pictures to: Guyana Times, Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Guyana or letters@guyanatimesgy.com

Balram Gangadeen is out of synch Rampant APNU/AFC with happenings in the agri-sector corruption being Dear Editor, I read and reread a letter titled “Agriculture sector being neglected; inquiry needed”,

by Balram Gangadeen, and I was angry, but then became amused.

What is irksome is that Gangadeen makes sweeping generalisations, but proffers no evidence for his various positions and analyses. What has driven me to reply is that he states that “…over the last two years, it (Agriculture sector) has been plagued by ineptitude and scandals. Is Government setting up the agriculture sector for failure? Is a cabinet reshuffle in the works?” Preposterous indeed!

Quickly, he speaks of “… countless complaints in the media and editorials of the two truly independent publications…”

Is this a joke? Just a cursory reading of his supposedly two truly independent publications would reveal their biases.

In fact, if Gangadeen knows a tiny bit about print journalism, he would be discomfited by the very layout and headlines of his “two truly independent publications…”

However, I would not develop this further. I would enumerate his unfounded grouses and ask that he furnish evidence.

His list: an inquiry into the US$12.5 million Enmore Packaging Plant and its lease to a political figure; sheet piling, trawler licensing, approval of Chinese agro-businesses; land grants, GuySuCo fiasco, closure of the four sugar estates; re-tendering of contracts at NDIA, high turnover of staff at NDIA and GuySuCo, pump fiasco, farm relief (attributed to floods), payments for flood works especially for work not done, rice farmers’ paddy payments, among others etc.

Gangadeen is not following the news. I get the impression he writes on behalf of an angry and emotional griper who wishes bad for the country, but cannot admit that things are against his desire.

His buttressing statement is that “Rumour has it…” and he names things like “… Money was passed on to friends of politicians followed by kickbacks; GuySuCo operations at LBI will be closed, and the staff will be made redundant by this year-end, and on and on ad infinitum.

I am truly shocked that such a letter was given a place.

Irrespective of a position taken, the writer of opinion pieces must substantiate his take on any point contested. So, I will now ask that Gangadeen and company read what I have to say about the agriculture sector currently in Guyana.

First, some $22 billion was allocated to the agriculture sector in the 2022 National Budget, and I think we need grasp this philosophically and practically, or else we will end up with ‘opposers of development’ who are bent on ‘criticising just for the sake of criticising.’ I recall the President, Dr. Irfaan Ali himself, before the budget was read, saying that Guyana needs investments that would lay the foundation for long-term productivity. He had stated, during a virtual briefing, that agriculture is indeed the “future mainstay” of the Guyanese economy, and that his Government’s plans for the sector would be reflected in the budget, which was later announced and which verified his words.

In fact, when Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh did present this year’s National Budget, it was noted that key investments were catered for in the subsectors of sugar, fisheries, rice, livestock and crop cultivation, and to much-needed drainage and irrigation.

What is important to note is that Guyana is very rapidly moving away from antiquated forms of agriculture. So, indeed, the country would continue to pursue agricultural production, but not in the traditional sense. Instead, according to President Ali, “…there is a concerted effort being placed

in promoting agro-business.”

For example, there is now ongoing the recently launched youth Agriculture and Innovation Entrepreneurship Programme, which is allowing young people to collaborate and tap into the multibillion market for the broccoli, cauliflower and carrots initially…more will follow.

Another factor for the hefty financial input in the agriculture realm is that of sugar. As we know, the sugar industry was decimated by the previous regime, and now it is cranking up and gathering momentum, but in a diversified manner. So, the $6 billion allocation, made specifically for the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), is more than necessary, and is fully justified.

Presenter Dr Singh noted that this would be “…to support GuySuCo’s ongoing investment in field and factory operations to “turn around the industry” as the country seeks to engage private investor interest also in some of the estates.” This translates into livelihoods for thousands, and a case in point the Enmore Packaging Plant.

Now, as it pertains to this move, it redounds to more jobs overall, as the said Enmore Packaging Plant would move to Albion. As President Irfaan Ali explained, the Government is in no way ‘selling out’ assets.

This move is fully justified if only for the sake of ‘more jobs and greater economic development’, as these would now be possible through this consolidation of the Enmore Packaging Plant on the East Coast of Demerara, with the Albion Packaging Facility in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

Both Enmore and Albion are happy when it comes to the employment situation. So, I am wondering why all the ‘fuss and fret?’

I just love when Agriculture Minister Mustapha silenced the heckling of Opposition Member of Parliament Sherod Duncan, who challenged him to say what the Government has done to re-

verse the closure of the sugar estates. I mean, how come such a question? The evidence is living daily across Guyana. We all know that some of the estates, once closed, are now up and running, and in the near future, “Tens of thousands of (more) jobs will be created, and we will help tens of thousands of families. We (are) putting in the village economies more cash, and thousands of people are benefiting, not only the sugar workers, but people who live in the community and who depend on the sugar industry indirectly.” A terse response indeed from the Minister.

Backing this talk even further, Zulkifar Mustapha told the National Assembly that the agriculture sector is expected to make major leaps with the introduction of new technology, particularly in the rice industry. In fact, he boasted that the country is in the process of testing its ‘bio-fortified’ rice, a modified version which was developed to include additional nutrients or supplements.

A double whammy is this, as according to the Minister, “…this variety will not only be healthier, but also attract a lucrative price, as Guyana would be the only Caricom country producing such quality.”

Look at this. “The supplement that doctors order patients to buy, the zinc supplement, we are now growing it in that rice. That rice will attract lucrative price and preferential price… we are in the third trial now, and very shortly that will come out,” the Minister informed. I need not say anymore, as we can see there is the modernising of the rice sector.

So, it is a silly thing to ask: “Is it Government’s policy to destroy the agriculture sector? Isn’t it time for an inquiry into neglect of agriculture? Mr Gangadeen needs to at least follow the news.

Yours truly, H Singh

Depressing to do business with GRO Dear Editor, I quote His Excellency Dr Irfan Ali, "It is we as a people who must change our attitudes, culture and values".

With this in mind I'm urging the relevant authorities to initiate a change in the manner in which the General Registration Office conducts business with the public.

Currently, it is depressing and a heartache to do business with the staff at GRO. A child was born to me in August 2020. I did the registration of his birth the following day. I was told to apply for his birth certificate after two weeks, which I did. After applying for the birth certificate just after the two weeks’ period, I waited six months for the birth certificate to be posted to me. However, this wasn't done.

I decided to visit the GRO, and was told that I have to reapply. This I did, anticipating

that the birth certificate would be posted to me. I waited another three months, but to no avail. I visited again, and was told that my application could not be found, and that I should reapply again.

I must bring to your attention that on each occasion that I applied, I paid $600 for two copies of the certificate.

Therefore, I would have spent $1200 for birth certificates but didn't receive any. On the third occasion, although I had receipts to show I had applied, I was told to reapply, and had to pay again. I was also told to return one month later.

Moreover, another person who was there the same time I was there, and had a similar issue, was told to return the following day to uplift a birth certificate for her child.

Editor, it should be noted that the staff member who attended to me, and who preferred to be referred to as 'the

girl at the front desk', is of the same ethnicity as the person who was told to return the following day to uplift the birth certificate.

What was more disappointing was that, when I returned a month later for the birth certificate, it was still not readily available, and I had to wait for more than three hours to collect my child's birth certificate.

I finally have a single birth certificate that is erroneous.

However, because of my experience with the GRO, I prefer not to return to the office.

More recently, a colleague of mine applied for a death certificate, and was faced with the request to apply again, although she had the receipt.

It is sad that, to acquire basic documents of citizenship, Guyanese have to endure such hardships and be conned out of their hard-earned dollars by employees in Government offices.

Additionally, it is terrible that in this technological age, citizens have to wait so long to receive their documents. It makes me wonder if the staff at GRO are living in the age of the dinosaur.

Editor, this is not the first time I'm having issues with the GRO. I had issues regarding incorrect spelling of names in 2003 and 2015, when applying for birth certificates and marriage certificates respectively.

I'm suggesting that the relevant authorities do a thorough investigation of the operations at GRO. Finally, I'm suggesting that the GRO put mechanisms in place to ensure the accuracy of certificates before posting them. This would discourage the use of the certificate for fraudulent activities.

Yours respectfully, B Persaud

exposed at PAC

Dear Editor, The rampant corruption that occurred under the A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change administration was brought to an end in 2020. Through the democratic process, the Guyanese people removed the former administration after a five-month delay. They had attempted to pervert the true will of the people of Guyana.

Since the People’s Progressive Party Civic Government entered office in August of 2020, numerous acts of corruption, nepotism and cronyism have been unearthed. The APNU+AFC, who did little to nothing for Guyana and Guyanese, grossly mismanaged this country and its resources. Their many acts of deliberate misappropriation of taxpayers’ money have seen many of them being brought before the courts on charges, and rightly so.

These acts, along with their many other indiscretions, resulted in the APNU/ AFC facing a no-confidence motion three years into their tenure. The behaviour of those political leaders subsequent to the successful passage of the no-confidence motion in December 2018 left much to be desired. From 2020 to now, the revelations of corruption have not astonished this letter writer.

Recently, during the examination of the Auditor General’s Report for 2017, another example of rampant corruption surfaced. This time, the Ministry of Education came onto the radar involving a fuel scandal.

Only last month, tension erupted between Jermaine Figueira, Chairman of the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC), and the Senior Minister of

Public Works, Hon Bishop Edghill. The Senior Minister was at that time seeking clarification in regard to the sale of some derelict vehicles by the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, also back in 2017. The Minister’s inquiry saw direct attempts to suppress information into the highly irregular sale that occurred when the APNU/AFC was in power.

It appears that, thus far, 2017 was another corrupt year under the failed coalition.

Incidentally, in December last year, Chairman of the PAC, Jermaine Figueira, manufactured a bizarre idea.

He suggested that the Public Accounts Committee fasttrack the reviewing of the Auditor General’s Reports of the APNU/AFC coalition’s spending for the years 2016, 2017, and 2018. This absurdity was vehemently rejected by the Government members of the PAC. It was obvious that the APNU/AFC coalition did not want the PAC examining their spending.

The Chairman of the PAC, Jermaine Figueira, who was an official in the previous administration and a Member of Parliament, is fully cognisant of the APNU/AFC’s misappropriation and corrupt practices. If he had been successful, many of the revelations we are now seeing coming out of the PAC meetings would have been sidelined or suppressed altogether.

The work of the PAC is important, it is for this reason that it shouldn’t be rushed or fast-tracked. It should be able to conduct a thorough examination of the AG’s Reports, and the appropriate actions should be taken.

Sincerely, Alvin Hamilton

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THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022

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Foundation ◄ Question 1

Why are eggs egg -shaped

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ave you ever wondered why eggs are shaped that way? This animal science experiment will investigate the interesting shape of eggs.

Before beginning this experiment, hold an egg between your thumb and pointer finger with the pointy end of the egg pointed upwards. Gently and steadily squeeze the egg. Did the egg break and if so, was it easy to crush the egg?

Materials:

Wednesday’s answers

1a) The surface marked A is a rectangle To find the area of a rectangle, multiply the length (of one side) x the width (of one side).

Area = 16cm x 24cm = 384 square cm 1b) The surface marked B is a rectangle with sides 16cm and 12cm long Area = length x width Area = 16cm x 12cm = 192 square cm 1c) The surface marked C is a rectangle with sides 12cm and 24cm long Area = length x width Area = 12cm x 24cm = 288 square cm 1d) A cuboid has 6 rectangular faces/ sides.

To find the surface area of a cuboid, add the areas of all 6 sides The surface areas of opposite sides are equal in a cuboid, given that the sur-

face areas of 3 opposing sides are already known, the surface areas of the other sides are known as well.

The surface area of the side opposite A = The surface area of A = 384 square cm The surface area of the side opposite B = The surface area of B = 192 square cm The surface area of the side opposite C = The surface area of c = 288 square cm So, the surface area (SA) of the cuboid = SA of A + SA of A’s opposite side + SA of B + SA of B’s opposite side + SA of C + SA of C’s opposite side = 384 + 384 + 192 + 192+ 288 + 288 = 1728 square cm Alternatively, the SA of a cuboid = 2 (length x width) +2(length x height) +2 (height x width) = 2( 16 x 12) + 2(16 x 24) + 2 (24 x 12) = 2 (192) + 2(384) + 2 (288) = 1728 square cm

Four eggs (extras needed if the shells get smashed) Scissors Several books of approximately the same weight.

Masking tape

Instructions:

Crack the eggs into a bowl and save to use in a meal later. You are trying to roughly crack the eggs in half.

You may accidentally break a few eggs during the step so have a few spares available.

Rinse and dry the shells.

Now place a piece of masking tape around the open end of each shell to use as a guide for trimming.

Use the scissors to trim each shell. You want the trimmed shells to all roughly be about the same size.

Once you have four shells prepared, place them in a rectangular pattern on a hard flat surface.

Begin stacking books on top of your eggs until they eventually collapse.

How it works:

By Martin Carter

Not, in the saying of you, are you said. Baffled and like a root stopped by a stone you turn back questioning the tree you feed. But what the leaves hear is not what the roots ask. Inexhaustibly, being at one time what was to be said and at another time what has been said the saying of you remains the living of you never to be said.

But, enduring, you change with the change that changes and yet are not of the changing of any of you.

Ever yourself, you are always about to be your self in something else ever with me.

The shape of the egg provides strength and keeps the eggs from easily cracking. If eggs had corners, they would be more susceptible to cracks and not as strong.

The oval shape of the egg also keeps it from easily rolling out of the nest.

Make this a science project:

Arrange the eggshells in different patterns before stacking the books. Does this affect the amount of weight the eggshells can support? (sciencefun.org)

“Learn from yesterday.

Live for today. Hope for tomorrow” – Albert Einstein

WORD SEARCH

NEWS

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THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Market regulates prices of paddy – AG Nandlall …says Govt cannot impose itself on millers

Rice farmers in Berbice at a meeting with Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustafa on Saturday

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s rice farmers across the country continue to protest the reduced prices they are being paid for paddy at a time when the cost of everything is going up, Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall, SC, is reminding that Government has taken an approach that see market conditions setting the prices for paddy.

Over the past two weeks, rice farmers in both Berbice and Essequibo took to the streets, calling for millers to pay better prices per tonnage of paddy.

But Nandlall pointed out on Tuesday during his weekly programme – Issues In The News – that the global effect of the COVID-19 pandemic has been exacerbated by recent world events such as the Russia-Ukraine crisis,

thus sending world market prices for commodities such as fuel skyrocketing.

This, he noted, has a cascading effect on all sectors including agriculture, especially the rice sector.

“So, our rice farmers are on the road, [because] you have fertilisers increasing – we are importing that kind of inflation; fuel – an essential commodity in the agri sector, the prices there going up; chemicals, the prices there going up and unfortunately, the price of paddy is going down,” the AG stated.

He pointed out that while Government was cognisant that farmers were “feeling the squeeze”, there was only so much it could do when it came to the price of paddy, which is set by market trends.

“Persons are frustrat-

ed and they go out to the streets and protest. But the Government can’t regulate the price that the millers, for example, purchase paddy at.

Unless the Government is to impose price tariffs and impose a pricing regime, but we don’t wish to do that.”

“As a government, we wish to subscribe to the notion that the market must regulate these things. But that is not easy, because when the market regulates it, the prices are difficult to control, and the Government is faced with this constant dilemma,” the AG asserted.

Nevertheless, Nandlall reassured that Government Ministers were on the ground meeting with the concerned farmers and working on solutions to address their plight.

“We will continue to ensure that, as far as possible,

we reduce the burden of the increase in cost of living…

It’s a work in progress and we call upon the population for understanding and for compassion; that’s all we can do at this point in time. We can’t impose price control on the millers; we can’t impose price control on the business community. Not that we can’t, we don’t wish to move in that direction – that’s not the style of Government to which we are committed or we would like to practice,” the Attorney General asserted.

Last week, farmers in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) protested after millers reduced the price for paddy from $70,000 per tonne to $65,000 per tonne and then further reduced it to $60,000.

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustafa, who met with the farmers along the Corentyne on Saturday, subsequently intervened and reassured them that they would receive no less than $65,000 per tonne for paddy.

But one day after agreeing to pay the farmers $65,000, rice millers on Sunday again dropped the price to $62,000 per tonne.

On Monday, farmers told <<<Guyana Times>>> that none of their paddy was graded as A+, hence, they would only receive a maximum of $61,000 per tonne.

This was confirmed by notices which millers are required by law to have, which publicly display the prices they are offering to farmers.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday of this week, scores of rice farmers on the Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-

Rice farmers in Essequibo on Tuesday joined in protesting reduced prices for paddy

Supenaam) also took to the streets in protest over the reduced paddy prices.

The rice farmers protesting in the township of Anna Regina are demanding that the price for paddy return to what it was and called on the Rice Producers Association (RPA) and the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) to ensure that fair prices were offered to them by millers.

It was reported that Minister Mustapha was slated to visit the region this week to address the concerns of the farmers.

However, the farmers told this publication that they would continue to protest until they received a better price for a bag of paddy. (G8)

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

8 NEWS

THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Man who stabbed victim 6 times admits to attempted murder charge

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man now awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to an attempted murder charge when he appeared before Justice Brassington Reynolds at the Demerara High Court on Wednesday. Anthony Persaud has pleaded guilty to wounding Navindra Budhu on March 22, 2016 with intent to murder him.

State Prosecutor Simran Gajraj, in relating the facts of the case, has said the men were not known to each other prior to the date of the incident.

Gajraj has said that at around 18:00h on the day in question, Budhu was walking on the University of Guyana (UG) Access

Attempted murder convict Anthony Persaud

Road at Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown when Persaud, who was on a bicycle, rode up beside him and attempted to push his hand inside Budhu’s pocket.

The prosecutor said Budhu punched Persaud to his face, and this resulted in Persaud losing two of his teeth and bleeding profusely. In retaliation, Gajraj said, Persaud whipped out a pair of scissors from his pants waist and stabbed Budhu about his body.

The injured man was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital by public-spirited citizens, while other persons detained Persaud until the Police arrived at the scene.

Budhu’s medical report has revealed that he was stabbed six times about his body. He also had to undergo surgery on his abdomen and one of his legs.

For his part, Attorney-atLaw Teriq Mohammed, who is representing Persaud, told the court that his client did not rob the victim, but accepted that he had indeed inflicted injuries on him. In light of this, the prosecutor’s request for a psychiatric evaluation to be conducted on Persaud was granted by Justice Reynolds.

Persaud’s sentencing has been deferred to April 8, when a probation report and a victim impact statement would be presented to the court. (G1)

Woman charged for calling nail technician derogatory names

A

woman accused of calling another woman by several derogatory names was on Monday arraigned on four charges in the Georgetown court of Principal Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus.

The first charge against Lianna Hopkinson, a 25-year-old security guard, stated that on January 26, at Pike Street, Kitty, Georgetown, she used abusive language towards Jacia Cummings.

The other charges alleged that, on the same day, while at the Kitty Police Station, she resisted arrest from

Police rank Alana Harry, behaved disorderly, and assaulted a Police officer acting in the execution of her duties.

Hopkinson has denied all the charges.

Cummings, a nail technician, told the court that Hopkinson was one of her regular customers, until they had a recent disagreement.

Due to the nature of the issue, she said, she informed Hopkinson not to return to her place of work. As a result of that, Cummings has said, Hopkinson became annoyed and began calling her by a series of derogatory names, such as “stink dog”

Charged: Lianna Hopkinson

and “crass”.

Cummings has also said that Hopkinson had even told her that she, Cummings, would die.

As such, Cummings said, she became fearful for her life and reported the incident to the Kitty Police Station.

The court was also told that when a female Police rank went to apprehend Hopkinson, she resisted arrest and behaved in a disorderly manner.

In the end, the Magistrate granted Hopkinson bail in the sum of $49,000. Her matters would continue on April 1. (G1)

Ripple effect...

Y

…from the battlefield es, your Eyewitness knows that flour price has gone up…along with everything else. Excepting maybe mini-bus fares. Yesterday, your Eyewitness had to get from point A to point B some 10 miles away, and was shocked when he was told by the mini bus driver that it cost him $140. Just two hours before, he’d taken a taxi from point B to point A, and the driver had hit him for $1700!! “Gas price gaan up,” was the laconic riposte to my arched eyebrows and pained expression!

Obviously, there’s been a ripple effect in every country in the world - and we can now appreciate (if that’s the word!) this thing called “globalisation”! Another effect that was pointed out by yours truly was the US making nice with that tyrant next door, Maduro. Now, some may ask why does the US need Venezuelan oil when we’re already cranking up production with FPSOs dropping anchor and sucking out oil as fast as you can say “Aloo Ball”! Well, the reason is that oil isn’t oil sometimes!! There’s light oil (which we produce) and heavy oil (which Venezuela produces). The former distills into gas to be pumped into your cars, while the latter gives diesel and other oils used for generators and such like! Which America needs, since, “for environmental reasons”, they abandoned the Canadian Tar Sands that would’ve given them heavy oils!

So, the Americans rushed their negotiators down to Caracas, made gooey eyes at Maduro - who they’d denounced as the greatest threat to American interests in the hemisphere since Castro - and immediately, two American hostages were freed. And now the quid pro quo proceeds as in a carefully choreographed tango!! We just learnt that US big oil Chevron’s mustering staff and equipment to re-enter Venezuela to expand Venezuelan PDVSA’s emaciated production.

In the meantime, we also learn that the US have vetoed the IDB loan to expand a private shore base here - virtuously averring they don’t want to fund fossil fuel production!! Just for the record, heavy oil is significantly more polluting than light oil!! Go figure! Maybe because this is war…and war is hell?? The bottom line for us is that Maduro’s hand is being strengthened both against the Americans and, more importantly, against us.

But sadly, the Western sanctions are affecting the West more than the Ruskies. After all, don’t forget that it’s only America that has banned gas and oil exports from Russia.

With the Russian economy already quite diversified, the sanctions will force them to become more self-sufficient, even as they make up shortfalls from China and elsewhere.

Even Saudi Arabia has joined Russia in using the Chinese Yuan for trade! …from Kanye West Surely, dear reader, you heard that Kanye West - who modestly wants to be referred to simply as “Ye” - has called for “Black History Month” to be abandoned in favour of “Black Future Month”? He’s even launched a movement to institute this shift. Now, you may say he’s “just a rap star” - but even there, he’s a US$1.8 billion rap star!! Kanye’s notion is that there’s been enough talk about slavery and the sundry other horrors of the past, and he feels that Blacks should be future-oriented.

But he’s faced some blowback. After the very hip Princeton, Yale, Harvard ex-professor Cornell West (no relation) heard of the suggestion, he said of Kanye, “Every performance is the authorising of a future in the midst of the present, trying to recover the best of the past. Past, present, and future, they all go together. So Kanye thinks he can have Black Future Month without having a Black History Month.

“Tell that brother to get off the symbolic crack pipe!!” …in Guyana?

So, the question is - since most of our woke brethren and sistren take their cues from the US - which West should be followed, Ye or Cornell?

With us, of course, maybe it’s a concrete question of reparations versus oil riches?

The views expressed in this column are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Guyana Times’ editorial policy and stance

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

9 Former Chancellor Justice Cecil Kennard laid to rest NEWS

THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

The late Justice Cecil Kennard

President Dr Irfaan Ali consoling the widow of Justice Cecil Kennard

To this end, the President reminded those gathered that they can only have a positive impact on others, and share their lives with them, if they remain connected with those in their community.

Several judicial officers and Cabinet members paid final respects to the former Chancellor of the Judiciary

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cores of persons on Wednesday gathered at the Bel Air, Georgetown residence of former Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice (retd) Cecil Kennard, OR, CCH, to pay their last respects to this legal luminary who died last Saturday at the age of 86.

As he lay in a casket at his home, a wide range of officials were in attendance at his funeral ceremony, including President Dr. Irfaan Ali; Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC, and other Cabinet members; Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag) Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards; Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George, SC; other judicial officers, and members of the Bar Association of Guyana.

Speaking at the funeral service, President Ali described the late Justice Kennard as a distinguished gentleman who had an incredible soul, while he thanked Justice Kennard’s family members for having shared him with Guyana.

Justice Cecil Kennard lying in repose at his Bel Air, Georgetown home

preciation for the magnitude of time he would have had to put to the service of the people of this country,” President Ali said as he reflected on Justice Kennard’s life.

President Ali said Justice Kennard had been a very simple and humble man who had always carried himself respectfully. According to the President, those are the char-

“He [Justice Kennard] lived his passion; horseracing was his passion. He contributed to his passion in a legendary way. A conversation about the judicial system would not be complete without him. A conversation about horseracing would not be complete without him…I know he was looking for-

President Ali signing the Book of Condolence for Justice Kennard

The Head of State said the former judicial officer had spent a volume of his life serving the people of his native land.

“If you are to understand the lifetime of Justice Kennard and the key role he played in so many different circumstances in our country, we would all have an ap-

acteristics and lessons in real life that everyone can mirror in their service to the people.

Although Justice Kennard, who had hailed from the ancient county of Berbice, had assumed great national and regional prominence, he had never disconnected himself from where he came, President Ali added.

ward to sharing more of his life with the people of this country, he was looking forward to serving more,” the President said.

The President added that Justice Kennard had been full of life, full of ideas, and full of brilliance. He said the intellect of Justice Kennard had never wavered one day.

“I have had the opportunity to seek his counsel; receive his counsel voluntarily

on many issues, national, regional, and I am very grateful for all those encounters,” President Ali said.

In extended heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the deceased, President Ali also encouraged everyone to take examples from the late former Chancellor’s life and apply them to their own lives in order to ensure the work that he and many others had done for Guyana would continue in their honour and memory.

Justice Kennard was passionate about the law, particularly criminal law. And according to the Judiciary, he has left a rich legacy of decisions that have enriched the jurisprudence of Guyana and the Caribbean.

Former Chancellor Kennard, who had been recipient of two national awards,

namely the Order of Roraima (OR) and the Cacique Crown of Honour (CCH), had studied law at the United Kingdom’s prestigious Lincoln’s Inn. His long and illustrious career had seen him holding positions as Crown Counsel in the Chambers of the Attorney General and Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Magistrate, Legal Advisor to the Guyana Police Force, Puisne Judge, Justice of Appeal, Chief Justice, and Chancellor.

Prior to his judicial career in Guyana, he had served with distinction as a prosecutor in Antigua and Barbuda.

On his retirement from the Judiciary, Justice Kennard had served as Chairman of the Police Complaints Authority, and was consulted by governmental agencies.

(G1)

10 NEWS

THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

GRA launches internal probe after customs officer shoots horse-cart operators T

he Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) on Wednesday said it has launched an internal probe into the shooting incident that occurred at La Bonne Intention (LBI), East Coast Demerara and involved one of its officers.

The shooting, according to reports, occurred on Sunday last. The GRA has said that while it is conducting its internal investigation, it is awaiting the outcome of the Police investigation of the incident.

“The management of

GRA wishes to reiterate that based on its established Firearm Policy, upon completion of any exercises, firearms must be lodged at the nearest Police station,” the GRA statement read.

According to the GRA, the public must be further advised that any act not in keeping with professional conduct in accordance with the country’s tax/trade laws and regulations would be dealt with appropriately.

On Sunday last, a 40-year-old customs officer attached to the GRA was

arrested after he allegedly shot two horse-cart operators. Reports are that the operators went to an empty lot situated west of the suspect’s home to cut grass for their horses. While cutting the grass, the suspect reportedly discharged several rounds in their direction, causing both operators to receive injuries. They were taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where they underwent surgery.

The suspect was contacted by Police and told of the offence. He handed over

The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA)

his licensed 9mm gun along with 12 matching rounds in the magazine.

Police have said the suspect claimed the operators attempted to enter his yard,

causing him to discharge the firearm in the air and then in the direction of the duo.

(G9)

NEWS

11

THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Man drops ganja, escapes from Police …another nabbed in car transporting ganja

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anks of the Guyana Police Force have unearthed over 20 pounds of marijuana during separate operations on Monday and Tuesday.

The first incident occurred at Amelia’s Ward, Linden on Monday at about 22:00h, when ranks on duty intercepted a male riding an XR motorcycle without a light or licence plate.

Police have said that, in the vicinity of Millie’s Hide Out at Amelia’s Ward, a male had in his possession a bulky white salt bag, and upon seeing the Police vehicle, he attempted to flee.

The man was pursued by ranks, causing him to drop the motorcycle with the bulky bag and make good his escape on foot within the vicinity of some thick vegetation at Amelia’s Ward, Linden.

The Police have said

ue.

The marijuana that was found at Weldaad

The marijuana that was found in Linden

that the bulky bag, when retrieved and opened, was found to contain a large quantity of compressed leaves, seeds, and stems suspected to be cannabis sativa.

The contents of the bag were wrapped in transparent plas-

tic, and there was one bulky black plastic bag containing the cannabis sativa, which when weighed amounted to 16.5 pounds (7,484.3 grams).

Police are continuing their search for the male suspect as investigations contin-

On Tuesday, ranks at Weldaad, West Coast Berbice (WCB), during a roadblock in front of the Weldaad Police Station, stopped and searched motorcar HD 2424, which was being driven by a 50-year-old male and in which a lone male passenger was travelling.

The search was carried out at about 14:30h, and cops found a parcel wrapped in a brown haversack that was being carried by the passenger. That parcel contained a quantity of leaves, seeds, and stems suspected to be cannabis.

The passenger was told of the offence, arrested, and cautioned, and he admitted possession of the cannabis.

It was later weighed and amounted to 3.9 lbs (1814 grams). He has been placed in Police custody as further investigations continue. (G9)

12 NEWS

THURSDAY, MARCH 17,, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Fisherman missing after boat capsizes in Atlantic

Missing: Suraj Daneshwar

This resident of Rosignol, West Coast Berbice in Region Five (MahaicaBerbice) has been working in the fishing industry for the past five years. According to the Police, Daneshwar and boat captain Oneil Deputron left 3-door koker at Rosignol at about 05:00h on Tuesday for sea in a 36-foot wooden boat equipped with a 40hp engine.

However, at about 08:20h on Wednesday, Deputron went to the Blairmont Police Station to report that, at about 21:00h on Tuesday, while returning from sea - in the vicinity of Bath Settlement W.C.B, about

ter, he managed to resurface, and he held on to the boat. Upon looking for Daneshwar, he said, he did not see him. Deputron said the boat began to drift in the ocean with him, until he was rescued by another fishing boat that was heading to shore in West Berbice.

The men were initially expected to return to shore on Thursday morning, but they had success, resulting in them leaving the fishing ground one day ahead of schedule.

The vessel has since been recovered and brought to shore, but there has been no sign of the missing fisher-

The missing fisherman’s sister Owamattie Daneshwar (left) and mother Chandrawattie Persaud at the foreshore on Wednesday afternoon awaiting the return of the search party

The boat in which the men left to go at sea

T

wenty-eight-year-old Suraj Daneshwar, A fisherman and father of one, is now missing after the vessel he was on board capsized in the Atlantic Ocean off the West Coast of Berbice.

four miles offshore - a large wave hit the boat and it capsized, resulting in both him and the now missing man falling into the water.

Deputron related that, about 10 to 15 seconds af-

man Suraj Daneshwar. The ice box was also found floating in the Ocean.

The missing man’s 26-year-old sister Omawattie Daneshwar told this publication that, on

Wednesday, Deputron and the secretary of the Fishing Complex at D’Edward went to their home.

“As soon as I see him I know that something wrong, and I start to holla,” she said.

Daneshwar’s mother, Chandrawattie Persaud, has said she believes that her son is alive.

Search parties went out into the ocean on Thursday morning and afternoon as part of a rescue team, but were only successful in locating the boat and the icebox.

Deputron is presently receiving treatment at the Fort Wellington Public

Hospital as investigations continue.

Meanwhile, local authorities are still searching for three fishermen who went

missing after the vessel they were working on capsized in the Atlantic Ocean on March 9. (G4)

20-year-old man remanded for murder of Venezuelan

T

wenty-year-old Keron Williams, called Virgil Henry, of Return, Baramita, North West District, Region One (Barima-Waini), was on Monday charged with the offence of murder, contrary to Common Law, committed on Rafael Antonio Soto, 43, a Venezuelan.

Arraigned in the Georgetown court of Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, Williams was not required to plead, and was later remanded to prison as the matter was adjourned to April 4.

It is alleged that, between February 10 and 11, Antonio died from a stab wound inflicted to the chest after fighting with Williams over a woman.

It is alleged by the Police that after stabbing the victim, William fled into hiding.

Investigations revealed that the suspect and Rafael were known to each other, and were at a shop drinking alcohol at about 16:00h on February 10.

The man and Rafael later left the shop and met up at Return, Baramita, where

Remanded: Keron Williams

Rafael convinced the female to go with him instead of the suspect. When she did, the suspect allegedly became annoyed and a heated argument ensued.

Police said the suspect then allegedly pulled out a knife from his pants and stabbed Rafael to the chest before escaping from the scene. A Medex from the community later visited the scene and pronounced Rafael dead.

The body was subsequently transported to the Port Kaituma mortuary, and an investigation was launched. (G9)

NEWS

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THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Region 2 Police trained to identify TIP victims A

s the Human Services and Social Security Ministry seeks to strengthen collaboration with the Guyana Police Force (GPF) on the issue of human trafficking, a training exercise was conducted on Wednesday with ranks who were brought up to speed on the subject.

The training session, held in the boardroom of the Regional Vice Chairman in Anna Regina, Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam), was conducted

by Tanisha Williams-Corbin of the Counter-Trafficking in Persons (C-TIP) Unit of the Human Services and Social

Security Ministry.

Speaking at the training session, Williams-Corbin said that the Ministry’s main aim was to train persons in order to better their knowledge of human trafficking in the region. She added that at the end of the training, ranks must be able to identify suspected cases of human trafficking – a heinous crime against humanity.

“After we learned that Region Two is dealing with a high influx of Venezuelan migrants, we decided to commence the training programme in the region where ranks will be able to identify

cases of human trafficking,” Williams-Corbin expressed.

Regional Democratic Council (RDC) Councillor and Regional Gender Affairs Committee member, Verina Rasheed said that she was thankful for such an initiative.

“We see most forms of TIP so this training is timely and I am excited that the Joint Service would be better equipped to deal with human trafficking. They would be able to give information to the Police, take some initial action and even give information to the Ministry and other agencies,” Rasheed menPolice ranks at the training session in Region Two

Wedding house murder

tioned.

Meanwhile, Police Commander of Division 2, Denise Griffith commend-

ed the efforts of the Human Services and Social Security Ministry and her team for organising such a timely train-

ing session that would assist officers in identifying cases of human trafficking on the Essequibo Coast. (G12)

Berbice man charged for killing US-based Guyanese APNU/AFC refuses...

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26-year-old man was on Wednesday charged in relation to the murder of a young US-based Guyanese during his brother’s wedding celebrations at Crabwood Creek, Berbice.

Eon Gonsalves, of Grant 1802 Crabwood Creek, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), appeared before Magistrate Alex Moore at the Number 51 Village Magistrate’s Court, where he was not required to plead to the charge of murder.

He is alleged to have murdered Lakan Chatterpaul at Crabwood Creek. Gonsalves was remanded to prison and the case was transferred to the Springlands Magistrates’ Courts, where it would be called up again on May 31. The 21-year-old Chatterpaul of Ohio, USA – along with five other family members – had arrived in the country to attend his brother’s wedding at Crabwood Creek.

Reports are that Chatterpaul was allegedly stabbed to death during an altercation with three men, who showed up at his relatives’ house during a party. The dead man’s grandfather said that they were having a get-together at his home when the three suspects walked into the yard.

Charged: Eon Gonsalves

Dead: Lakan Chatterpaul

After the suspects, who are from the community, were reportedly seen with marijuana, they were asked to leave. According to media reports, that the trio left the yard and went into the street where they began to destroy the vehicles belonging to persons at the party. As such, family members rushed out to confront the trio. It was during this altercation that the young man was reportedly stabbed once to his heart.

Two of the suspects were initially arrested while the third escaped. One of the suspects has since been released while Gonsalves was charged. The third suspect, who is believed

to have delivered the fatal blow, remains in hiding.

Meanwhile, following the arrest of Gonsalves, he reportedly confessed, telling investigators that he took the knife out of his waistband and inflicted the fatal injury.

The Director of Public Prosecutions, Shalimar AliHack has since advised that persons who were involved in injuring Gonsalves be charged. Gonsalves was reportedly handed over to the Police at the scene suffering from several injuries. He had indicated that he suffered them at the hands of a mob that swarmed him at the scene of the crime. (G4)

“All of the events which have led to the public confidence in GECOM being eroded must be laid at their feet…when a person from our side attempted to do so, they obviously objected to these facts being pointed out to them and they did, in fact, say, that’s not what they came there for,” he added.

According to Gunraj, this position adopted by the APNU/AFC is “hypocritical”.

Meanwhile, the APNU/ AFC also raised concerns about the poor functioning of the Commission’s public relations apparatus – something which Commissioner Shadick admitted could be improved.

“Cathy Hughes talks about our PR system, which I agree, can be better. You know, people shouldn’t have to call and ask what to do… it should be made known and our PR is lacking…that has to be fixed and the PR person has to say what is going on…,” she reasoned.

Additionally, the coalition highlighted the specific case of birth certificates being issued with varying features – and expressed concerns that GECOM was unable to confirm the authenticity of these documents.

This, according to Commissioner Shadick, is a non-issue.

“David Patterson spoke about birth certificates that are different: some that have a number and some that have a QR code thing… but the thing is, with GRO [General Register Office], they’re in the process of upgrading their certificates and they have changes that are occurring…the code is to test the authenticity of the document, not to check that it did come from GRO. But I reminded that the birth certificate is not the only source document, people have different documents…,” Shadick explained.

She reasoned that people could not be expected to go get the latest birth certificate document.

“GECOM does not tell people they need to bring the most recent version of a birth certificate, we can’t do that...,” she added, noting that “while they raise these as issues, some of them are not really issues”.

Another issue which was addressed during the meeting was an apparent breach in GECOM’s hiring process – something which has already been resolved.

“They raised an issue of somebody who used to be a PPP scrutineer who’s employed by a registration officer as a Clerk II…but the matter was addressed and the person was relieved of

FROM PAGE 3

their duties…because that information was not known to the RO when the young lady was hired,” she explained.

“A PPP scrutineer is an activist and GECOM has a policy of not employing political activists. Now, they sat there and didn’t raise the issue that the mother of the PNC Chairman is an RO in Region Two. I mean, by law, there is no reason not to hire her, but somebody could object to that…,” Shadick added.

GECOM has since undertaken to address other matters raised by the APNU/ AFC. In a statement on the meeting issued by the PNC, the coalition Opposition said the country’s election system required substantial reforms. “GECOM should not engage in any new elections without these reforms. The Coalition further stated that those reforms must benefit from international best practices and are geared at producing credible results that will have public acceptance,” the statement reads.

However, though the Guyana Government has published proposed reforms to the Representation of People Act (RoPA) – the APNU/AFC has not submitted any comments or recommendations. (G11)

14 NEWS

THURSDAY, MARCH 17,, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

USAID, Peace Corps “impacted many people positively” – President Ali

P

resident Dr Irfaan Ali highlighted the significance of strategic partnerships and the importance that values and principles bring to their success.

The Head of State addressed these impacts Wednesday evening as the keynote speaker at a reception in honour of the 60th anniversaries of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Peace Corps.

He congratulated the agencies on reaching their milestones, lauded their progress, and pointed to their collaboration with Guyana over the years.

He also acknowledged that USAID and the Peace Corps have “indeed impacted many people positively” and would play a part in the country’s development.

“The objective here is to understand where the country is heading, and for us, together, to develop the vehicle that will take us there.”

US and Guyana’s longterm partnership

He noted that the United States and Guyana were working together on many strategic objectives in several areas.

“Whether it is security, whether it’s developing a new master’s programme at the University of Guyana, whether it’s working on institutional strengthening with the Perry Center, whether it’s working on a Bell chop-

President Dr Irfaan Ali and US Ambassador Sarah-Ann Lynch at the reception for the 60th anniversary of both the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Peace Corps

per; what we are doing is building a long-term partnership in keeping with the country’s objective and keeping with the vision of the country,” Dr Ali noted.

The President also highlighted Guyana’s leading role in agriculture and food production in the Region and the importance of technology transfer to achieving this.

“We are building partnership with the rest of Caricom in ensuring that we build a sustainable future for food production within the Region. These are the new areas that we need tremendous help in. In order for us to avoid the Dutch disease,

we have to build capacity to ensure that there is enough economic energy at different levels to bring all of Guyana together.”

want to call on all those involved in the war in Ukraine, the invasion of Ukraine, to understand that there is a moral and ethical responsibility to return to peace, and more importantly, diplomacy. I saw the Secretary General of the UN making another call that diplomacy is not too late, but I want to say that it is not only about diplomacy, it is understanding that the world is suffering now. You may not see the world dying by rockets, but with oil at US$126, we are all suffering because of the war,” Dr Ali declared.

The Head of State called the Peace Corps and USAID “important” and said that they added value to the country.

“We must commit to ensuring that each of these or-

ganisations continue to survive,” he said.

Peace Corps Guyana was established in 1966, the same year as Guyana’s independence. The programme ran until 1971, and between those years, over 160 volunteers served in Guyana.

The Guyana Peace Corps programme was discontinued from 1971 until it was re-started in 1995.

Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh and several other Cabinet Ministers, Opposition Member of Parliament Khemraj Ramjattan, members of civil society and members of the diplomatic community were also at the reception, which was held at the US Ambassador’s Residence.

GCCI urges more Govt support as initiative to showcase small businesses launched

Changing environment

President Ali acknowledged too the changing global environment in which USAID and the Peace Corps operated, particularly as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the invasion of Ukraine

by Russia which was having global ramifications.

“In the world we live in today, I cannot share this platform without using it, as we celebrate 60 years for the Peace Corps and USAID, I GCCI representatives at the launching of National Small Business Week

W

ith the Georgetown Chamber of C o m m e r c e and Industry (GCCI) on Wednesday launching an initiative geared at helping small enterprises, the organisation’s President, Timothy Tucker has called for more governmental support – especially in the area of funding – for these categories of businesses.

“There’s never enough for small businesses. As I said, access to finance, the Small Business Bureau has its limitations. We’re happy that their budget got increased, but, nevertheless, the amount of loops that a small business has to go through to get access, I think it’s too much,” Tucker stated during the launching ceremony of the GCCI’s inaugural National Small Business Week.

“In this country, we need more micro-finance institutions, we need better access to finance, we need cheaper cost of borrowing, and there’s no hiding the views of the Private Sector when it comes to this. That’s a very open discussion in the Private Sector currently,” Tucker added.

Slated for April 8 to 16, the National Small Business Week is aimed at raising the visibility of the GCCI’s micro, small and medium enterprise members.

Meanwhile, Tucker lamented that something as simple as access to land for small businesses could be very challenging.

“Access to simple things as land for small businesses is very restrictive especially with the cost of land presently. We know that the market demand is driving that cost up…but I know the Government would have put in their budget to have two incubators, one I think is in Berbice and one in Lethem, but we need in Georgetown as well,” Tucker reasoned.

“All the building out that is being done along the East Coast and East Bank with new development, they also need to have an industrial area attached to those areas so that we can ease the congestion, all the small businesses are in Georgetown,” the GCCI President noted.

Nevertheless, he commended the work done so far by the Government in the various sectors, but pointed out that this matter should be addressed.

Meanwhile, the National Small Business Week initiative was launched through the GCCI’s Entrepreneurship and Small Business Committee.

The GCCI President revealed that almost 40 per cent of the organisation’s membership is made up of micro and small businesses.

“Private Sector organisation is always seen as the ‘big boys club’ and it’s been pushed out there that we only represent what the ‘big boys’ want…this [is a] membership-based and membership-driven organisation and it represents the needs, the wants, and the

interest of its members and the members that get representation are members who go out there and represent themselves through the organisation that they are part of. That’s how GCCI is mandated and operates,” he explained.

“Some members might be more active than other members and that’s why their concerns are heard… so, I encourage everyone, there’s no room in GCCI that is only for big boys, it is for everyone,” Tucker added.

Moreover, Chairman of the GCCI’s Entrepreneurship and Small Business Committee, Dr Rosh Khan assured that the initiative would be beneficial.

“When you look at the mandate of the GCCI, it’s advocate policies, it is to strengthen trade and investment, it is to foster meaningful connections and ultimately, it is to sustain and expand economic growth, and that’s exactly what this initiative – the National Small Business Week is all about, but with a specific focus and a specific lens on small businesses,” Dr Khan noted.

“So, what we’ve done through the National Small Business Week is really to create a platform to showcase the micro, the nano, the small and, in some cases, even the medium-size businesses so that they can share with the wider public and with members of the business community what they do in terms of products and services,” he added.

NEWS

15

THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Police abuse of power on roadways racking up State expenses – AG …says Top Cop handed legal opinions to curb misconduct by ranks

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ttorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall, SC, is looking to curb misconduct and harassment by ranks of the Guyana Police Force, especially on the roadways – a practice which he says has been resulting in the wasting of state resources.

“This thing about stopping people and detaining them without cause is a violation of the constitutional rights of the citizens…and when they sue, it is the state that has to pay for the misbehaviour and the violation of the law, and the abuse of power by the Police officers,” AG stated during this week’s edition of his online programme – Issues In The News.

Minister Nandlall pointed out that while Police officers must be allowed to discharge their statutory functions and duties, this should not be done in a manner that infringes, violates, or tramples upon the rights and freedom of citizens.

“A balance must be struck,” he contended. “It is the Attorney General who is required to answer in the Court of Law for Police mis-

conduct and misbehaviour.

It is the State, using taxpayers’ dollars, that have to pay compensation – sometimes running in to millions – for Police misbehaviour and Police violations of the law, Police violation of people’s constitutional rights.”

According to Nandlall, members of the public are constantly complaining about the Police behaviour, particularly on the roadways in relation to traffic offences. He explained that except for serious offences, Police ranks should not be detaining anyone or their vehicles for minor traffic offences.

“Unless it’s a very serious offence, such as Causing Death by Dangerous Driving, the Police have no right to detain vehicles for the alleged commission of traffic offences. We have a ticketing system in place that allows errant drivers or road users to be ticketed, and that process is not supposed to be a long one.

Reasonable time should be expended, and the persons should be allowed to go their way with their vehicles,” he stated.

Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC

“When the Police detain those vehicles and legal proceedings are filed, it is the Attorney General who has to go to a judge and explain why this vehicle is kept so many days. And I can’t, in law, offer an explanation that makes sense. And every day I have to keep negotiating with various lawyers and various litigants in very difficult circumstances,” he said.

Moreover, in regard to arrests, AG Nandlall further outlined that a persons should only be arrested or detained upon reasonable suspicious of a serious offence committed.

Against this backdrop, the Legal Affairs Minister has acknowledged the need to enhance awareness and education of the public as well as the Police Force in relation to Police powers

and the rights and freedoms of citizens, which are guaranteed by the Constitution.

On this note, Nandlall disclosed that he has submitted some legal opinions to Police Commissioner Nigel Hoppie regarding actions that can be taken by the Force against errant ranks who continue to misbehave or act in violation of the Standing Operation Procedures and the Constitution.

“I hope that that opinion will be taken seriously, because we cannot, in a modern democratic society, tolerate abuse of power at any level in the State apparatus.

It doesn’t mean that persons can abuse the Police; it doesn’t mean that persons can disrespect the Police; it doesn’t mean that the Police cannot detain you, or arrest you, or detain your vehicle in the proper circumstances.

But the proper circumstance must exist,” the Attorney General has stressed.

Only last week, the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) – largest party in the APNU/AFC Opposition coalition - submitted a Notice of Motion

to the Parliament calling on Commissioner Hoppie to address “country-wide complaints from citizens that some Police ranks are abusing their powers of arrest and detention.”

This notice was filed

by PNC General Secretary Geeta Chandan-Edmond, who is the shadow Home Affairs Minister in the National Assembly. It stated that the party has been getting from citizens across the country complains about the abuse of power, discrimination, and victimisation by some Police ranks.

The party said it had requested a meeting with the Top Cop on the issue, but after not receiving a response, a decision was taken to raise the issue in the National Assembly.

In the Notice, the party “calls on the Commissioner of Police to take all necessary steps, inclusive of investigations and retraining, to ensure all members of the GPF respect the human and legal rights of citizens with special reference to arrest, detention, and fair and equal treatment before the law.” (G8)

Police ramp up security in city after US Embassy’s warning to citizens

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day after the US Embassy in Guyana issued a security warning to its staff and its citizens, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) on Wednesday morning conducted a walkabout of the Stabroek Market area to begin mapping out strategies for better policing in the capital city.

On Wednesday, the Police Force said that following the high-level meeting between the Mayor of Georgetown and hierarchy of the GPF yesterday, they

The Police walkabout on Wednesday

have made moves to ramp up security in the Stabroek Market.

On March 14, the US Embassy issued a security warning regarding the Stabroek and Bourda Market areas in Georgetown. The embassy’s statement said, “The city of Georgetown is rated “critical” for crime. Incidents of robberies, sexual assault, vehicle accidents and homicides have occurred, particularly in high-risk areas after dark. U.S. mission personnel may not inde-

pendently visit Stabroek Market.

Furthermore, Mission personnel have been advised to use extreme caution when visiting Bourda Market during the day, and may not independently visit Bourda Market at night”.

One day later, the GPF issued a statement, noting that plans are “apace to bring safety to market thoroughfares in the city”.

It was noted that “both representatives of the two agencies, the M&CC and the GPF, in the company of

other officers, commenced a strategy walkabout in the Stabroek Market area, and began to map out strategies for collaboration and policing in and around the public thoroughfares.”

The GPF has said it would immediately provide resources to the City Council to have a visible Police presence in the areas, and would continue further collaborative efforts to enhance public safety.

However, Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn has said the GPF has been

working on this initiative since November 2021 “without the fanfare”. According to him, the “US timing [is] coincidental”.

Just recently, at the Guyana Police Force’s Annual Police Officers’ Conference, the Home Affairs Minister noted that the work of the Police Force and its specialist agencies and related agencies is not an easy one.

However, he said he was pleased to announce that there was a reduction in serious crime around the

country.

“We’re talking perhaps about 30% again reduction in serious crimes, and doing 20% in this year’s reduction, but we have to recognise that the work requires constant attention.

It requires having a level of strength in relation to maintaining and improving our posture and, of course, the level of our performance with respect to the work that we do administratively and operationally,” Minister Benn has posited. (G9)

16 NEWS

THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Region 6 woman is latest COVID-19 fatality …12 new cases recorded

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nother person who tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has died, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday.

The latest fatality has been identified as an 83-year-old female from Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), who died on Tuesday, March 15. She was fully vaccinated at the time of her death.

With this, the total number of deaths from the virus in Guyana has gone up to 1226.

Meanwhile, 12 new COVID-19 cases were recorded within a 24-hour period, thus taking confirmed cases in the country to 63,169.

However, only 171 of these are currently active cases. These include five patients in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the remaining 166 persons in isolation – 15 in institutional isolation and 151 in home isolation.

There are also another 12 persons in institutional quarantine, while a total of 20 persons are currently hospitalised with COVID-19 across the country.

So far, some 61,772 persons have recovered from the life-threatening disease – 32 more than the figure reported the previous day.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country, approximately 556,729 persons have been tested so far and of this figure, some 29,089 males and 34,080 females were found to be positive.

Of the 12 new cases reported on Wednesday, two are from Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), three are from Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara), four from Region Four (DemeraraMahaica), two from Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and one from East BerbiceCorentyne.

There were no new cases recorded in Regions One (Barima-Waini), Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) within the 24-hour period.

This decline in COVID-19 cases has resulted in the Guyana Government earlier this week removing most restrictions as the country recovers from the pandemic and return to normalcy.

But while mandates such as masking in public and social distancing are no longer in place, health authorities are still encouraging persons to get vaccinated and those who qualify to get their booster shots, in order to add a layer of protection against the virus.

The latest vaccination figures show that so far, 436,702 adults or 85.1 per cent have taken a first dose and some 334,253 or 65.2 per cent are fully vaccinated.

For adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17, approximately 34,115 or 46.8 per cent have received their first dose, while some 24,706 or 33.9 per cent of them are fully immunised.

According to Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony during Wednesday’s COVID-19 update, they continue to have challenges with this age cohort. To this end, he urged parents to get their children vaccinated especially as the nation prepares for the full reopening of schools after the Easter holidays.

“While we would have had campaigns at some schools and so forth, we were not able to vaccinate a lot of children, because they did not get permission from their parents,” Dr Anthony said.

He noted that while children, if infected with COVID-19, usually present with mild symptoms, the vaccine could provide added protection, and he was, therefore, urging parents to ensure their children were fully covered.

“I really hope that we will see an uptake in this age group,” Dr Anthony said.

Meanwhile, an estimated 55,383 persons have so far returned for their booster shots.

Of the 18-39 age category, 82.9 per cent took a first dose, while 59.5 per cent are fully vaccinated and another six per cent has taken a booster shot.

In the 40-59 age category, 84.2 per cent have taken a first dose, 69.9 per cent took a second dose, while only 12.5 per cent have taken a booster.

For the 60 and above age category, 84 per cent have taken a first dose while 74.6

GUYANA COVID-19 DASHBOARD MARCH 16, 2022 UPDATE

NUMBER OF NEW CASES

12

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION

15

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN HOME ISOLATION

151

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN COVID-19 ICU

5

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE

12

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (FEMALES)

34,080

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (MALES)

29,089

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN GUYANA SINCE 2020

63,169

NUMBER OF RECOVERED CASES

61,772

TOTAL 1st DOSE VACCINATED FULLY IMMUNISED

REGION 1

2518

REGION 2

2486

REGION 3

8045

REGION 4

31,228

REGION 5

2375

REGION 6

5732

REGION 7

2421

REGION 8

887

REGION 9

4012

REGION 10

3465

HERE IS HOW YOU CAN BE SAFE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC Wear a face mask.

436,452 333,910

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS

DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES SINCE MARCH 2020

1226

Keep a physical distance of at least 6 feet.

Wash your hands or use handsanitizer If you have any symptoms, call the COVID-19 Hotline.

GET MEDICAL ADVICE ON COVID-19 FROM MOH 24/7 HOTLINE NUMBERS: 2311166; 226 7480; 624 6674; 624 2819; 624 3067 OR 180/181. per cent have had a second dose, and 23.8 per cent have had a booster shot.

Dr Anthony said such a percentage was inadequate and appealed to older persons, who were much more at risk of contracting the virus, to get their booster doses.

“Most of these persons

that we see coming into the hospital, they have been unvaccinated, and therefore, one of the things that I really want to urge people to do is to make sure that they are vaccinated,” the Health Minister stated.

According to recent World Health Organisation (WHO) figures, some

458,479,635 confirmed cases were reported globally with 6,047,653 deaths.

In the Region of the Americas, that is, Latin America and the Caribbean, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has increased to 149,068,232 while the death toll has gone up to 2,665,428. (G8)

Guyana to remove excess powers from DPP after CCJ ruling in Marcus Bisram case – AG

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ollowing a ruling by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) on Tuesday, that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, cannot direct a member of the judiciary, Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall has said Government would now have to amend the laws to remove this power from that constitutional office.

After a Magistrate had dismissed a murder case against accused US-based Guyanese Marcus Bisram, the DPP had directed the court to reopen the case and commit him to stand trial in the High Court for the murder of Berbice carpenter Faiyaz Narinedatt.

Bisram, however, had challenged the DPP’s directions, and the matter went all the way to the CCJ, which handed down its ruling on Tuesday.

Weighing in on the ruling during his weekly programme – “Issues in the News” – Nandlall said, “the CCJ found that that power residing in the Office of Director of Public Prosecution

Office of the DPP

being a power that authorises a non-judicial organ to instruct a judiciary or a component of the judiciary, that power transgresses the doctrine of separation of powers, and is unconstitutional because only an organ of the judiciary can direct another organ of the judiciary, because the judiciary as a whole is independent.”

According to the AG, the power that the DPP used when she directed the Magistrate was

contained in the Criminal Law Procedure Act, and was inherited from the British when Guyana gained independence.

He noted that while the CCJ recognised this, the regional court – which is Guyana’s highest and final court of resort – recommended that this provision in the country’s laws be changed.

“That provision cannot withstand constitutionality, and the CCJ struck it down and ba-

sically has indicated to us in Guyana that we will have to go to Parliament to modify or amend that provision, that they are suggesting that that power be transferred from the Director of Public Prosecutions and be resided in a judge of the High Court,” the AG explained.

To this end, Nandlall said, Government will be moving in that direction.

“It’s a very progressive ruling, and we will have to amend the law to suit, since that is the highest court of our judiciary and there is no appeal beyond that,” the AG noted.

Bisram was extradited from the United States to Guyana in 2019 to face the murder charge, following a prolonged fight in the US courts to block the extradition.

In 2020, a Magistrate dismissed the matter after finding that the prosecution’s case against the accused was weak – and as such, Bisram was freed.

But the DPP then instructed the Magistrate to reinstitute the murder charge, resulting in

Bisram being rearrested.

The Magistrate was also instructed by the DPP to commit the matter to the High Court for a jury trial.

Bisram’s lawyers challenged the DPP’s instructions, and in 2020 he was again freed of the charge, after Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall ruled that the DPP’s instructions were unlawful.

However, the DPP moved to the Court of Appeal to challenge this ruling. The DPP won its appeal – clearing the way for the charge to be filed again.

But Bisram’s lawyers challenged the matter before the CCJ – Guyana’s court of final resort where he essentially won his case.

The charge that was brought against Bisram alleged that between October 31, 2016 and November 1, 2016, at Number 70 Village, Corentyne, he counselled, procured and commanded Harri Paul Parsram, Radesh Motie, Niran Yacoob, Diodath Datt and Orlando Dickie to murder Narinedatt.

17 World Court orders Russia to halt military operations in Ukraine NEWS

THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

People walk past a school damaged by shelling in Kharkiv, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues [Oleksandr Lapshyn/Reuters]

The building of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is seen in The Hague, Netherlands

he International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ordered Russia to cease military actions in Ukraine immediately, saying it is “profoundly concerned” by Moscow’s use of force.

“The Russian Federation shall immediately suspend the military operations that it commenced on Feb 24, 2022 on the territory of Ukraine,” judges at the United Nations’ highest court said in a 13-2 decision on Wednesday.

The judges added that Russia must also ensure that other forces under its control or supported by Moscow should not continue the military operation.

Although the court’s rul-

people who have been subjected to bullying and genocide” – meaning those whose first or only language is Russian – in eastern Ukraine.

Russia said it skipped ICJ hearings on March 7 “in light of the apparent absurdity of the lawsuit”.

However, Moscow did file a written document with the court saying the ICJ should not impose any measures.

Russia had argued that Putin’s use of the word “genocide” does not automatically imply that it is basing its actions on the Genocide Convention. Without a dispute over the interpretation of the treaty, the court has no jurisdiction, Russia argued.

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ings are binding, it has no direct means of enforcing them and in rare cases countries have ignored them in the past.

Countries that refuse to abide by court orders can be referred to the UN Security Council, where Russia holds veto power.

Still, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hailed it as a major victory.

“Ukraine gained a complete victory in its case against Russia at the International Court of Justice,” he wrote on Twitter. “The ICJ ordered to immediately stop the invasion. The order is binding under international law. Russia must comply immediately.

Ignoring the order will isolate Russia even further.”

Ukraine filed its case shortly after Russia’s invasion began on February 24, saying that Russia’s apparent justification – that it was acting to prevent a genocide in eastern Ukraine – was unfounded.

At the hearings, Ukraine said there is no threat of genocide in eastern Ukraine, and the United Nations’ 1948 Genocide Convention, which both countries have signed, does not allow an invasion to prevent one.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has described the invasion as a “special military action” needed “to protect

Presiding Judge Joan Donoghue said the court had enough information that the two countries do disagree about the interpretation of the Genocide Convention to make the preliminary decision. Actual jurisdiction would only be decided later.

In an urgent situation such as the conflict in Ukraine, the court can order emergency measures in a matter of days, even before it decides on whether it has jurisdiction in a case. That usually takes many months, while decisions on the actual merits of a case can take years.

In the days since the March 7 hearing, Russia

has intensified its military strikes on towns and cities across Ukraine, hitting civilian infrastructure across the country – including a deadly strike on a maternity hospital in Mariupol. More than three million refugees have fled Ukraine during the war, according to the UN. Separately, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, met with the Zelenskyy in a surprise meeting earlier on Wednesday. The pair discussed the court’s ongoing investigation into possible war crimes in the country. While the ICJ can hold states responsible, the ICC could prosecute individuals. (Al Jazeera)

18

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THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022

Regional

T&T PM in surprise reshuffle Gonsalves may appeal High Court ruling of Cabinet, Armour replaces on dismissal of unvaccinated workers Al-Rawi as Attorney General T

P

rime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley has reshuffled his Cabinet, making several significant changes on Wednesday afternoon.

Guardian Media has been able to confirm from reliable sources that Faris Al-Rawi has been removed as Attorney General and has been reassigned to the Local Government Ministry.

The country’s new Attorney General is former President of the Law Association, Reginald

Armour.

Local Government Minister Kazim Hosein has also been moved to the Agriculture Ministry , following the resignation of Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat for family reasons.

Other changes to the Cabinet include: Camille Robinson Regis has been appointed Housing Minister, replacing Penelope Beckles, who has been assigned to the Planning Ministry.

(Trinidad Guardian)

he St Vincent and the Grenadines Government says it will await advice from the Office of the Attorney General on whether or not to appeal a High Court ruling that is allowing public servants who were dismissed over their refusal to be vaccinated against the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic to file a lawsuit against the State.

“I don’t have a response of the Government other than whatever the court ruling on this original preliminary skirmish … that when the Attorney General’s

chambers … read the judgment itself, they may decide whether or not they appeal particular aspects of judgment, because it was a mixed judgment,” Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves has said.

Last Thursday, the High Court denied permission for judicial review of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

Under the mandate, a wide cross-section of Government workers had to take a jab to stay in their jobs.

But in her ruling, Justice Esco Henry, said that the court should hear the case by former Government

workers who were dismissed for abandoning their posts, even though the law under which they were fired deemed them absent if they attended work while being unvaccinated against COVID-19.

Gonsalves told reporters that the plaintiffs might appeal aspects of the judgment.

“I don’t know… I read the order; I’ve consulted with the lawyers, naturally. I understand the nature of the order and we await the written judgment,” said Gonsalves, who is also a lawyer. (Excerpt from CMC)

8 rescued, at least 15 missing “Absurd”: Brazil awards Bolsonaro after mountain collapse in Peru Trinidad and Tobago’s new Attorney General, Reginald Armour

“medal of Indigenous merit”

B

razil’s Justice Ministry has awarded President Jair Bolsonaro the nation’s “medal of Indigenous merit”, drawing sharp criticism from Indigenous leaders who have long accused the far-right leader of promoting policies that have harmed their communities.

Justice Minister Anderson Torres awarded the medal to Bolsonaro and 25 other honorees on Wednesday “in recognition of their significant altruistic service for the well-being, protection and defence of indigenous communities”, said a decree published in the official gazette.

Torres also granted the medal to himself, Agriculture Minister Tereza Cristina, Infrastructure Minister Tarcisio Gomes and Defence Minister Walter Braga Netto.

Indigenous leaders and their allies have accused Bolsonaro of trying to force Indigenous peoples in Brazil from their lands, by promoting environmental destruction and allowing rampant deforestation in the Amazon rainforest,

Many Indigenous leaders in Brazil accuse President Jair Bolsonaro of trying to force Indigenous peoples from their lands by promoting environmental destruction and allowing rampant deforestation in the Amazon rainforest [File: Adriano Machado/ Reuters]

E

ight people have been rescued and at least 15 are missing after a major landslide in Peru, the Government said on Wednesday, with Police and fire brigades continuing their search in the hope of finding more survivors.

The landslide occurred on Tuesday in the La Libertad region in northern Peru. Between 60 and 80 homes were left practically buried underground, according to local authorities.

Defence Minister Jose Luis Gavidia, who arrived in the area later on Tuesday, said eight people were rescued unharmed from the rubble.

“There are approximately 15 to 20 people who are missing,” Gavidia said in a Ministry statement.

The National Civil Defence Institute said the landslide was the result

of heavy rains. According to local authorities in the area – where mine workers generally live -- the vegetation-covered mountain is not suitable for building homes. (Reuters)

The Congressional Environmental Front, a legislative bloc often opposed to Bolsonaro, said its leader, lower-house Deputy Alessandro Molon, had filed a motion in Congress to annul the decree.

“It is outrageous that the same government that is trying to legalise mining on Indigenous lands, putting these persecuted and mistreated peoples’ very existence at risk, has the nerve to grant itself medals of ‘merit’ for all the ill it has done,” Molon said in a statement. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

“Dark days ahead” – Jamaican Opposition Leader says on budget

Panama says 3 ships hit by Russian missiles in Black Sea since start of Ukraine invasion

Opposition Leader Mark Golding making his presentation to the 2022/23 Budget Debate in Parliament on Tuesday. Golding said the budget tabled by the Government is based on a fantasy and said reality demands that more be done to ease the economic burdens on Jamaicans (Photo: Karl Mclarty)

T

hree Panama-flagged ships have been hit by Russian missiles in the Black Sea since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last month, Panama’s Maritime Authority said on Wednesday.

One ship sank, the Maritime Authority said in a statement, but there were no casualties reported. The two others remain afloat

home to many Indigenous groups.

“Absurd,” tweeted Sonia Guajajara, national coordinator of the Association of Brazil’s Indigenous Peoples (APIB), about Wednesday’s decision.

“As if all the reversals we’ve had weren’t enough, this barbaric dis-government has now added another: a medal of merit for Jair Bolsonaro and his allies for their ‘significant’ services to Indigenous peoples,” said Guajajara, adding that her organisation would go to court to block the decree.

with damage.

“We know that we had three ships that were attacked by Russian missiles, but the crew is all safe, we had material damage,” said Noriel Arauz, the Administrator of the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP).

The three affected ships were Namura Queen, Lord Nelson and Helt. The AMP

did not give the dates of when the ships were hit.

At least 10 other flag-bearing ships are still in the Black Sea, Arauz said, adding the Russian Navy is restricting ships from leaving the area.

Panama has the largest registry of flagged ships in the world, exceeding 8000 vessels, according to the AMP. ( Reuters)

O

pposition Leader Mark Golding on Tuesday warned of “very dark days ahead” for Jamaicans as the J$912billion budget tabled by the Government last week is a fantasy that lacks any real strategy to protect the country from the dangers of the prolonged novel coronavirus pandemic as well as the commercial impact of Russia’s invasion of neighbouring Ukraine.

“Very dark days are ahead for our people. The country is on the brink of a deep crisis, but this budget has very few real solutions. It is clear that this budget was put together without a strategic response to protect Jamaicans from the economic fallout of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine,” Golding said in his contribution to the 2022-2023 budget debate in Parliament.

Ignoring Finance Minister Dr Nigel Clarke’s assurances that the Government was “closely monitoring” the developments in Ukraine, and that

Jamaica has the wherewithal to withstand the threats that the war posed to the economy, Golding insisted that, “There is nothing in this budget that will give protection to the people who need it most.”

He said, instead, it reminded him of the budget of March 2020, which did not account for the impact of COVID-19 and had to be substantially overhauled by a supplementary budget

two months later.

“While the budget is based on a fantasy, the Jamaican people live in reality. They have to face the crisis head on, as they try to feed their families and pay their bills. At this time, reality demands that the Government cushions the crisis and give our people some ease from the heavy burdens,” Golding insisted. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

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THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022

19

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS Oil market heads for “biggest supply crisis in decades” with Russia’s exports set to fall

T

hree million barrels per day of Russian oil output is at risk beginning in April as sanctions hit and buyers shun the nation’s exports, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said Wednesday.

“The prospect of large-scale disruptions to Russian oil production is threatening to create a global oil supply shock,” the Paris-based firm said in its monthly oil report, adding that this could ultimately be the “biggest supply crisis in decades”.

“The implications of a potential loss of Russian oil exports to global markets cannot be understated,” the IEA added.

Russia is the third-largest oil producer behind the United States and Saudi Arabia. But Russia is the largest oil and products exporter in the world, and Europe depends on the nation for supplies.

In January 2022, total Russia oil and products production stood at 11.3 million barrels per day, or bpd, of which around eight million bpd is exported.

Looking forward, the IEA said 2.5 million bpd of exports are at risk. Of that, 1.5 million bpd is crude, with products making up the other 1 million bpd.

“These losses could deepen should bans or public censure accelerate,” the firm added.

There’s also the possibility that peace is struck, curbing additional disruptions in the oil market.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that an agreement was beginning to “sound more realistic”. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov meantime told the BBC there was “some hope of reaching a compromise.” It’s unclear how sanctions would be unwound should an agreement be reached.

So far, the sanctions levied against Russia have targeted financial institutions and wealthy individuals. The US and Canada have banned oil imports, while the UK has said it will phase out purchases. But other European nations have not followed suit, given their dependence on Russia for energy.

For the time being, energy supplies continue to exchange hands due in part to deals that were struck before Russia launched an invasion in Ukraine.

But the IEA said that major oil companies, trading houses, shipping firms and banks are backing away from doing business with Russia for reputational reasons and because of a lack of clarity around possible future sanctions.

“New business has all but dried up,” the firm said. (Excerpt from CNBC)

Thousands of households without power in northeast Japan after earthquake kills 4

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housands of Japanese households remained without power on Thursday as companies worked to assess damage the morning after a powerful quake hit the northeast coast of Japan, leaving at least four dead and nearly 100 injured, some seriously.

The magnitude 7.4 quake, which struck shortly before midnight on Wednesday and revived memories of the March 11, 2011 disaster, also severed transport links to the northeast, with Shinkansen

bullet train service indefinitely suspended and at least one major highway to the region closed for safety checks.

Parts of Tokyo lost power immediately after the quake, though most regained it within three hours. But some 36,400 households serviced

by Tohoku Electric Power Co in northeast Japan remained without electricity by 09:00h local time (0000 GMT) on Thursday, although the firm said it expected most will have supply restored later in the day. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Biden calls Putin a war criminal as Russia says mission “going to plan”

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S President Joe Biden calling Russian leader Vladimir Putin a war criminal on Wednesday is "unforgivable", the Kremlin said as it insisted the war in Ukraine was "going to plan" amid talk of compromise at peace talks.

Moscow has yet to capture any of Ukraine's biggest cities following its invasion that began on February 24, the largest assault on a European State since World War Two, raising fears of wider conflict in the West unthought-of for decades.

Putin on Wednesday said he was ready to discuss neutral status for Ukraine, but what he calls a "special military operation" to "demilitarise and denazify" the country was "going to plan" justified by the need to uphold Russian security.

Ukraine and the West say Moscow is carrying out an unprovoked incursion.

Kremlin forces kept up their bombardments of be-

Rescuers work at a site of a warehouse storing products burned after shelling, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kharkiv, Ukraine, March 16, 2022

sieged cities, including intensified shelling of the capital Kyiv as more than three million Ukrainians have fled and hundreds have died.

The United States is offering an additional US$800 million in security assistance to Ukraine to fight Russia, with the new package including drones and anti-armour systems.

"More will be coming as we source additional stocks

At least 9 dead in Texas bus collision involving student athletes

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t least nine people are dead after a vehicle carrying members of a New Mexico university's golf team collided with a pickup truck in Texas, the school said.

Nine passengers, including the team's coach, were on the bus involved in the fatal crash, the University of the Southwest said in a statement.

Two passengers from the bus are in critical condition.

A driver and passenger in the pickup were also both

killed.

The vehicles collided on Tuesday night in Andrews County in west Texas, just after 20:00 local time (01:00 GMT).

"It's a very tragic scene," Sergeant Steven Blanco of the Texas department of public safety told local TV station KWES-TV. "It's very, very tragic."

Six students and a faculty member were killed, Blanco said, along with two people in the pickup. (Excerpt from BBC News)

WHO says global rise in COVID cases is “tip of the iceberg”

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igures showing a global rise in COVID-19 cases could herald a much bigger problem as some countries also report a drop in testing rates, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Tuesday, warning nations to remain vigilant against the virus.

After more than a month of decline, COVID cases started to increase around the world last week, the WHO said, with lockdowns in Asia and China's Jilin province battling to contain an outbreak.

A combination of factors was causing the increases, including the highly transmissible Omicron variant and its BA.2 sublineage, and the lifting of public health

and social measures, the WHO said.

"These increase are occurring despite reductions in testing in some countries, which means the cases we're seeing are just the tip of the iceberg," WHO's Head, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters.

Low vaccination rates in some countries, driven partly by a "huge amount of misinformation" also explained the rise, WHO officials said.

New infections jumped by eight per cent globally compared to the previous week, with 11 million new cases and just over 43,000 new deaths reported from March 7-13. It is the first rise since the end of January. (Excerpt from Reuters)

of equipment that ... we are ready to transfer," Biden said, later condemning Putin.

"He is a war criminal," he told reporters.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the comment was "unacceptable and unforgivable rhetoric", according to Tass news agency.

At the request of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Washington will help Ukraine acquire additional long-range missile anti-aircraft systems as the West bolsters his Government, which still hopes for a diplomatic solution.

Zelenskiy said negotiations with Russia were becoming "more realistic" and Russia's Foreign Minister said proposals under discussion were "close to an agreement".

The US Embassy in Kyiv said Russian forces had shot dead 10 people waiting in line for bread in Chernihiv, northeast of Kyiv. Russia denied the attack and said the incident was a hoax.

Footage from Ukraine's state broadcaster showed bodies lying on the street.

The Ukrainian general prosecutor's office said it had opened an investigation.

Emergency services said rescue workers had found the bodies of five people, including three children, during searches of shellhit residential buildings in Chernihiv.

In the besieged southern port of Mariupol, the city council said Russian forces bombed a theatre where civilians were sheltering. The number of casualties was not known.

Russia's Defence Ministry denied it had carried out an air strike against the theatre. Reuters could not independently verify the information. (Excerpt from Reuters)

UN aid drive to avert Yemen catastrophe falls far short

The UN considers war-torn Yemen the world's worst humanitarian disaster [File: Khaled Abdullah/Reuters]

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he United Nations voiced disappointment after a pledging conference raised less than a third of the money it said was needed to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe in war-torn Yemen.

The UN was seeking US$4.27 billion to help 17.3 million people – but raised only US$1.3 billion at Wednesday’s conference in Geneva, with some major hoped-for donors not pledging any funds.

The UN considers wartorn Yemen the world’s worst humanitarian disaster and Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned that it must not be overshadowed by the Ukraine crisis.

Nonetheless, the money raised fell far short of what

was needed, leaving organisers considering a second conference later this year.

“We heard 36 donors pledge nearly US$1.3 billion for the humanitarian response,” the UN’s humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said in closing the conference in Geneva.

“But let us be under no illusions: We hoped for more.

And it is a disappointment that we weren’t able, as yet, to get pledges from some we thought we might hear from.”

Yemen has been racked by a devastating war since 2014, pitting the Iran-allied Houthi rebels against the internationally-recognised Government, supported by a Saudi-led military coalition. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

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THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022

guyanatimesgy.com

DAILY HOROSCOPES

ARCHIE

Take advantage of the changes going on around you. Be observant and stretch your imagination, and you’ll find a way to get things done. Advocate for what you want.

(March 21-April 19)

DILBERT (April 20-May 20)

Think matters through, and you’ll come up with a plan that will help you make the most of your attributes and take advantage of opportunities that will help you save money and accomplish your goals.

Don’t waste your time bickering over things you have no control over. Be true to yourself and what you want, and refuse to let anyone interfere with your plans. Personal growth will pay off.

(May 21-June 20) Improve your surroundings. Whether at work or home, functionality will be a crucial component of success. Be methodical and make changes that ensure you can produce the best results.

PEANUTS (June 21-July 22)

Instability will wear you down. Stay focused on finances and pending medical and legal matters. Leave no room for error or situations that allow someone else to take care of your responsibilities.

(July 23-Aug. 22) Draw on your intelligence and what you know to be true. Base the changes you make on facts and what you can afford. A partnership will enhance your life if you lay down fair ground rules.

CALVIN AND HOBBES

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

SUDOKU (Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

Put everything in place before you share what you have to offer. Getting along with your peers and those in influential positions will help you gain ground. Personal improvement is favored.

Don’t let a last-minute change of plans throw you off guard. Listen to what someone offers, and walk away if you feel you can do better elsewhere.

Push yourself forward instead of letting someone else lead.

Take a pass if someone is pushy or manipulative. Show discipline and put your energy where it will do you some good. Refuse to let anyone make you feel guilty. Focus on your happiness.

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Pay attention to investments, your health, and how you earn and spend your money. Put more thought into your surroundings to ensure you get the most out of the space you call home.

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Pay close attention to the people around you. Be responsive to the needs of those you love or work alongside. A happy, positive colleague is one who will help you excel.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Keep things in perspective. Be aware of the consequences so you can limit mistakes. Focus on what’s necessary to save yourself the trouble of backtracking.

Share only what’s essential.

(Feb. 20-March 20)

THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022

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he local distributors of Red Wings safety products, VSH United Guyana Inc, have become the latest sponsors of the Linden edition of the Rawle Toney 3X3 Classic.

The eight-team tournament is set for play on Saturday, April 23, at the residence of National Sports Commission (NSC) Chairman Kashif Muhammad in Richmond Hill, Linden.

At a simple presentation at their Carmichael Street, Georgetown location, the company handed over a cheque of an undisclosed sum to tournament

organiser Rawle Toney, to be used towards staging the event.

Apart from being official suppliers of Red Wings safety products in Guyana since 2015, VSH United Guyana Inc, a member of the VSH Group of Companies, are also distributors of Hexarmor products, and offer logistics and other services that are geared towards the country’s booming oil and gas industry.

The company have lauded Toney for his passion in helping to keep basketball afloat through the 3X3 format, which has become in-

VSH Guyana Inc’s Kerisha Beete (L) making a presentation to organiser Rawle Toney at the company’s Carmichael Street, Georgetown location

Over-the-board chess returns with the Gaico-sponsored Grand Prix

creasingly popular across the Caribbean and further afield.

Toney has thanked the company for their support, adding that it would certainly help in the quest to reignite the sport of basketball in Linden, which he said has been dormant for over two years.

Meanwhile, Toney has pointed out that, apart from uniforms, each team would receive $25,000 as an appreciation for participating. The winning team would be awarded $100,000, while the second- placed team would be awarded $50,000 and the

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thirdplaced team $30,000.

Linden is celebrating 52 years as a town, and the tournament would mark the start of the week-long series of events to commemorate the occasion.

Cricket gear for young and promising cricketers in Guyana project…

Fast bowlers benefit from cricket gear project

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Loris Nathoo

Jessica Callender

fter a two-year hiatus, over-the-board chess will finally be returning with the Guyana Chess Federation’s GAICO Grand Prix, which begins on Saturday, March 19th, 2022 at 9:00am at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence, EBD and continues there on March 20th, 26th and 27th.

A total of eight rounds would be played throughout the tourney, with classic matches of 90 minutes + 30 seconds added to each player’s clock after every move.

This 4-day tournament would be the first of four to be held throughout the year, and would aid in the selection of a local team to compete in the FIDE Olympiad being held later this year.

That championship, typically contested by nearly 200 countries, was initially slated to be held from July 26th to August 8th in Moscow, Russia, but has been removed from the host country due to Russia’s invasion of

Ukraine. It is now going to be hosted by the All-India Chess Federation in Chennai, India.

Players interested in competing in the Grand Prix are asked to register by 17:00hrs on Friday March 18th on guyanachess.org, and pay a registration fee of GY$2000.

All matches will be played at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence, and top senior players Anthony Drayton, Loris Nathoo, Davion Mars and Adrian Roopnarine, along with juniors Jessica Callender and Ethan Lee, are expected to participate in this long-awaited return to in-person competition.

COVID-19 safety protocols would strictly be observed. Trophies would be awarded for the best female player in the tournament, as well as the top male and female junior players. Trophies and cash prizes would be offered to the top three finishers in the tournament, while medals would be given to persons copping 4th to 10th

place.

The Guyana Chess Federation hereby expresses its profound gratitude to Gaico Construction and General Services Inc for their generous sponsorship of the four Grand Prix tournaments. For the past 29 years, Gaico has been operating in various industries, from construction all the way to marine, oil spill, and waste management.

Gaico have been constantly expanding in an attempt to keep up with the fast-paced development of Guyana, and for their entire lifetime have been committed to giving back to the people.

Gaico’s longstanding relationship with the Guyana Chess Federation is another way in which Gaico support the development and future of Guyana through constructive recreation and building of many critical thinking skills.

The tournament will be supervised by FIDE arbiters John Lee and Anand Raghunauth.

wo young and promising fast bowlers from the West Coast of Berbice in Region Five are the latest to receive tokens from the “Cricket gear for young and promising cricketers in Guyana” project.

Quincy Alder from Paradise Cricket Club and Winston Joseph from the Belladrum Cricket Club have each received one pair of cricket shoes. Historically, the West Berbice area is known for producing fast bowlers for Guyana.

Anil Beharry, a partner in this initiative with Kishan Das of the USA, has said he is pleased to assist young cricketers in their quest to play the game at the highest level. He added that sports in general helps to keep young people off the streets doing idle things, and is an avenue to a better life.

The young pacers were each delighted to receive their gift, and were grateful for the token. They promised to work hard on their game, and stay disciplined and focused.

Total cricket-related items collected so far: $130,000 cash, two trophies, eleven cricket boots, fifteen pairs of batting pads, fifteen bats, nine pairs of batting gloves, eighteen thigh pads, one wicket-keeping pad, one arm guard, and four cricket bags.

To date, 31 young players from all three counties of Guyana have benefited from a donation from this project, which has thus far handed out a junior gear bag, two trophies, nine bats, nine pairs of cricket shoes, six pairs of bat-

Winston Joseph

Quincy Alder

ting pads and seven pairs of batting gloves.

In addition, the Rose Hall Estate Cricket Club has benefited from the receipt of a pair of stumps and bails, and two clubs in the Pomeroon area have benefited from the receipt of two used bats. Pomeroon, Leguan and Wakenaam Cricket Committees have each also received one box of red cricket balls.

Cricket-related items, used or new, would be distributed free of cost to young and promising cricketers in Guyana. Skills, discipline and education are important characteristics of the recipients. Talent spotting is being done across the country, and club leaders would also assist to identify talent.

Beharry and Das hereby take this opportunity to thank Javed and Imran of West Indian Sports Complex, Option Group of

USA, Hilbert Foster, Bish Panday of P and P Insurance Brokers, Sean Devers, Trevis Simon, Årïêl J. Tïlkú, Aaron Beharry, Leanna Bachan and Imran Saccoor, Devon Ramnauth, Teddy Singh, Romash Munna, Ravi Etwaroo, Ravin Harkishun, Surendra Harkishun, Allan Mangru, Vishal Mahabir, Sherman Austin, Huburn Evans, Rajendra Sadeo and Ramesh Sunich of Trophy Stall, Sheik Mohamed of Star Sports Awards and Trophies, and Ajay Gainda of Cricket Equipment Guyana, Peter Ramkissoon and Rabindranath Saywack.

Special mention has been made of the media for the role they are playing in promoting this venture.

Distribution will continue. Anyone interested in contributing can contact Anil Beharry on 623-6875 or Kishan Das on 1-718-6640896.

22 KFC driving with GMR&SC for Quarter Mile Return THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022

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fter almost a year’s wait, racing fans would soon have their anticipations fulfilled with the expected return of drag racing at the South Dakota Circuit next weekend.

This has been confirmed

by the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club.

As the racers fine tune their machines and hone their skills for the impending action, support has already begun to roll in for the Quartermile races which are slated for

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Sunday, March 27th, 2022.

Renowned Fast food franchise Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) has continued their support of motor racing locally by being one of the first sponsors of this event, dubbed the ‘Quarter Mile Return’.

Having already been a patron in not only drag racing but circuit racing and karting, the company has now rejoined the quarter-mile shootout.

In an invited comment, Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) presi-

Robert and Ravi Birthday Golf Tourney ends with a bang – Giddings emerges winner

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he Lusignan Golf Club was home to the Ravi and Robert Birthday Golf Tournament held over the weekend in honour of sponsors Robert Hanoman and Pandit Rabindranauth Persaud.

After much fierce competition, Eureka Giddings emerged victorious over 43 other competitors. Results of the tournament were as follows: 1st: Eureka Giddings, HC 23/Score 23; 2nd: Shanella London, HC 7/Score 35; 3rd: Boloram Deo, HC 21/Score 35; 4th: Patanjilee Persaud, HC 13/ Score 34; 5th: David Harry, HC 11/Score 33; Longest Drive: Guillermo Escarraga; and Nearest to pin – Pope London.

The golfers and guests all enjoyed a very nice afternoon, and early evening during

and after the tournament and trophy presentation. At the presentation ceremony, Hanoman spoke of the growing demand for golf and the need to expand the LGC golf course to accommodate this growth.

He said LGC would lead the way by adding more holes and other improvements. Hanoman has agreed to be a part of this expansion initiative.

The other birthday boy, Pandit Rabindranauth Persaud, followed Hanoman’s remarks by committing to continue this birthday celebration for many years to come. He also echoed his co-sponsors’ call for growing the game.

After the winners were presented their trophies and prizes, Vice President of the club, Paton George, thanked

KFC Rep Pamella Manasseh handing over the sponsorship cheque to GMR&SC Secretary Cheryl Gonzalves (R)

The winners’ row

the birthday boys and guests for their support of golf in Guyana.

“The atmosphere of golf and family is central to our growth strategy. We are in talks with a few sponsors to host a few major activities which focus on introducing the game to children of all ages. The club will soon announce a few of the

activities planned for the Easter weekend and beyond,” George has posited.

Closing out the ceremony was President of LGC, Patanjilee Persaud, who thanked everyone for coming out and sharing in the festivities, and committed himself to carefully managing the growth of the game.

dent, Rameez Mohamed, said, “We are glad to welcome a stellar sponsor such as KFC to drag racing.

They have been on board with us since 2018, sponsoring all our major meets, and they have also sponsored the GT motorsports KFC Cup, so their investment in motorsport has been no small feat.”

Mohamed noted that, already, the committee is moving with pace in preparing for

BCB/Vitality Inc 20/20 Cricket tournament…

GCB appoints former Skeldon Estate, Rama Krishna, national player Seeram as Chairman of Selectors No 72 Cut and Load record wins …replaces Sarwan, who was recently appointed selector for CWI

this highly anticipated event, which has been approved by the National COVID-19 Task Force; and since there has not been any drag racing in over a year, efforts are being doubled to ensure an almost perfect meet.

“I think this will be a fantastic race meet, and we are expecting to have a large turnout of cars, as was the case with last Sunday’s Endurance Championship first round.

The pandemic has left competitors hungry, and about 16 cars are expected to arrive from Suriname as well,” Mohamed has said.

Tickets for the event will be sold at the venue, and they cost $2000 per adult and $500 per child.

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The Upper Corentyne players are enjoying the tournament (Brandon Corlette photo)

GCB’s new Chairman of Selectors, Ravindranauth Seeram

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he Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) has appointed Ravindranauth Seeram as Chairman of its Senior Selection Panel. Seeram has replaced former West Indies and Guyana captain Ramnaresh Sarwan, who was previously named chairman, but has now been promoted to the Senior Selection Panel of Cricket West Indies.

Ravindranauth Seeram, who was born at Cornelia Ida, West Coast Demerara on July 20, 1961, has played 4First Class and 12 List ‘A’ matches for Guyana from 1982 to 1992.

Seeram previously served as a member of the senior selection panel pri-

or to being elevated to head coach duties of the senior team in 2010.

He enjoyed immediate success in the T20 format when Guyana won the inaugural Caribbean T20 Tournament by defeating arch rivals Barbados in a pulsating final played at the Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad and Tobago.

This victory ensured that Guyana qualified for the Champions League, which was played later that year in South Africa.

Members of the GCB are hereby extending their congratulations and best wishes to Ravindranauth Seeram for a successful tenure as Chairman of the Senior Selection Panel.

n its ongoing efforts to develop cricket in the ancient county, the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) is hosting a series of tournaments within each sub association, with the main objective of reaching the grassroots level.

One such tournament is the BCB/Vitality Inc 20/20 Cup for teams in the Upper Corentyne area. A total of 28 teams started the tournament, and the final match is scheduled to be hosted early next month. Scores for some recent matches played are as follows: Skeldon Estate brushed aside No 68 CC by 7 wickets at the No. 68 Ground. No. 68 took first strike and scored 145 for 6 off 20 overs, with P. Karran on 33, T. Persaud on 32 and J. Anthony on 27.

Bowling for Number 68CC, S Rasheed took 2 for 18 off 4 overs, and S Chaitnarine took 2 for 32 off 4 overs.

In reply, Skeldon Estate reached 149 for 3 in 15.1 overs, with Junior Blair scoring 72, N. DeSouza 25 and A. Seeraj 22.

No 72 Cut and Load defeated No 71 by 36 runs at No

70 Spartans Ground. Batting first, Cut and Load amassed 153 for 7 from 20 overs, with Davenand Chatterpaul scoring 44, Vijay Persaud 34, and Samuel Sernod 20 as the principal scorers.

Bowling for No 71, Rishi Persaud took 3 for 29, and N. Ali took 3 for 21.

In response, No 71 CC were bowled out for 117, with Rishi Persaud scoring 24, N. Vincent 26 and N. Mohammed 24.

Bowling for the winners, Abhindra Paressar took 3 for 7 and Michael Singh took 3 for 23.

At the No 73 Young Warriors Ground, Rama Krishna Foundation defeated Young Blood by 32 runs.

Rama Krishna Foundation scored 84 from 20 overs, with Prakash Singh contributing 21, Andre Tahall 18 and Khemraj Dhap 16.

Bowling for Young Blood, V. Singh took 4 for 10; K. Dup took 3 for 18, and T. Doobay took 3 for 7. Young Blood scored 52 all out in 17 overs, with A. Mohammed on 15 and K. Khan on 13.

Bowling for Rama

Krishna Foundation, S. Khan took 3 for 20, A. Hun took 2 for 12, and I. Ally took 2 for 12.

Skeldon Estate defeated Dark End CC by 9 wickets at the Skeldon Ground.

Dark End CC batted first and scored 22 for 8, with the innings closing in 10.3 overs.

Bowling for Skeldon Estate, Mahendra Chaitnarine grabbed 3 for 5, and N. Seenarine 2 for 3. In reply, Skeldon Estate blazed to 25 for 1 in 4.5 overs, with A. Hussain scoring 16 not out.

Skeldon Estate defeated No 43 CC by 17 runs at the Number 68 Ground. Skeldon CC posted 108 all out in 15 overs, with Q. Burnett’s 40 coming from 3 fours and a similar number of sixes, while Devin Baldeo took 2 for 17, and B. Deen took 2 for 10.

P. Lensankar, with 2 for 22, was the principal bowler.

No 43 were bundled out for 92 made in 14 overs, with B. Deen contributing 32 and A Dangram 16. Mahendra Chaitnarine contributed 3 for 17, while A Hussain took 2 for 15.

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WI vs England: Apex Test series, Test 2…

Lawrence - as a morning session of 47 grimlyconceded runs gave way to returns of 89 in the afternoon and 108 in the Gayle was present at the Oval evening, during which Lawrence's 91 from 150 wo Tests into the red-ball balls, the highest score of his reset. Two Test centuries young career, reinforced the for the one man in England's can-do attitude that he had ranks who really didn't require displayed in his declaration slog the Ctl-Alt-Del treatment. By the in Antigua last week.

Alas for Lawrence, his time the shadows had begun to creep at a rowdy Kensington innings ended in agonising antiOval - a venue more packed climax from what would have with England fans than his own been the penultimate ball of stomping ground of Headingley the day. He had reined himself may end up being this summer in for much of the final hour, - Joe Root had marched surviving in the process a spill at imperiously along to his 25th slip off the persevering Jayden Test hundred, and his eighth in Seales on 72. But then, with his blood pumping after racing 19 Tests since the start of 2021.

An anomalous Ashes into the 90s with back-to-back campaign stands squarely in the boundaries, Jason Holder lured way of Root's otherwise normal him on the drive once more, and service, but if the pressure of Lawrence stalked off, cursing

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Seales picked up the first wicket

hoisting this Test team onto his shoulders had caused those knees to buckle in Australia, then Root has reaffirmed his desire to lead England's rebuild in no uncertain terms.

In six hours of evermounting authority, Root reaped what he himself had sown - in partnership with first, the doughty Alex Lees, then the more free-spirited Dan

himself after picking out extra cover.

Like Zak Crawley in the first Test, he may reflect that opportunities for Test centuries don't come much better than this, least of all when you are privileged enough to share in a 164-run partnership with an acknowledged modern master of the game.

For there aren't many

measures left by which to assess the zone that Root has entered into in the past 14 months. By the time he left the field with 119 from 246 balls to his name, Root had racked up 2018 runs since the start of 2021. England play more Tests than most opponents of course, and that can be a curse as much as a blessing when it comes to managing burn-out; but of his contemporaries, only Rishabh Pant (1077) and Dimuth Karunaratne (1068) have even crossed even the 1000-mark.

Just as Root had begun his 2021 annus mirabilis with scores of 228, 186 and 218 against Sri Lanka and India, and the sense that nothing and no-one could dislodge him, so he finished this first day as if in a force-field.

West Indies delayed their new ball until the 85th over, as Seales in particular began to locate some reverse-swing, but Root's footwork was imperturbable as he sashayed himself into line, and set his stall for Thursday's resumption.

And yet it hadn't been quite such plain-sailing for Root in a choppy opening gambit, and after being offered nothing from another dog of a deck, West Indies were left to rue two priceless opportunities on either side of lunch that could potentially have cracked open the rest of England's still unproven batting.

Root's first big let-off came on 23, in the second hour of the morning, when Jason Holder wriggled a length delivery through to the keeper via a tangle of bat and pad. West Indies, perhaps chastened by the misuse of an early review, chose not to send it upstairs, and sure enough, replays showed that Root had indeed got a thin inside-edge as the ball went by.

Root's big reprieve, however, came on 34, in the fourth over

after lunch, when he deflected a leg-sided delivery from Kemar Roach straight off the face of his

bowling too few deliveries that were targeting his stumps after his consecutive lbws in Antigua,

Lawrence and Root kept West Indies at bay (Getty Images)

bat, only for Joshua da Silva to spill a low but catchable chance in diving to his left.

Roach dropped to his haunches in despair, perhaps recognising how fleeting such opportunities would be on this unforgiving deck. Sure enough, Root barely offered another glimmer as he brought up a 125ball 55 after the drinks break with a punched single into the covers.

After winning the toss, Root had had little hesitation in batting first, even though there was a hint of early assistance for West Indies' seamers not dissimilar to that which England had encountered in crumbling to 48 for 4 on the first morning of the first Test.

At 4 for 1 in the fourth over, with Zak Crawley caught in two minds by a good seaming delivery from Seales, there was just the slightest threat of a repeat performance.

Lees, however, settled quickly into his day's work as the threat of the new ball dissipated, with another innings of self-denial that would be familiar to anyone who tuned into his warm-up maiden fifty at Coolidge last month. West Indies were perhaps guilty of

but Lees left the ball well with his minimalist footwork, and picked off his runs with uncomplicated resolve - his three boundaries, in fact, came via a clip, a cut, and a push down the ground, a hat-trick of strokes that served Alastair Cook perfectly well in his under-stated career.

But just when Lees seemed to have done the hard part, he was nailed plumb in front of middle for 30, as Veerasammy Permaul cramped him from over the wicket to break his drought after a wicketless second innings in Antigua.

However, Lees' departure, at 80 for 2, singled a marked change-up in tempo, as

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Lawrence romped out of the blocks with a desire to bring the action. He came close to running himself out for 11, as he took off for a tight single to mid-on moments after battering Holder for back-to-back fours, Holder's first such indignity of the series (but not, as it would turn out, his last). But he was far from chastised when, three overs later, he skipped down the track to Permaul to launch England's first six of the innings, to confirm the intent with which the remainder of a gutsy innings would be compiled.

Until the relative fireworks of the evening session, England's most dramatic developments arguably took place off the field, with the news that Yorkshire's Matt Fisher had been drafted in for a last-minute debut, after Craig Overton had fallen ill overnight.

With Saqib Mahmood already inked in for his own debut, England are fielding two debutant fast bowlers for the first time since the Lord's Test of 2009, also against West Indies, when Graham Onions and Tim Bresnan made their bow. On this early evidence, the new pair would not be expecting quite the same assistance from the conditions that their forebears enjoyed. (ESPNcricinfo)

SCOREBOARD ENGLAND 1ST INNINGS Alex Lees lbw b Permaul 30 Zak Crawley c †Da Silva b Seales 0 Joe Root (c) not out 119 Dan Lawrence c Brathwaite b Holder 91 Extras (b 1, nb 2, w 1) 4 TOTAL (89.5 Ov, RR: 2.71) 244/3 Yet to bat: Ben Stokes, Ben Foakes †, Jonny Bairstow, Chris Woakes, Matthew Fisher, Jack Leach, Saqib Mahmood

Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Zak Crawley, 3.1 ov), 2-80 (Alex Lees, 44.6 ov), 3-244 (Dan Lawrence, 89.5 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Kemar Roach 16-5-28-0 Jayden Seales 16-4-30-1 Alzarri Joseph 13-1-54-0 Veerasammy Permaul 22-1-61-1 Jason Holder 18.5-4-52-1 Nkrumah Bonner 1-0-3-0 Kraigg Brathwaite 3-0-15-0

Four-member Guyanese Team for World Athletics’ Indoors C/ships …CARIFTA relay teams on stream

T

he Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) is going full speed ahead with its CARIFTA 2022 planning, and are even considering relay teams at this juncture.

However, first on the Athletics calendar is supporting Guyana’s four-member team that would represent the Golden Arrowhead at the World Athletics Indoor Championships.

Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) President, Aubrey Hutson, shared information on Guyana’s World Indoor Championships team exclusively with Guyana Times Sport over the weekend.

“We have four athletes going off to World Indoors in a couple of days. You know, tickets were purchased last night,” Hutson divulged.

He went on to clarify by stating, “So, Quamel

AAG President, Aubrey Hutson

Prince in the 800m, Aliyah Abrams in the 400m, her sister Jasmine in the 60m, and also our new find Mr. (Travis) Collins, he’s going to be doing the 60m also.”

The Championships are scheduled for March 18th to 20th, 2022 in Belgrade, Serbia.

Also discussing another major upcoming event with this publication, Hutson revealed that the

AAG is currently in the process of working out travel to the CARIFTA Games in Jamaica with its coaching staff mostly figured out.

“We’re looking at two means of getting there: which is via Trinidad into Jamaica, and we think we have a simpler route, which is to Miami and then come back down to Kingston. So, we’re looking at both options right now,” Hutson

shared.

While listing the coaching staff, the AAG boss explained that consideration of an additional female coach will be done depending on the number of female qualifiers.

“We’re looking at putting together our final management team. Ms. Nadine Trotz is already earmarked as the Team Manager. We more than likely will go with Coaches Sham Johnny and Raymond Daw, and we also would look to have another female coach in there, based on the number of athletes we have, when we look at composition of our relay teams and that kind of stuff,” he explained.

With 9 athletes already qualifying for the games thus far, and another trial event to come this weekend, Hutson is positive that Guyana’s team would grow in number. Also adding to

Aliyah and Jasmine Abrams

the numbers would be relay teams that the AAG hopes to field.

The AAG President revealed, “We’re more looking at a 4x1 male team. We think we have a good crop of Under-20 100m athletes, so, we’re looking particularly at that relay team. We’re also looking at our 4x4 females. At the Under-20 level again, we think we have a

good crop of 400m Under-20 athletes,” he said.

“Once the competition numbers come up and we know exactly the amount of officials we’ll be able to take, then we’ll select based on that,” he concluded.

The CARIFTA Games are scheduled to be held in Jamaica from April 16th to 18th, 2022. (Jemima Holmes)

THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022

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Four-member Guyanese Team for World Athletics’ Indoors C/ships

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…CARIFTA relay teams on stream

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