Guyana Times -- Tuesday, February 22, 2022

UG graduates 13 new dental surgeons for Guyana P14

– ceremonial White Coat event held Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 4928

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2022

PRICE

India awaits response from Govt on purchasing crude

WHAT'S INSIDE: Missing fishermen

Company could face sanctions for failing to promptly report boat mishap – P9 MARAD

See story on page 3

US-based Guyanese who fatally shot P10 daughter’s boyfriend arrested at Ogle Airport

– also interested in oil blocks, gas-toenergy sector & downstream manufacturing

1 dead, 1 critical after car crashes into arch at NA See story on page 18

Guyana ranked OP to seek write10th most off on $19.5M owed competitive since 2015 for CCTV oil & gas cameras purchased APNU/AFC jurisdiction – legalby advice was received that US in the world courts only way to recoup money Putin orders troops to breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine Page 18

Page 7

See story on page 19

$100 VAT INCLUDED

Venezuelan stabbed to P10 death during altercation at Soesdyke bar Teen allegedly raped by man she met on Facebook P10 Duo wanted for murder of Linden man P16

P16 CANU intercepts car carrying over 85lbs ganja in Berbice

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

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

Tuesday, Feb 22 – 09:00h – 10:30h and Wednesday, Feb 23 – 09:30h – 11:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Tuesday, Feb 22 – 07:45h – 09:15h and Wednesday, Feb 23 – 08:40h – 10:10h.

India awaits response from Govt on purchasing crude – also interested in oil blocks, gas-to-energy sector & downstream manufacturing

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY There will be thundery showers and light rain during the day and night. Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 28 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-Easterly to North NorthEasterly between 1.78 metres and 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 08:18h and 20:50h reaching maximum heights of 2.58 metres and 2.46 metres.

Low Tide: 14:19h reaching a minimum height of 0.63 metre.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2022

LOTTERY NUMBERS D

03 06 08

24 26 28

FREE TICKET

21 Bonus Ball

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2022

DAILY MILLIONS

02 04 10 11 14 LUCKY 3

2

6

8

2

Afternoon Draw

1

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Evening Draw

DRAW DE LINE

09 10 11 12 15 16 17 SUPER

PAY DAY

PAY DAY

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2022

05 09 11 16 17 13

03 06 11 12 16

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0 Afternoon Draw

2X Afternoon Draw

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9 Evening Draw

FP Evening Draw

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

$97.26/barrel

+1.96

Rough Rice

$273.06/ton

+0.07

London Sugar

$485.00/ton

0.00

Live Spot Gold

USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

$1909.00

$1910.00

Low/High Change

$1888.10 +5.80

$1916.30 +0.30%

Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr KJ Srinivasa

T

he Indian Government is likely to soon enter talks with the Guyana Government, on purchasing crude oil. And this is just one of the several commercial areas that companies from India are eyeing investments in.

During the recent Energy Conference and Expo, Indian High Commissioner to Guyana Dr KJ Srinivasa told this publication of India’s interest in investing in Guyana. Specifically, he made it clear that India is interested in Guyana’s oil.

He noted that with the recent first oil at Liza Phase 2, this means more opportunity for business.

“Of course, we are interested in the oil. So, the Indian oil corporation is working with us for procuring oil on a long-term basis. So, with the coming online of the Liza Unity right now, I think we will have more amount of oil to come into play and I think that will provide opportunity for Guyana to share that oil with India on a commercial basis.”

“The infrastructure sector, the gas-to-energy sector, is something we’re interested in. We’re also working with the back-end processing, the IT and the BPO processing, for most of these companies,” Dr Srinivasa also said.

According to the High Commissioner, they are awaiting the Government’s response to their proposal on buying crude on a government-to-government basis.

He also revealed that Indian companies are interested in Guyana’s oil blocks, whenever they go out to auction. These companies, he explained, are mostly public sector enterprises, which are either partly or wholly owned by the State.

“In that, people are interested. Because India has that capability of exploring offshore oil. We’re doing it with the Brazilians, we’re doing it with the Russians offshore, we’re doing it with Africa.

So, we have the capability.

And we have that huge interest in the oil blocks also,” the High Commissioner also said.

India has previously expressed an interest in buying crude from Guyana, including through a long-term agreement. Last year, one million barrels of oil from Guyana was bought by HPCL-Mittal Energy Ltd (HMEL), a joint venture between State-run Hindustan Petroleum Corp and Indian steel tycoon LN Mittal.

The Liza Phase 2 began producing oil earlier this month. In fact, this will bring Guyana’s oil production capacity to 340,000 barrels per day (bpd) following the commencement of production at the Liza Phase 2 project.

It was explained at the time that production at the Liza Unity FPSO vessel is expected to reach its target of 220,000 barrels of oil later this year, as operations continue to be brought safely online.

ExxonMobil has said it anticipates at least six proj-

ects offshore Guyana will be online by 2027. This includes the Payara and the Yellowtail developments, while Exxon also seeks approval for the Uaru development.

In fact, $88 million was approved in Budget 2022 for a consultancy firm to review the Field Development Plan for Uaru, which if approved will be of Exxon’s fifth oil development in the Stabroek Block.

In January 2020, ExxonMobil announced that Uaru-1 was the 16th discovery in the Stabroek Block.

The well encountered approximately 94 feet (29 metres) of high-quality oil-bearing sandstone reservoir and was drilled in 6342 feet (1933 metres) of water.

In April 2021, Uaru-2 was announced by the oil giant. Drilling at Uaru-2 encountered approximately 120 feet (36.7 metres) of high-quality oil-bearing

reservoirs including newly identified intervals below the original Uaru-1 discovery. The well was drilled in 5659 feet (1725 metres) of water and is located approximately 6.8 miles (11 kilometres) south of the Uaru-1 well.

The Stabroek Block is 6.6 million acres (26,800 square kilometres). ExxonMobil affiliate, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEGPL) is operator and holds 45 per cent interest in the Stabroek Block.

Hess Guyana Exploration Limited holds 30 per cent interest and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CNOOC Limited, holds 25 per cent interest.

The Stabroek Block’s recoverable resource base is currently estimated at more than 10 billion oil-equivalent barrels and has the potential to support up to 10 projects.

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guyanatimesgy.com

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 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

“Achieving Social Justice through Formal Employment”

T

he theme for World Day of Social Justice 2022, celebrated on Sunday, was “Achieving Social Justice through Formal Employment”.

According to the United Nations, “more than 60 per cent of the world’s employed population, that is two billion women, men and youth, earn their livelihoods in the informal economy. The COVID-19 pandemic has put a spotlight on the vulnerability of workers in the informal economy. Informal workers, who often lack any form of social protection or employment-related benefits, are twice as likely to be poor compared to formal workers.

Most people enter the informal economy not by choice, but due to lack of opportunities in the formal economy”.

For the UN, the pursuit of social justice for all is at the core of its global mission to promote development and human dignity. The General Assembly had recognised that social development and social justice are indispensable for the achievement and maintenance of peace and security within and among nations and that, in turn, social development and social justice cannot be attained in the absence of peace and security or in the absence of respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms.

So, on November 26, 2007, the General Assembly declared that starting from the 63rd session of the General Assembly, February 20, will be celebrated annually as the World Day of Social Justice.

This year, the world body said promoting the transition to formal employment is a necessary condition to reduce poverty and inequalities, advance decent work, increase productivity and sustainability of enterprises and expand Government’s scope of action, notably in times of crisis.

“In accordance with the Transition from the Informal to the Formal Economy Recommendation, 2015 (No 204), and acknowledging that the pathways to transition to formality depend on national circumstances, comprehensive integrated strategies that tackle multiple drivers of informality work best,” the world body acknowledged.

It noted that the principles of social justice are upheld when countries promote gender equality or the rights of Indigenous peoples and migrants. Additionally, countries advance social justice when they remove barriers that people face because of gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture, or disability.

“The identification of the right incentives and the elimination of obstacles to formality are essential.

In the context of the COVID-19 crisis, preventing the informalisation of formal jobs is also of particular importance. Formalisation results from a complex and gradual process.”

Further globalisation and interdependence are opening new opportunities through trade, investment and capital flows and advances in technology, including information technology, for the growth of the world economy and the development and improvement of living standards around the world.

Many countries are utilising new technologies to facilitate the transition from informal to formal employment through E-formalisation tools, such as electronic database systems for proper identification of employment and wider access to ICTs and e-commerce.

Today, there remain serious challenges, including serious financial crises, insecurity, poverty, exclusion, and inequality within and among societies and considerable obstacles to further integration and full participation in the global economy for developing countries as well as some countries with economies in transition.

On this day, therefore, all Guyanese should join in the global call for social and economic justice and demand that the Government promote inclusive development for all citizens.

President Dr Irfaan Ali and several Cabinet Ministers virtually attended the Twelfth Meeting of the Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) on Monday

Happy Republic Day, Guyana Dear Editor, As the bells toll and the clock strikes midnight on Tuesday, February 22, 2022, this beautiful land called Guyana will celebrate her 52nd year as the Co-operative Republic of Guyana. Guyana broke away from its colonial masters on May 26, 1966, when it gained independence from Great Britain and became free from all British sovereignty when she declared herself a Republic state on February 23, 1970. Arthur Chung was sworn in as its first President but was viewed as merely a “rubber stamp.”

Mia Mottley’s Barbados has recently relinquished British sovereignty and declared herself as a Republican State in November 2021, joining Trinidad and Tobago and Dominica. Jamaica still has the Queen of England as their Head of State.

Although a public holiday, the usual pomp and glory will be missing and the parades and masquerading in the streets will be a lost sight. This is no accident but a design to help reduce a pandemic to an epidemic.

COVID-19 is still with us and all necessary protocols are in place and need to be observed.

“Mashramani 2022” has been reduced from its delightful opulence to a lesser stage of chagrined paucity.

But this does not diminish the theme of “One Guyana” and the numerous cultural events will quietly explode in many corners to express the rich diverseness of a struggling, young nation, coping to jump the

many hurdles blocking the smooth progress of transition from a less developed country to a developed country. Guyana has boasted 10 different Heads of State, with Dr Bharat Jagdeo serving its longest presidency (12 years) and with Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali being the current President, both being from the PPP/C. The PPP/C has provided 6 of the 10 Presidents. Guyana remains a member of the Commonwealth Nations and is an integral part of Caricom.

She has survived the angst of dictatorship from the dreaded days of Burnham’s terror: the failed nationalisation of many of the industries, the banning of essential food items, the creation of controlled state machinery for propaganda and for the sole purposes of the party and members, the party’s paramountcy, the boosting, boasting and bragging of racial indulgence, preferential treatment for party members, the convenience of employing one sect over others, the brain drain, the mass exodus of migration, the many unsolved killings, the reign of terror and fear in different forms and the many shapes designed to perpetrate discriminative practices.

Those infamous days were quickly followed by crucial threats of a reformed Desmond Hoyte, who also stained his conscience with many of Burnham’s qualities but to a lesser degree.

The silence of a skulduggery David Granger, allowed gross misappropriations to advance in mass proportions and Guyana witnessed

a barefaced management in economic chaos. Guyana has seen the demise of financial progression and the salvaging of poverty to richness only under the PPP/C. Twice, the PNC party has driven the country to bankruptcy and it was the PPP/C that brought the people out of this shame and disgrace.

Guyana has indulged in communism, socialism, co-operatism and capitalism and now relies on the enthusiasm of democracy as practiced, preached and propagated by the People Progressive/Civic’s governance. Under the various leadership of PNC, PNCR, APNU/AFC and other associated parties, the PPP/C has had to continue a struggle to fight election frauds at all times. The rigging of elections is well documented and adumbrated by acknowledged world leaders who have all recently had the justified reason of brandishing the APNU/AFC party as liars and cheaters when they brazenly attempted to rig the last General Election in 2021.

In front of the eyes of the world, observers watched in dismay as the APNU/AFC party tried to corroborate with some of GECOM personnel to deliberately mislead a nation into believing that they were the winners of the election. Being branded with the word “sanctimonious,” the APNU/AFC party can never wash this dinged stain from their mantra and this characteristic will forever be featured as a royal and loyal quality.

The dawning of a new era is in the making under the astute leadership

of Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali and his PPP/C Government.

The party’s manifesto has quickly unfolded a path of economic recovery and has translated into progression as slated by the passing of the biggest budget in the history of Guyana. Last week’s Energy Conference and Expo is being hailed as a success from all corners and companies throughout the world are bidding for Guyana’s resources.

The richness of the country was exposed to many interested bidders and Guyana’s developmental future is guaranteed a place in the world to compete with the more established financial magnates.

As all eyes focus on the early establishment of business entities, the interest of Guyanese remains of paramount importance to the Government and this entails protection via its Local Content Policy. No wonder many Guyanese living abroad are eager to return home and participate in this stage of Guyana’s progression as encouraged by the Government. The dark days of gloom by a failed Administration led by a sleeping David Granger are a thing of the past. Pride and dignity have been restored by the civility of a sobered PPP/C Administration and Guyana can look forward to happier days as the country celebrates her Republic Day with a breath of fresh air from the might of the Atlantic Ocean. Happy Republic Day, Guyana.

Respectfully, Jai Lall

guyanatimesgy.com

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2022

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News

Finance Specialist Martin Cheong to head SBM Offshore Guyana S

BM Offshore on Monday announced that Guyanese business and finance specialist Martin Cheong will be appointed to the post of General Manager of SBM Offshore Guyana, effective March 1, 2022.

Cheong, whose current role is Project Support Manager with SBM Offshore, had been based in the Netherlands and Brazil over the last year.

Prior to joining SBM Offshore, he served as the Human Resource Manager at the GTM Group of

Martin Cheong

Insurance Companies. He also has vast experience in finance and business sup-

port, having held senior positions in these fields for 19 years at the Guyana

Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) and the Bank of Nova Scotia.

Cheong is a certified Corporate Financial Planning and Services Professional, and the holder of a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of West Indies.

“As a Guyanese, I am pleased to be given the opportunity to play a key role in a company that is integrally involved in the production of a resource that is expected to be transformative for my country. SBM

Offshore is committed to utilising and developing the skills of Guyanese—a drive that I am committed to supporting in my new capacity,” Cheong stated.

SMB Offshore, in a statement, noted that Guyanese hold senior positions at the company and are an integral part of its operations. The Human Resource and Finance Department are both headed and completely staffed

by Guyanese. The company has also been recruiting and training technical personnel for its offshore oper-

ations.

The current General Manager, Francesco Prazzo, said that Cheong was being prepared for his new role for some time.

“This is not something that was decided at the last moment because Martin was hired more than one year ago. We put him on an international journey, moving into different roles within SBM Offshore. We want to continue to be the employer of choice and social value creators in Guyana,” he stated.

Could the Opposition get on with the business of installing a new Leader in Parliament?

Dear Editor, In every democratic country there must be an Opposition, in the present scenario Guyana is bereft of that democratic head. The main Opposition just cannot come to some agreement as to who should lead them in and out of Parliament. It is a sordid affair that has been going on for some months now, with no end in sight; a pretty messy situation to say the least. Well, a quick suggestion to the holders of the balances of power in that party, I would say if you cannot agree on a candidate then "install" one. It is pretty simple process for a party that is well versed in the art of installing its leaders.

The PNC/PNCR/APNU - by whatever the metamorphosis you would like to call

them - carried out an election in which Aubrey Norton was elected leader of that conglomeration. The rest of the exercise should have been an automatic accession to leadership and the taking up of his seat in Parliament.

However, that smooth transition to office is the question that we cannot get a clear answer to, because from that time of Norton's election in December to the present date, we are nowhere closer as to who should be Opposition Leader, far less the rank or status of the guy in Parliament? If you should ask anyone with even half a brain, they would tell you that this is a clear rehash of the 5 months of waiting after General Elections. Yes, it is a disgraceful situation that this country has to be bur-

dened with. But this is the harsh reality of a party called PNC. I know what might be going through the minds of the power brokers in that party, that is, the troubled mingling of the confused conglomeration of parties that make up this disgraceful lot.

Was Norton elected leader of the PNC, PNCR and APNU, which is it? Then there is the grouping of sorts of the APNU/AFC which I assume he now heads, what is really going on?

It brings us back to that starting point, for a man who got a paltry 30 per cent leadership votes and the so-called landslide victory over his opponents, tells of a story as my uncle used to say "A confusing ticket to a wily dance." So, The PNC, PNCR, APNU plus

AFC power struggle goes on unabated. This also tells every onlooker that there was bound to be infighting right from the very start.

A victory like this shows clearly that he was not the chosen one, there are 70 per cent who loathe him; a percentage he cannot easily ignore. But such is the situation with this motley group and their crazy behaviour; it knows no bounds!

So, while they do that T-Dance the nation languishes. We have no Leader of the Opposition. In light of the foregoing, we are calling on the anointed David Arthur Granger to hurry up with the appointment, installation, or what have you, of the new leader.

Every democracy must have a Leader of The

Formation of CANT

Dear Editor, I am pleased to announce the formation of a new Civil Society Organisation, “Citizens Against New Things” or CANT. As it says in the name, we are against new things; No bridge will ever be good enough for any of Guyana’s rivers; No power plant can be environmentally friendly enough; No project will create enough benefit to be worth the effort. You get our drift, it is no! No! No to anything new (except new organs of civil society) I quite expect to be joined by the usual Doubting Thomases who form and join organisations to give weight to their agendas. I look forward with eagerness to a call from Chris Ram, the doyen of dubious doubters everywhere, he who proclaimed the Marriott would fail; The Hope Canal was in the wrong place, etc. etc.

CANT expects, the ponytailed Yog Mahadeo would also sign up to press for an end to oil as will Jerry Jailall, assorted Rambos, Yearwoods and Singh/ Persauds/Smiths who want more for every Guyanese but not by doing or building anything new.

Editor, CANT cannot fail, for if we do, Guyana will become a very differ-

ent place; one with enough cheap electrical power from Amaila Hydro and the gas-to-shore plant to make unthinkable industries viable; new hotels will dominate the skyline; free flow of traffic over high-span bridges; new highways to ease commuter traffic jam woes, why, we may even see the demise of the backyard clothesline as dryers

enter the affordable home appliance field.

We urge you to urge others to join this new organisation against new things and preserve our image as a backward people from a proud backwater country.

Retrorsum In Aeternum.

Sincerely, Robin Singh

Opposition, and in the present circumstances, the crazy antics of this "coalition of confusion" is of little help. It is high time that this confused

lot get their act together and let this country move on.

Sincerely, Neil Adams

Blue book

Dear Editor, At the start of 2012, the scientific data/information was limited. Our people in authority (CDC, WHO, doctors, governments etc) told us the vaccines would stop infection and/therefore would stop transmission. It followed for some of us that the unvaccinated should avoid being in places where they can spread the SARS COV 2 virus. Thus, when the Blue Book (proof of vaccination), the passport that allowed its holder to interact was instituted some of us thought it was reasonable.

Now at the start of 2022,

the scientific data/information is abundant. The scientists, WHO, CDC et al and every day experiences say that the vaccine does not stop infection nor transmission. This has made the need for the Blue Book obsolete and redundant.

I am calling on the Minister of Health, the President and Parliament to rescind the regulation that requires us to provide this Blue Book to enjoy any services offered by the State and by any other service provider within Guyana.

Highest regards, Mohamed F Khan

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2022

Page

Foundation ◄

W

Sets

hat is a set? Well, simply put, it's a collection.

First, we specify a common property among "things" and then we gather up all the "things" that have this common prop-

erty.

Set of clothes: For example, the items you wear: hat, shirt, jacket, pants, and so on.

I'm sure you could come up with at least a hundred.

This is known as a set.

Or another example is types of fingers.

This set includes index, middle, ring, and pinky.

So it is just things grouped together with a certain property in common.

Notation

There is a fairly simple notation for sets. We simply list each element (or "member") separated by a comma, and then put some curly brackets around the whole thing:

The curly brackets { } are sometimes called "set brackets" or "braces".

This is the notation for the two previous examples: {socks, shoes, watches, shirts, ...} {index, middle, ring, pinky} Notice how the first example has the "..." (three dots together).

The three dots ... are called an ellipsis, and mean "continue on".

So that means the first example continues on ... for infinity. (Just imagine there were an infinite variety of things you could wear) So: The first set {socks, shoes, watches, shirts, ...} we call an infinite set; the second set {index, middle, ring, pinky} we call a finite set.

But sometimes the "..." can be used in the middle to save writing long lists: Example: the set of letters: {a, b, c, ..., x, y, z} In this case it is a finite set (there are only 26 letters in the alphabet, right?) (mathsisfun.com)

I

n this fun and easy geology science experiment, we’re going to make a rock in a cup.

Materials:

Spoon Wax paper Sand Gravel Magnifying glass Sugar Water Paper or plastic cups

Instructions:

Add a spoonful of sand into a paper cup. Add a second spoonful of gravel into the same cup.

Pour a teaspoon of water into another cup. Blend in five teaspoons full of sugar until eventually it’s dissolved.

Slowly add the sugar water solution into the cup of sand and gravel until it is moistened. Dump off any excessive water.

Allow the “rock” to dry, then with care tear the paper cup off while working over a section of wax paper.

Permit the “rock” to sit undisturbed and solidify for a minimum of two days.

Utilise a magnifying glass to watch your “rock” and observe any changes that may occur. Sketch an illustration of the things you observe. What type of rock have you made?

How it works:

You will discover during this fun geology experiment that there are three varieties of rocks: igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary. Every rock is formed as a result of various processes which produce different materials. Igneous rocks are formed via the cooling down of melted materials while metamorphic rocks are created when heat and pressure alter other rocks. Sedimentary rocks are comprised of bits of rocks and minerals and in some cases remains of animals and plants. All of these pieces are compacted and held together by other minerals. Some examples of sedimentary rocks are sandstone and limestone.

Make this an experiment:

Try this experiment with salt instead of sugar. (sciencefun.org)

Monostich: a long sentence Sternum: a little chest Heart: upside down Location of the unconscious: Empty window seat Horizon: gone at night Thought: given Prison: a perversion — Our earth can’t live without holy rites.

You can see this from the sky.

Lots of hills to climb up and down.

A straight ravine between.

Snow figures engraved in stones.

Show streaks of sun gone but The white rocks shrink and grow Grave at sunset.

Turn to the right And you will fall to the left.

One figure wears a beard Down to his chest But Eros hates coverings.

And prefers to be caught naked With his bow and arrow.

Embellishes But clears the way for pathos.

— From above I covet a mountain beneath my feet.

Shrines made of dung and branches, With berries for eyes and burlap hung with holly.

They were curled in shadows on roads Leading to every stop we made from the Trig To Top Withens to Liverpool.

The white and purple mountains.

Stood over the Brontës and clusters Of black thistles’ script.

I remember a church (a cave supported By old bicycle parts to keep it up) Was bound by a broken bell and a box Containing snapshots and trinkets.

“We will get through this!”

— Why mercy?

Having mercy on someone is easier than forgiving them.

That one there?

A man limited by logic, he imprisoned the people whose thinking was infinite.

And her, the serious one?

Stars without light hold the others up.

I lost you for a moment.

Mid-sentence is darker so you can’t decipher it.

Look up.

Oyster, shell pink, sky inside. Our prison.

What would you tell the judge?

The difference between a man who shoots others and then himself and one who shoots others and runs away.

You will tell her that decisions are only guesses.

“Resentment is a weak form of suicide.”

That’s why suicide is hard to choose even when you’re dying.

“I wish they would shoot themselves before they shot the others.”

— We’ve evolved (arrived) just in time for the obsolete.

The center that runs along the sides of the tarmac Is a camp without a name.

A holding station.

Source: Poetry (March 2019) To be continued

“A little progress each day adds up to big results” – Satya Nani

WORD SEARCH

NEWS

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

OP to seek write-off on $19.5M owed since 2015 for CCTV cameras purchased by APNU/AFC – legal advice was received that US courts only way to recoup money

A

Office of the President

legal opinion has been received that the Office of the President (OP) would have to pursue the $19.1 million owed by an American company since 2015 for CCTV cameras that were bought but never delivered, in the US courts. In view of this, a write-off of the amount will be sought.

This revelation was made when the Office of the President (OP) appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Monday. Responding to questions on the outstanding money for the CCTV cameras procured since 2015, Permanent Secretary Abena Moore said she recently received legal advice on the matter.

She said that they were advised that in view of the time elapsed, they would have to approach the US courts for justice, if they were still desirous of pursuing the matter. According

to Moore, they will be approaching the Finance Secretary (FS) to have the sum written off.

“The position remains the same, however, I recently received a legal opinion, which I’m now guided by, and I’m soon to approach the Finance Secretary so that this matter could finally be written off. Because from the legal opinion it was said that time has elapsed, it is now five-plus years and if you’re going to bring a matter before the court it is supposed to be three years.”

“That’s with the Guyana situation. If we still want to pursue, we’d have to hire an attorney in the US, so that those laws over there can apply to the particular situation. So that’s just an update on the matter,” Moore explained.

Meanwhile, PAC Chairman Jermaine Figueira reminded of the circular sent out, which authorises accounting of-

ficers for budget agencies to request a write-off for amounts owed for over three years.

The non-delivery of the cameras has been a recurring issue on successive Auditor General reports. It is understood that the company which was contracted to supply the cameras, Moonblink Communication Incorporated, has since filed for bankruptcy.

These very CCTV cameras, which were purchased in December 2015 with monies taken from the Contingency Fund for an “emergency”, were subject to questions in the PAC back in 2017.

Under questioning, Moore had provided the names of the company’s principals.

When the matter came up again last year, both the PAC Chairman and fellow PAC Members Gail Teixeira and Ganesh Mahipaul, had urged the PS to ensure that all steps are exhausted before a write-off of the money

is even considered.

There are strict rules governing the Contingency Fund, which is only supposed to be used for emergencies. But in the 2015 Auditor General report, it was found that withdrawals totalling over $900 million were made from the Fund, most for non-emergency purposes.

According to Section 220 (1) of the Constitution of Guyana, “Parliament may make provision for the establishment of a Contingencies Fund and for authorising the Minister responsible for finance to make advances from that Fund if he is satisfied that there is an urgent need for expenditure for which no other provision exists”.

Section 220 (2) goes on to say that “Where any advance is made from the Contingencies Fund, a supplementary estimate shall, as soon as practicable, be laid before the National Assembly by Prime Minister or any other Minister designated by the President for the purpose of authoris-

Office of the President Permanent Secretary Abena Moore

ing the replacement of the amount so advanced”.

In addition, Section 41 (3) of the Fiscal Management and Accountability (FMA) Act states, “The Minister, when satisfied that an urgent, unavoidable and unforeseen need for expenditure has arisen – (a) for which no monies have been appropriated or for which

the sum appropriated is insufficient; (b) for which monies cannot be reallocated as provided for under this Act; or (c) which cannot be deferred without injury to the public interest, may approve a Contingencies Fund advance as an expenditure out of the Consolidated Fund by the issuance of a drawing right”.

8 NEWS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Chinese national, taxi drivers charged for liquid cocaine found in juice

Mashin’…

W Chinese national: Xiu Feng Wang

A

Chinese national and two Guyanese taxi drivers appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts where they were arraigned for trafficking in narcotics after several packages destined for China were found with cocaine.

Xiu Feng Wang, Bernard Persaud, and Godfrey Neblette appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan where the two Guyanese pleaded not guilty to the charge and were remanded to prison until March 8, 2022.

The Chinese national later pleaded guilty and was

Bernard Persaud

Godfrey Neblette

The boxed juice that contained the cocaine

remanded until March 17, 2022.

The three men were charged in connection with the discovery of liquefied

cocaine concealed in six carton boxes of juice within a package containing snacks by CANU officers at DHL Express, Guyana, on

February 17, 2022.

The narcotics when weighed had a total of 8.8kg, with a street value of $4.4million It was reported that the packages contained biscuits and boxed fruit juices. However, when checked, the cocaine was discovered.

After investigations, CANU received information that a Chinese national had paid the shipper to post the packages.

As such, the Chinese national was arrested at his home in Bel Air Park, Georgetown. He was subsequently questioned and charges were instituted.

Kitty man acquitted for murder after spending almost 5 years on remand

…plans to sue Police for “falsifying evidence” against him

A

Kitty, Georgetown man who spent almost five years on remand on a murder charge for which he accuses the Police of “falsifying evidence” against him was found not guilty last week Wednesday and is now planning to sue the State.

Pascale Smith is now a free man after Demerara High Court Judge, Brassington Reynold upheld a no-case submission made on his behalf by his lawyer, Siand Dhurjon, and directed the jury to return a formal verdict of not guilty.

Smith was charged with murdering John Heckert Hutson of Austin Street, Kitty, Georgetown, between April 31 and May 27, 2017, at Alexander Street, Kitty.

Dhurjon explained that the prosecution’s case against Smith was that during the dark morning hours of April 31, 2017, he beat Hutson mercilessly on the road in front of the Avon building on Alexander Street by stamping him on the ground and by pelting a brick at his head until he was motionless.

The lawyer said the prosecution contended that an eyewitness ran to the Kitty Police Station and made a

Freed: Pascale Smith

report and Hutson, while unconscious, was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he died over three weeks later.

A post-mortem examination revealed that the 40-year-old man died from cerebral haemorrhage as a result of blunt trauma to the head.

According to Dhurjon, his client was arrested at his home by the Police on June 5, 2017, and was placed on an identification parade at the Kitty Police Station where he was positively identified as the killer by an eyewitness to the killing.

At the end of a Preliminary Inquiry (PI), a city Magistrate committed Smith to stand trial on the charge for the capital offence after finding that a prima facie case was made out against him at the close of the prosecution’s case.

Smith's trial commenced last month before Justice Reynolds and a jury.

Smith’s lawyer informed that on February 10, the 25-year-old eyewitness was called to testify during which he said he could not recall the date of the murder.

The lawyer said the eyewitness told the court that he could not remember any incident that occurred in 2017.

“Eventually, [the witness] explained that sometime in 2017 a Police detective by the name “Chapman” encouraged and caused him to sign a paper and caused him to attend the identification parade and to point out Smith,” Dhurjon said.

While under cross-examination, Dhurjon said that the witness explained that he never knew Pascale Smith or John Hutson.

Counsel said, too, that the witness clarified that he never witnessed any in-

cident but because he was a member of the Kitty Community Policing Group, “Chapman” told him that “he had to cooperate and help the Police”.

According to Dhurjon, the witness told the court that the first time he saw Smith was on the identification (ID) parade. Because he was afraid to be on the ID parade, Dhurjon said the witness testified that “Chapman” gave him a hoodie and sunshades to wear so that he would be comfortable pointing his client. “[The witness] said that on the identification parade the men were of different races, heights, and complexions. He said that Pascale Smith was the only one with high hair almost like an afro at the identification parade,” the lawyer said.

Smith had been on remand for the murder of Hutson for almost five years since 2017 and made headlines in July 2017 when he escaped from Lusignan Prison and was later apprehended in a pit latrine toilet at Barr Street, Kitty.

Meanwhile, Dhurjon disclosed that his client intends to sue the State for the Police’s role in falsifying evidence against him.

…toes ell, well, well…tomorrow is Mashramani!! Now don’t you try correcting your Eyewitness that it’s actually “Republic Day”. It might’ve originally started out with Republic Day, but when Burnham decided to make the 1970 wine-down at Linden NATIONAL, who doubted the tail would be soon wagging THAT Dawg!!

After all, the folks at the bauxite town – who’d up to then been living at Wismar and Mackenzie – had showed their Republican patriotism by changing the names to that of their beloved “Founder Leader” – Linden. As in Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham!!

So why not reward them by acknowledging their “farsightedness” for creating a jump-up session under a madeup supposedly “Arawak” festival that calls for “celebration after a hard day’s work”!! No one before, then or afterward have ever been able to find such a word in the nine Amerindian cultures, much less Arawak!! But hey!!

The folks at Linden had to be acknowledged not only for their renaming of their town, but also for ensuring it was literally a PNC town. They’d burned and chased out all 3000 or so Indian residents – who were, of course, assumed to be “PPP”!! Linden has remained staunchly PNC ever since.

But it wasn’t just Mashramani that was made up – the day itself was made up as commemorating Cuffy’s start of the Berbice Rebellion and Cuffy made our National Hero.

But it is one historian, slavish follower of Burnham – Daly – who’d arbitrarily decided that the start of the Rebellion

by Cuffy up the Berbice River was on Feb 23. Poor Cuffy wasn’t even at the Plantation where the Rebellion started – Magdalenenberg – and only joined weeks later!! Not so incidentally, a coin of Cuffy was struck where he looked awfully like Burnham!!

Now apart from the name being fake, the content of the Mashramani celebration is also fake since it had nothing Guyanese about it save the people!! It was a shameless ripoff of the Trini Carnival that those folks had evolved from the French Creoles and their slaves who’d emigrated from Haiti to Trinidad after they fled the REAL revolution there

by Toussaint L’Overture!! So we had the PNC Government foisting a totally fake occasion onto the Guyanese people!!

Not springing organically from the lives of the people, the PNC Government had to sponsor most of the floats and parades of Mash until they were thrown out in 1992.

It was thought the incoming PPP – which had pointed out the additional phoniness of commemorating the date due to its closeness to Burnham’s birthday on Feb 20!! – would scupper Mash. And Education Minister Dale Bisnauth originally did downplay it. However, PNC supporters cried “Discrimination”!! And back it came – this time by strongarming business support!

Let’s see what the COVID-19 Mash gonna be like!! …neighbours For over a year, the Dominican Republic’s been threatening to build a wall along its 245-mile border with Haiti – which shares the island of Hispaniola with them.

After all the criticism Trump received when he decided on such a wall with Mexico to keep migrants – including Haitians – most thought it was just a bluff. After all, both countries are African-dominated with large strata of Mulattos and shared a long history of colonial exploitation followed by cruel dictatorships. (Sounds like Guyana, no?!)

But two days ago, the fence started to go up – a hightech 12-foot one with barbed wire on top along with cameras, motion detectors and army-manned guard posts along the structure. If it sounds like the Berlin Wall, then this is more sophisticated. The problem is, Haiti is spiralling downwards at such a pace, the Dominicans fear their 20% Haitian population might soon overwhelm them.

What say our local woke brigade? …sugar Some folks are protesting the alternative use of the Enmore sugar packaging plant. Did they first conduct a survey on whether the fired sugar workers would rather return to the cane fields or work in the new industries?

Thought not!!

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

NEWS

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Missing fishermen

Company could face sanctions for failing to promptly report boat mishap – MARAD – BoI established to investigate incident

Missing: Harold Damon

Missing: Ronald Burton

Missing: Winston Sam

oble House Seafoods, the company that employed the three fishermen who are currently missing at sea, could face sanctions for failing to promptly report the boat mishap to the relevant authorities.

This was revealed by Director General of the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) Stephen Thomas during a joint press briefing hosted on Monday.

“There are distress procedures, all vessels are required to have a card with the distress procedure close

to the radio so should there be an emergency they would call all stations for any vessels within the vicinity they would hear that and come to their assistance.”

“We have no records of calls being made from the vessel on that channel, the emergency channel, with respect with the contact that was made with Noble House earlier in the day. They should be informing us right away, which is the lighthouse which works 24x7, we have the Coast Guard, we have our boathouse, we have various entities that work 24x7 that there are

to contact and we activate an emergency response to the distress, but that wasn’t done in this case,” Thomas further related.

“Well perhaps there are various sanctions available that I think as the Ministers mention there’s a Board of Inquiry that was set up and maybe it can look at that among other things.”

The MARAD Director General further reiterated that vessels are usually required by law to report incidents within a 24-hour period.

“They’re mainly administrative measures in place

N

Members of the BoI

but we have in the law every incident must be reported within 24 hours but that’s just for reporting “But for response purposes like in this case it should be done immediately as they have information about a vessel having problems, there are various stages of emergencies. Not everything is an eminent emergency but there are various stages as I said to get to there but if we have gotten the report, we would have

just informed vessels that there’s a vessel with a potential problem and they would have started closing in on the area but as said we had nothing of that nature in this instance,” Thomas added.

The missing men are 44-year-old Harold Damon of Lot 4 Water Street, Agricola, Greater Georgetown; 47-year-old Winston Sam of Lot 32 Public Road, McDoom, Greater Georgetown; and 78-year-

old Ronald Burton of Lot 23 Water Street, Agricola, Greater Georgetown.

Also at the press briefing was Minister within the Public Works Ministry Deodat Indar who noted that based on preliminary information received, the incident was reported to the company at around 05:30h on Saturday but it was not reported to the authorities until late in the evening.

TURN TO PAGE 13

10 NEWS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

US-based Guyanese who fatally Teen allegedly raped by man she met on Facebook shot daughter’s boyfriend arrested at Ogle Airport T he Police are on the hunt for a man who allegedly raped a 16-year-old girl at her home on Sunday evening. The incident reportedly took place at about 20:00h as the victim was at home alone.

Based on reports received, the suspect and the victim are known to each other via the social media platform, Facebook.

Police stated that on the day and time in question, the suspect reportedly showed up at the teen’s home and as she opened the door, he pushed her inside the house and committed the act without her permission.

He reportedly left the house after committing the act. A Police report was subsequently made and an investigation was launched.

The Police are making every effort to arrest the suspect.

Earlier in the month, Police ranks in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) arrested a man who has been accused of raping a 17-year-old female. The Police have said that the victim and the suspect are known to each other.

It was reported that on

Gunned down: Leon Gittens

T

he 44-year-old overseas-based Guyanese of Norton Street, Georgetown, who reportedly shot and killed his daughter’s boyfriend over an old grievance in the wee hours of Saturday, was nabbed while attempting to leave the country through the Eugene F Correia International Airport, Ogle East Coast Demerara (ECD), on Sunday.

Based on reports received, the suspect was attempting to board a flight to Barbados with onward connections to the United States.

Based on reports received, the suspect, Shurwayne Brandt, was going through Immigration when it was discovered that he was flagged in the system and identified as being wanted by the Police. As such, the Police were contacted and surrounded Brandt who attempted to run.

Despite his attempts, he was apprehended by law enforcement officers. He was subsequently taken to the Criminal Investigations Department headquarters where he is being interrogated. He is expected to be charged with the capital offence.

It was reported that the oversea-based Guyanese shot and killed 25-year-old Leon Gittens, a labourer of Cowan Street Kingston, Georgetown, at Freeman Street, East La Penitence, Georgetown.

Police had stated that Gittens had an intimate relationship with the sus-

Murder suspect Shurwayne Brandt

pect’s daughter, 21-year-old Shertoya Brandt, who told detectives that her father had threatened to kill the young man back in January after accusing him of verbally abusing his mother.

However, on Friday at about 16:00h, the suspect’s daughter went to her half-sister’s residence at Freeman Street, East La Penitence, Georgetown, to collect a few pieces of clothing that the suspect had left for her three-year-old daughter.

Later that day, at about 22:00h, Gittens turned up at the address to collect his girlfriend, but soon after left the house to purchase an item. He reportedly returned at about 23:55h.

Upon his return, the half-sister was reportedly in the yard to attend to her dog when she observed her father, who was decked in a blue dress with a wig on his head, entering the yard. At the time, he was armed with a black handgun.

Upon seeing this, she became fearful and ran into the house, opened a door,

and exited. Soon after, three loud explosions were heard emanating from the house, followed by the suspect running away from the scene.

The half-sister, Police stated, went back into the house where she found Gittens lying motionlessly on his back in front of a bedroom with her sister by his side. He was reportedly in a pool of blood. In tears, his girlfriend confirmed that her father had shot Gittens.

An alarm was raised and the now dead man’s brother, who is a serving member of the Guyana Police Force, was contacted.

He arrived at the scene, picked up his injured brother, and took him to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Doctors have confirmed that Gittens was shot twice once to the upper right-side chest and once to the centre of his abdomen. His body was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital mortuary awaiting a post-mortem. At the scene, one warhead was found.

the day in question, the suspect had visited the teenager’s home, where he committed the act against her will.

At the time, she was at home alone.

The act had reportedly left the teen unconscious, and upon regaining consciousness, she raised an alarm. A report was then made to the Police. The suspect has been arrested as further investigations get underway.

In another case prior, Police in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) arrested a 19-year-old male after he was accused of raping an intoxicated 16-yearold female. Police had stated

that on the day in question, the suspect who is known to the victim reportedly picked her up from her home with his motor car, and along with two of her friends, they went to a bar and consumed alcohol.

“It is further alleged that while transporting the victim back home (she was intoxicated), the suspect stopped the car and forcefully committed the act without her consent,” the Police had reported.

The matter was subsequently reported to the Police after which, he was arrested but denied committing the act.

Venezuelan stabbed to death during altercation at Soesdyke bar

A

Venezuelan national was on Saturday evening stabbed to death during an altercation at a popular bar at the SoesdykeLinden Highway Junction, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

Dead is 29-year-old Yocter Eduardo Gonsalves of Ideal Road, Soesdyke-Linden Highway.

Based on reports received, the now dead man along with his brother and a few friends were at the bar consuming alcohol when the suspect who hails from Soesdyke, EBD, approached them. Soon after, the victim and the suspect were involved in a heated argument with escalated into an altercation.

However, during the scuffle, the suspect reportedly whipped out a knife and dealt the victim one stab to his right-side chest, thus causing him to collapse to the ground.

After committing the act, and out of fear, the suspect made good his escape. The injured young man was taken to the Diamond Diagnostic

Centre where he was pronounced dead.

Meanwhile, quick action by the Police led to the apprehension of the suspect, who remains in custody assisting with investigations.

Just last week, 43-yearold Venezuelan national Rafael Antonio Aquino Soto was stabbed to death at Return, Baramita, North West District.

Police stated that the suspect and the victim, who are not known to each other, were at a shop at Return, Baramita, NWD, consuming alcohol at about 16:00h

on February 10, 2022, after which they both left the premises.

They nevertheless, met up again along a trail where the victim convinced a female to go with him instead of with the suspect. When she did, the suspect allegedly became annoyed and a heated argument ensued, the Police said.

The Police stated that the suspect then pulled out a knife from the waist of his pants and dealt the victim one stab to his chest and escaped. He is yet to be arrested.

11

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

12 NEWS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22,, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Lloyd’s Register & MatPal ink MoU to support maritime training in Guyana L

loyd’s Register (LR) and MatPal Marine Institute Inc, a maritime and oil and gas education training and support centre and the ‘satellite’ of the Panama Maritime Training Services Inc, have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly support safe maritime training in Guyana, a growing market for the oil and gas industry.

As part of the MoU, MatPal will promote and host LR training courses in its training centre.

Training courses will include Ship Emergency Response Service (SERS), Risk Management and Incident Investigation and Practical Approach to Ship Surveys, amongst others.

The MoU will focus on local content development in Guyana and support oil and gas companies to navigate requirements in the Region.

This follows recent plans by the Guyana Government to equip 4000 young people

with the necessary technical and vocational skills to help employment, as it earmarks $448.5 million to advance the work of the Board of Industrial Training (BIT).

LR’s President for the Americas, Kevin Humphreys related, “This Memorandum of Understanding with MatPal demonstrates our commitment to supporting local content development in Guyana as the region experienced significant growth in the oil and gas sector. LR and MatPal share the same goal which is to properly prepare seafarers and other maritime personnel in Guyana”.

Chief Executive Officer of MatPal Marine Institute Inc, Coleen Abrams hailed this as a “landmark achievement that will unequivocally boost the level and scope of maritime and oil and gas training offered to Guyanese and in direct response to the clarion call for the building of local content capacity and capability within Guyana”.

The MoU being signed between local maritime training institute, MatPal Marine Institute Inc (MPMI) and Lloyd’s Register

Lloyd’s Register (LR) is a global professional services organisation specialising in engineering and technology solutions. Their experts advise and support clients to improve the safety and performance of complex projects, supply chains and critical infrastructure.

LR was created more than 260 years ago as the world’s first marine classification society to improve the safety of ships. Today, they

operate globally providing compliance, assurance and performance solutions to help keep the world moving safely, efficiently and sustainably.

Its maritime business is a leading provider of classification, compliance and advisory services to the marine and offshore industries, helping clients design, construct and operate their assets to the highest levels of safety and performance. They are also expanding their portfolio of

risk and advisory, commercial efficiency, vessel performance and voyage optimisation services to unlock and drive growth for their clients while also investing in the launch, build and scale of forward-looking maritime digital solutions, expanding its suite of?products and services?including Cloud Fleet Manager and i4 Insight.

Meanwhile, MatPal Marine Institute Inc, an incorporated maritime education and training entity, was established twenty-two

years ago on October 5, 1999.

Through the years, they have experienced the growth and increase in persons requiring training and more so with the emergence of the offshore oil and gas industry, training numbers surpass three hundred (300) industry-ready Seafarers annually. MatPal was ideally placed to up its ante and provide expanded and improved training programmes, that enable Guyanese to successfully enter the country’s booming oil and gas sector.

The creation of effective synergies plus the achievement of ISO certification contributes significantly to the overall image of MatPal as the go-to institute for maritime and oil and gas training.

With its exemplary history of “promoting excellence through maritime training”, MatPal is known for preparing seafarers for a wide range of career opportunities in the maritime and oil and gas industry in both the local and regional territories.

Berbice man busted with cocaine in fried rice remanded to prison

Cocaine mule: Esmond Jermaine Anderson

A

New York-bound passenger, Esmond Jermaine Anderson, who was busted at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) with a large quantity of cocaine hidden in a bowl of fried rice, was remanded to prison when he appeared at the Diamond Magistrates’ Court.

The fried rice with the cocaine that was intercepted at CJIA

Anderson pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to him by Magistrate Judy Latchman.

The 28-year-old man of Number Five Village, West Coast Berbice (WCB), was intercepted by the ranks of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), who searched his luggage and unearthed the narcotic stashed away in his suitcase.

He was a passenger on an outgoing Jet Blue Airways Flight on Friday last destined for the John F Kennedy (JFK) Airport in New York City.

The cocaine found weighed 2.996 kg (6.6 pounds) and carries a street value of some $17.2 million. He will make his next court appearance on March 8, 2022.

NEWS

13

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2022| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Over 7000 apply for 2022 GOAL scholarships …deadline extended

T

he Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) has received a remarkable 7000 applications for the 2022 scholarships, which has prompted an extension of the deadline.

In light of significant requests for an extension, prospective applicants have been advised that they have until March 5, 2022, to submit the application and supporting documents.

A requirement in the process is to select three programmes that are aligned with the applicant’s academic qualifications. This must be supported by academic certificates that are certified by a Justice of Peace or Commissioner of Oaths.

Supporting documents also include a recent curriculum vitae or job letter if employed. An official letter from the institutions confirming completion of studies will be accepted in lieu of certificates

for students who have recently graduated.

Meanwhile, official or unofficial transcripts should also be uploaded to the online application portal. A video providing guidance to applicants on the scholarship application process is available on www.goal.edu.gy or their

Facebook page.

Registration for this year’s GOAL scholarships opened just over a month ago and has been met with an astounding response from Guyanese willing to upgrade their educational portfolio in a range of disciplines. GOAL aims to expand the middle- and upper-class cate-

gory of the population through the enhancement of access to tertiary education that will support manpower requirements of both the private and public sectors by the year 2025.

In its manifesto, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic promised 20,000 scholarships in its first term in office. This year, $1.3 billion was allocated in the budget to continue programmes under the Guyana Online Academy of Learning.

In the past year, 6000 Guyanese have been enrolled at reputable universities in various parts of the world, including India, Germany and the wider Caribbean region, earning them tertiary qualifications, ranging from certificates to PhD level. With this year’s allocation, another 4500 persons will be able to secure a higher education.

In November 2021, Guyanese students were accepted to study

Company could face sanctions...

In addition, Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn posited, “Our understanding is that there was no information passed on to the light or MARAD at the time of the incident so it was approximately 24 hours before there was any official knowledge of the incident.

There was some gentleman who had been rescued by a fishing boat, he might have been on a life raft and he had reported to the Police station at Mahaica and subsequently to Ruimveldt,” Benn stated.

“So, there are questions to be asked with the owner of the vessel, Noble House, they had it is said I think 2 trawlers nearby afterward or something but up to that time there were no report of them finding of anyone in respect to the other 3 crew members.”

Meanwhile, a high-lev-

el Board of Inquiry (BoI) was established to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The team comprises Yurlander Hughes of the Transport and Harbour Department, Captain John Flores of the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD); Ronald Charles of the Ministry of Public Works; Rawle Williams of the Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard; Ewart Wray of the Guyana Police Force Maritime Unit; Dwayne Vyphius who is an Occupational Safety and Health Officer at the Labour Ministry; and Denzil Roberts who is the Head of the Department of Fisheries at the Ministry of Agriculture.

It was reported that the men went missing after their trawler reportedly capsized in the Atlantic

Ocean some 18 miles off of the Mahaicony Coast on Saturday morning. A fourth crew member survived the ordeal after being rescued by another fishing boat and was brought to shore on Saturday afternoon.

The surviving fisherman, Vincent Dazzell, reportedly told family that the vessel started to take in water and more so related that three other men who were on board are missing.

The Agricola, Greater Georgetown resident claimed that he was awoken by the captain sometime after 06:00h to check the boat, when he saw the engine room, ice-hold and ladder were already submerged.

He raised an alarm and the captain immediately contacted Nobel House but lost connection whilst reporting the incident. He

further recalled that as the boat sank deeper, they also lost control of the vessel.

The man told the concerned family members that the crew was separated on two sides of the boat – he was with the captain.

Dazzell related that the captain instructed him to cut the lifeboat as he went inside to get his phone with the aim of calling for assistance. As the boat capsized it reportedly pinned the three men.

The survivor informed relatives that he was in the water for some time before he was rescued by another boat. The fisherman claimed that they circled the area for some three hours before heading back to shore.

Upon arrival, he went to Noble House and informed the managers there of what transpired. However,

in India through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL). Out of the 6225 online scholarship awardees, 2689 would study at the Jain “Deemed To Be” University and 1672 at the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). In addition, Sherlock Institute of India also offered 215 online scholarships.

It has been reported that 73.5 per cent of the online scholarships that are being offered by the Guyanese Government will be provided by Indian universities.

These two Indian universities are also working along with the GOAL initiative with the aim of offering PhD and other programmes in Guyana.

IGNOU had also organised an online Staff Development Programme (SDP) for the functionaries of Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) recently.

FROM PAGE 9

the family members of the three missing men are all fuming with anger over how the matter is being handled by the company.

They argued that not only did the company fail to inform them of the incident but claimed that it is withholding information from them. Efforts by this publication to contact officials from Noble House for a comment were futile.

Subsequently, the Coast Guard was called in and a rescue team went out Sunday morning with the hopes of finding the men.

The surviving fisherman reportedly accompanied them as well. Vessels and personnel, including divers, were deployed.

The search continues.

The investigation by the BoI is expected to be completed in 14 days.

Meanwhile, Noble

House Seafoods Limited in a release stated that it is deeply saddened by the incident involving the vessel “M/V WorldFriend 307”.

“The management of Noble House Seafoods Limited upon learning of this incident met with the relatives of the crew members and will continue to inform the relatives of all developments. Noble House Seafoods Limited wishes to assure the families of the crew members that they will continue to support all and every effort to locate the crew members,” the establishment related in a release.

Further, it stated that it has launched an internal investigation into the cause of this incident and stands ready to co-operate with any other potential investigation into this incident.

(Amar Persaud)

14 NEWS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

UG graduates 13 new dental surgeons for Guyana – ceremonial White Coat event held

G

uyana’s healthcare system has been boosted with the addition of 13 Dental Surgeons who recently graduated from the University of Guyana’s School of Medical Sciences with their Bachelor’s in Dental Surgery.

On February 6, 2022, the School of Medicine, Dentistry Department, hosted a White Coat and Awards Ceremony at the Regency Suites Banquet Hall where the newly-minted Dental Surgeons were officially presented with their ceremonial White Coats.

The Annual White Coat and Awards Ceremony signifies a transition from the preclinical year to the clinical years of a Dental Surgeon.

University of Guyana’s Vice-Chancellor, XI, Prof Paloma Mohamed Martin congratulated the graduates, their lecturers, family, and support network, acknowledging that they were the best of the best, a small percentage chosen from a large pool of eligible applicants.

She indicated that this always worried her and that the University’s PACE Unit through support from the partnership between ExxonMobil, Hess, CNOOC, and Greater Guyana Initiative (GGI) was able to secure funding for 10 dental chairs which will soon be commissioned.

She added that this will critically change the programme in several ways including allowing the dental programme to triple its current small intake there-

University of Guyana Dental Surgeon Class of 2021

by increasing the number of dental surgeons in the country and more so, it will ensure broader regional impact of the programme through community-based internships in especially hard to reach areas.

She further stated that the programme was established 15 years ago and has already given the country close to 100 Dental Surgeons. This year’s graduating class is the largest in its history since the university has been expanding the numbers within the context of its capacity over the last few years. She lauded the students who re-

ceived awards accomplishments and the faculty now headed by Dr Cecil Boston and Dr Carlos Varona for the advancement and enhancement of the Dentistry Department at UG. Vice-Chancellor Mohamed further encouraged the graduates to aspire to be the best at what they do as opportunities and blessings follow diligent and excellent work.

University of Guyana’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic Engagement), Prof Emanuel Cummings, who delivered the keynote address on behalf of Dr Leslie Ramsammy, high-

lighted six (6) key characteristics the Dental Surgeons must have in order to be excellent healthcare professionals.

According to Prof Cummings, it is expected that healthcare workers should practice effective communication skills, have emotional stability, empathy, attention to detail, problem-solving skills, and respect for every human being.

“It is important to communicate well with your patients, supervisors and colleagues; and adding to that, as a doctor, you need to put yourself in the position of

your patient and treat each patient in like manner as if he or she were a family or friend.”

The DVC, who was the founding Dean of the Dental School, added: “As doctors, you need to ensure that you read and gain additional knowledge as there is much to learn since science is continuously evolving. More so, you need to be innovative and think outside the box but within the regulations of dentistry.”

Prof Cummings further encouraged the graduates to be an instrument of change.

“Respect every human being in your environment, your peers, the security guards, the cleaners, and everyone because everyone has a role to play,” the DVC urged.

In addition, Director of the School of Dentistry, Dr Carlos Varona congratulated the graduates and extended best wishes to them as they embark on their careers. “Now is the time to put into practice the knowledge and skills acquired during the past four years so that you can become honourable professionals to gain the trust of each of your patients and colleagues and to give the best to our society.”

Meanwhile, the valedictorian of the dentistry class of 2021, Dr Tressyia Ketwaroo thanked her peers, lecturers, and friends for making her journey one that was filled with lots of successes and laughter. “To the class of 2021, we are triumphant today, we worked hard and smart and today is only possible because we worked as a team.”

The graduating class comprised of the following persons: Dr David Adams, Dr Chiquita Forrester, Dr Christine King Smith, Dr Ackeem Marques, Dr Oral Mc Allister, Dr Danesh Persaud, Dr Keisha Brazh, Dr Tressyia Ketwaroo, Dr Jewel La Fleur, Dr Neranjan Manoo, Dr Ghansham Samaroo, Dr Sadeke Sandy, and Dr Daryl Watson.

The Dr Cheddi Jagan Award for the Best Graduating Student was presented to Dr Tressyia Ketwaroo while the Dr Giri Award for the Second-Best Graduating Student was awarded to Dr Ghansham Samaroo.

Dr Keisha Brazh, Dr Tressyia Ketwaroo, Dr Ghansham Samaroo, and Dr Sadeke Sandy were presented with an award for the Best Research Project.

Dr Christine King Smith was also named the Best Overall Clinical Student while Dr Ghansham Samaroo was named the Second-Best Overall Clinical Student.

Outstanding performance in the rotation of adults, prosthodontics and paediatrics were awarded to Dr Tressyia Ketwaroo, Dr Christine King Smith, and Dr Ghansham Samaroo, respectively.

The University of Guyana Dental Students Association Medal of Service was awarded to Dr David Adams, Dr Ackeem Marques, Dr Ghansham Samaroo, Dr Chiquita Forrester, Dr Tressyia Ketwaroo, and Dr Sadeke.

GTT Business Solutions provides free internet to School of Brilliant Beginnings

School of Brilliant Beginnings Director Readonna Howell facilitating an online learning course with primary age students

W

ith efforts to support the use of technology and online learning, GTT Business Solutions has provided free Biz Fibre internet service to the School of Brilliant Beginnings at Herstelling on the East Bank of Demerara

(EBD).

School of Brilliant Beginnings is a learning institution that aims to use technology to bridge the home and school gap by showing children that technology is more than entertainment, it is also educa-

tional.

Chief Operations Officer of Business Solutions, Orson Ferguson recently visited the school to witness the positive impact the contribution may have on students within the school.

“GTT is big on giving

back to the community as we fulfil our promise of strengthening the community. We are also big on the use of technology and learning through technology. So, we are happy that we enforce the use of technology through this donation,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Director of the School, Readonna Howell, expressed gratitude to the Business Solutions team for its timely donation. “School of Brilliant Beginnings is heading in the direction of teaching children in nursery and primary using technology as a teaching/learning tool. The sponsored internet service provided by GTT will allow us to be one step closer to achieving that goal,” Howell said.

She noted that currently, every Thursday each student can use his/her device to complete activities in various subject areas.

“This makes learning more interactive, fun, and relatable for them. The teachers are allowed to just be facilitators, while the children

GTT COO Orson Ferguson and School of Brilliant Beginnings Director Readonna Howell

learn through trial and error, which we believe builds their confidence and independence,” Howell stated.

She explained that the

school stands on individualism, small classes, and readiness and caters to preschool, nursery, and primary age students.

NEWS

15

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

2 more unvaccinated persons die from COVID-19 …11 persons in ICU care

G

uyana’s death toll from COVID-19 has reached 1213 after two more persons reportedly died while receiving treatment at a medical facility. This was announced on Monday by the Health Ministry.

The fatalities are a 56-year-old female from Region Five and an 83-yearold man From Region Four.

They reportedly died on February 21 and February 20, respectively. Both of

them were unvaccinated.

However, new statistics provided by the Ministry showed that 12 new cases were detected in the past 24 hours, thus bringing the total confirmed cases to 62,668 – 28,848 males and 33,820 females.

There are 11 patients in the Intensive Care Unit, 68 in institutional isolation, and 772 in home isolation.

Another four persons are being monitored in institutional quarantine.

Guyana has conducted 532,757 tests thus far, of which 60,604 positive patients have recovered.

New cases were detected across four administrative regions, with one in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), seven in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), three in Region Five (MahaicaBerbice), and one in Region Six (East Berbice Corentyne).

If anyone is displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19 or

Village, religious leaders still spreading misinformation about COVID vaccines

…booster uptake lagging in Regions 1, 8, 9, 10

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony

P

ockets of unvaccinated persons still exist in some administrative regions due to vaccine hesitancy, mostly linked to misinformation being circulated by religious officials and village leaders.

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony on Monday highlighted that the authorities have continued efforts to encourage vaccination, but this has been met with some problematic communities.

“There’s a lot of hesitancy and unfortunately, there are persons within these regions who are actively working against vaccination. These are anti-vaxxers. They don’t believe in the benefits of vaccines and they have been constantly undermining the message from the Ministry of Health and other important health authorities. They might have an audience.

They peddle a lot of misinformation and that is what people listen to. It can have a detrimental effect on their health if they don’t get vaccinated,” he outlined.

In most cases, it is village leaders or religious officials who are encouraging anti-vaccination. A majority of the persons peddling such information, he added, are not competent to advise villagers accurately on such matters. Despite efforts to educate such individuals,

the Minister identified that many are still “obstinate”.

“They have no health background. They don’t even understand how a vaccine works but they spread misinformation. Because they have an audience in these villages, people tend to believe them. They’re supposed to be authority figures in the village. If they are aware of their limitations, then they should not be spreading this type of misinformation.”

Booster uptake

However, with respect to booster doses, a total of 48,669 booster shots have been administered in Guyana: 977 in Region One; 2342 in Region Two; 6843 in Region Three; 24,344 in Region Four; 3018 in Region Five; 8028 in Region Six; 481 in Region Seven; 399 in Region Eight; 1755 in Region Nine; and 483 in Region 10.

The Minister pointed out, “From the doses that have been administered, you can see that in Regions One, Seven, Eight and 10, they’re below 1000 doses. I think there is a lot of room for improvement in these regions.

Certainly, they can get past that but we have to encourage more and more people to come in. Generally, the booster rates have been quite low.”

Guyanese were cau-

tioned that although they are fully vaccinated, the circulation of the Omicron variant warrants a booster dose to be fully protected.

“You need to get your booster dose to be fully protected because about five months after your second dose, the antibodies that are circulating in your body drops and therefore, you would not be fully protected.

Therefore, it is important that people come out and get their booster doses, especially those older persons.”

He added, “We’re seeing in the hospitals now, persons who are older, coming in and especially those with comorbidities. If you’re fully protected, meaning second and booster doses, we’re not seeing many of those persons coming into the hospital.”

In Guyana, 430,438 adults have taken a first dose or 83.9 per cent. Second doses are at 324,981 or 63.4 per cent. In the 12 to 17 age group, 23,976 or 32.9 per cent have been fully vaccinated.

In the health sector, a large percentage of workers have been vaccinated against the novel coronavirus. Training for community health workers will continue in 2022, in which the curriculum will cover sensitisation on the importance of vaccination and resources to provide factual information to communities.

“We are working with our community health workers. We had extensive training and that type of training will continue this year.

We’re hoping that all the hinterland areas, that we can have at least two community health workers per health centre. That’s the plan.”

“We can make the vaccines accessible. The people on the other side have to also make an effort to come and get vaccinated. This is a two-way process and while we’re making a lot of effort with these things, we need to see that special effort from people,” said the health official.

GUYANA COVID-19 DASHBOARD FEBRUARY 21, 2022 UPDATE

NUMBER OF NEW CASES

12

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION

68

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN HOME ISOLATION NUMBER OF PERSONS IN COVID-19 ICU

772 11

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE

4

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (FEMALES)

33,820

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (MALES)

28,848

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN GUYANA SINCE 2020

62,668

NUMBER OF RECOVERED CASES

60,604

TOTAL 1st DOSE VACCINATED FULLY IMMUNISED

REGION 1

2492

REGION 2

2452

REGION 3

8006

REGION 4

30,980

REGION 5

2344

REGION 6

5684

REGION 7

2409

REGION 8

887

REGION 9

3949

REGION 10

3465

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

429,287 323,031

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS

DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES SINCE MARCH 2020

1213

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.

needs any additional information, they are asked to contact the COVID-19 Hotline 231-1166, 226-7480 or 624-6674 immediately or visit www.health.gov.gy All Guyanese are reminded to observe the protocols of the COVID-19 emergency measures which emphasise the need for correct and consistent use of a face mask when leaving your home; the importance of maintaining the six feet physical distance from others; and the need for good

hand hygiene.

Persons with comorbidities have been continuously asked to continue taking their respective medications or treatment to control their condition. The preventative measures and guidelines to protect against the virus must be adhered to since this category of person is at a greater risk if they contract COVID-19.

Comorbid conditions can range from cancer, cerebrovascular diseases, chronic kidney diseases, chronic

lung diseases, chronic liver diseases, diabetes, Down Syndrome, heart conditions, HIV, mental health disorders, neurological conditions, obesity, pregnancy, sickle cell anaemia, tuberculosis, solid organ transplant patients, smokers or those with substance use disorder.

Globally, 418 million people have been infected, with over 5.8 million reported deaths. In the Americas, cases have surpassed 144 million with almost 2.6 million deaths.

Campari COVID safe J’Ouvert for this evening at National Park

Shal Marshall

C

ampari J’Ouvert is set for Tuesday, February 22, 2022, at the National Park, Thomas Lands, Georgetown, and is aimed to give patrons a funfilled night in a safe environment.

All patrons must show proof of vaccination and undergo temperature checks

at the entry points.

In addition, persons will be required to wear face masks and a full-body sanitation station will be at the entrance where each patron will be required to enter through.

Steriall hand sanitiser stations will also be set up throughout the venue

to help persons keep their hands clean.

Campari J’Ouvert, One Night, One Stage, One Big Dutty J’Ouvert will see performances from the likes of Soca sensations, Shal Marshal, and Sackie along with Top Local DJs Father Moey and Shizzle among other surprise artistes.

Campari J’ourvet replaces Stage which was hosted by AMTL over the years. Managing Director Troy Cadogan said the company is proud to be able to partner with the world-famous Campari brand to bring international acts in a safe environment as part of Mashramani celebrations.

He urged that while we are in celebratory mode, persons should take the necessary precautions to stay safe.

Tickets for the event will only be sold at the gate.

16 NEWS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Duo wanted for murder CI man pleads guilty to killing mall owner in 2015 of Linden man – 3rd suspect claims deceased made inappropriate advances towards him

Wanted: Alonzo Ralph also known as “Rhino/Poh”

Wanted: Deon Jonas

he Guyana Police Force (GPF) has issued a wanted bulletin for Alonzo Ralph also known as “Rhino/Poh” and Deon Jonas for questioning in connection with the murder of Troy Albert who was killed between February 14 and 15, 2022, at Mahdia, Region Eight (PotaroSiparuni).

Police stated that the now dead 48-year-old handyman

of Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), was working on a land dredge along with three men. It is alleged that Albert made an inappropriate advance towards one of the men while imbibing.

However, the man armed himself with a knife and dealt Albert two stabs to his back. After committing the act, he related what had transpired to his other two colleagues.

T

They in turn confronted the injured Albert in the yard and allegedly dealt him several stab wounds about his body after which they made good their escape.

The man who claimed that Albert made advances on him was arrested by Police in a state of intoxication.

The body of the deceased was examined and observed to have multiple stab wounds to his back, chest, abdomen, neck, and hands.

Checks were made for the two men but to no avail and as such, wanted bulletins were issued for their arrest.

Thirty-year-old Alonzo Ralph hails from Pepper Hill, Mahdia and Buckville, Wismar, Linden, while Jonas is from Buckville, Wismar, Linden.

Anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of the two men is asked to contact the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) on telephone numbers 225-3650, 225-3061, 2261326, 226-9914, 226-9977, 225-8196, 911 or the nearest Police station.

Corentyne tomb raiders remanded

– alleged mastermind granted bail

Confessed killer: Faizal Bacchus

Murder accused: Kurt Erskine

O

ne of the three men charged with the July 2015 murder of a Regent Street, Georgetown mall owner, Ganesh Ramlall, pleaded not guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter when he appeared at the Demerara High Court on Monday.

Twenty-five-year-old Faizal Bacchus formerly of Cornelia Ida, West Coast Demerara, admitted that on July 5, 2015, in the county of Demerara, he unlawfully killed Multiplex Mall owner 48-year-old Ganesh Ramlall, during the course of a robbery.

Sentencing for Bacchus, who is represented by Attorney-at-Law Mark Conway, has been deferred to Thursday by Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall.

However, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has granted a fiat to lawyers, Konyo Sandiford and Narissa Leander to prosecute the case on behalf of the State.

Also charged with Ramlall’s murder are

Murdered: Ganesh Ramlall

36-year-old Lennox Roberts of Tuschen Housing Scheme, East Bank Essequibo (EBE); and 39-year-old Kurt Erskine of Grove, East Bank Demerara (EBD). The two accused remain on remand awaiting trial.

Ramlall, a father of one, was shot five times about his body, including once to his head, around 00:10h on the morning of his demise.

Reports are that the businessman had just returned

Murder accused: Lennox Roberts

home from a barbeque with friends when he proceeded to use an outdoor bathroom at his premises.

However, as the man walked into his yard, he was pounced upon by four men who opened fire on him.

His wife raised an alarm and neighbours fired shots at the bandits, but the men managed to escape with Ramlall’s jewellery and wallet.

Ramlall was rushed to the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH), where he was pronounced dead on arrival. His relatives quickly posted a $5 million reward for anyone with information on the killing. Shortly after, Police raided a house in Craig, EBD, where Bacchus and Roberts, along with several others, were arrested.

When interrogated, the two men reportedly confessed to the murder of the Regent Street Multiplex business owner. They later implicated Erskine. It was reported that the men hatched a plot to rob Ganesh Ramlall two months prior to his demise.

CANU intercepts car carrying over 85lbs ganja in Berbice Tomb raider: Leaon Scott

T

wo men who allegedly broke into a tomb and stole belongings from the corpse were on Monday remanded to prison.

Leaon Scott, 25, and Roopchand Thomas called “Lil Shawn”, 19, both labourers of Hampshire Squatting Area, Berbice, were accused of breaking into the tomb of 19-year-old Vishnu Samaroo between February 15 and 16 at Hampshire Cemetery.

After breaking the tomb, the men are alleged to have stolen two silver rings, three silver chains and a silver bracelet along with a cellular phone.

Additionally, Shantee Bhudram, 27, a mother of seven also of Hampshire village, appeared to answer a

Tomb raider: Roopchand Thomas

Alleged mastermind: Shantee Bhudram

charge of conspiring with others to break into the tomb.

She too was not required to plead to the charge.

In addition, the two men were also charged with damage to property after they broke into the home of Amarali Samaroo.

However, the Police prosecutor told the court that it was Bhudram who informed the two men that the diseased was buried with valuables.

She also told the court that Bhudram is the sisterin-law of the deceased and she was present at his funeral.

“She saw when the deceased father placed the items into the casket and she subsequently told the others

and said they should break the tomb and get the phone, and jewellery.”

According to the prosecutor, Bhudram gave a caution statement where she confessed to the crime.

However, the woman pleaded with the court, saying that she is a single mother of seven with her youngest being 11 months. As such, she was granted bail in the sum of $50,000.

They will return to court on March 8.

Meanwhile, Scott and Thomas were each sentenced to six months in jail after they pleaded guilty to another simple larceny charge.

The offence was committed on January 26 last.

Sean Benjamin after his arrest The ganja that was found in the car

T

he Customs AntiNarcotics Unit (CANU) on Sunday arrested a 48-year-old Berbice resident following the discovery of 85 pounds of cannabis in a car.

Based on reports received, on the day in ques-

tion, CANU officers were conducting an operation at No 59 Village Beach Front, Corentyne, Berbice, when they intercepted a motor car and upon searching same, three bulky plastic-wrapped parcels were found.

As such, the lone occupant of the vehicle, Sean Benjamin was arrested and escorted to CANU’s Berbice office where the parcels were weighed and amounted to 38.8kg (85.53lbs). The estimated street value of the drug is $11.6 million.

NEWS

17

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Increased opportunity for Guyana to earn money from carbon credits – REDD+ Director - says price per tonne, interest in carbon credit market on the rise

G

uyana has the chance to earn more from carbon credits than the market price back in 2010, considering the fact that there is increased interest in the market and also the fact that prices have only increased as time went by and moreover, continues to increase.

This was explained

by Pradeepa Bholanath, who is the Senior Director for Climate and REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation) in the Ministry of Natural Resources.

During her recent presentation at the Energy Conference and Expo, she said that monetising Guyana’s forest credits will allow them to fund programmes under the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) and transition to various levels of implementation.

“You can see that even without a full market mechanism being in place, we have been able to use the proceeds

of the Guyana-Norway agreement to advance so many programmes that were low carbon development over the past 12 years. So, imagine the opportunities that will be available, through a multi-party type of arrangement that is akin to the market.”

“Multiple buyers, the price levels could potentially be higher. Under the GuyanaNorway agreement, we were seeing something around US$5 per tonne. From recent indications from the market, this is currently at US$15 per tonne,” she also said.

In fact, the Director said that the price for carbon credits can potentially go much higher in the near-term future. She noted that Guyana has an even higher level of forestation per capita than its neighbour to the south, Brazil.

“There is already greater interest, the price levels are rising and it is seeking to value something, not in any way to remove or reduce the sta-

Senior REDD+ Director Pradeepa Bholanath

tus of what we have been doing over the last decades in Guyana,” she explained.

It was at that very conference and expo, that Climate Change Advisor Kevin Hogan had announced that the Government plans to put at least 8 million carbon credits on the market for sale by July

of this year.

A carbon credit is a tradable permit or certificate that allows the holder of the credit the right to emit a stated tonnage of carbon dioxide or an equivalent of another greenhouse gas. Countries and companies that exceed their permitted limits can purchase

carbon credits from other nations that have low emissions such as Guyana. Guyana’s 18.4 million hectares of largely pristine forest stores approximately 5.31 gigatons of carbon.

Last year, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo had said that Emergent Finance Accelerated Incorporated would soon be commencing work towards marketing Guyana’s carbon credits on the world stage. He made this revelation during a press conference, where he also spoke about the marketing process and expressed hope that over the next few months the process of seeking proposals from various players in the market desirous of investing in these credits would kick start. In fact, Jagdeo had said that he would be meeting with the group that will market the country’s carbon.

“You know the marketing arrangement has an upside to us too. Because although it gets underwritten at US$10 a

tonne, if it’s sold for higher, we still get the higher price, of course deducting admin costs. And the US, I think UK and Norway endorse this. This group, I think they’re putting some money into it.”

“So, we’re hoping over the next four months or so, we will be looking to finalise all these arrangements and work the markets, see all the people who will be interested and then we will probably get the proposals through Emergent. But whatever we put in, it is going to be underwritten at US$10 a tonne,” Jagdeo had explained.

Back in April 2021, President Dr Irfaan Ali had announced that Guyana signed a letter of intent with US-based non-profit organisation (NGO), Emergent Finance Accelerated Inc, to market the country’s carbon credits through a credit contract – a deal that could earn the country millions of US dollars.

4 digital notice boards launched at G/Town Magistrates’ Courts …“Persons coming to the court will find access to justice a bit easier” – Chancellor

T

echnology usually found at the airports is now at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. In an effort to advance access to justice and transform the judicial landscape, the Judiciary, on Monday, launched four digital notice boards at the courthouse.

The initiative is the fruition of a partnership between the Judiciary of Guyana and the Canada-funded Judicial Reform and Institutional Strengthening (JURIST)

the court which is headed by the Principal Clerk of Court, Sharon Correia.

User-friendly

Delivering the feature address was Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag), Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards, who said that the notice boards will assist court users with knowing the status of their cases and navigating the court’s precinct.

With the electronic notice boards, the Chancellor said

court a particular matter is or which Magistrate is presiding over the matter. She said it will prevent court users from being late or having to ask a court staff or someone from the court superintendent's office about information relating to their matter.

“Persons coming to the court will find access to justice a bit easier for them. We in the justice system seek to develop facilities for persons who are challenged, persons who are indigent, and unrepresented persons. So, persons coming to the court for the first time unaided will benefit from the notice boards,” the Chancellor added.

According to Justice Cummings-Edwards, the case management system project and the notice boards will be “rolled out” in April of this year.

Opened for business

One of the electronic notice boards launched at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Monday

Project. The software for the electronic notice boards was developed by a local provider to integrate seamlessly with the new case management system project being developed for the local Judiciary by the National Centre for State Courts, a US-based organisation. Information will be entered into the notice boards daily by the staff of

that members of the public, Police, lawyers, litigants and the media will be able to see matters at a glance.

She explained that the notice boards are user-friendly and attract the attention of the court user easily. The head of the Judiciary added that the use of the notice boards will reduce the time spent ascertaining in which

Declaring that the “Judiciary is opened for business”, she said, “New courts will be constructed this year, especially in the unserved areas. And new courts will be built and opened next year. Already, the Attorney General [Anil Nandlall] has identified land in the La Parfaite Harmonie [West Bank Demerara] area for us and we will be conducting a site visit shortly. And thereafter the necessary plans will be made for us to have another summary court in that area.”

Key mechanism

Meanwhile, Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana and Suriname Mark Berman noted that information technology is a key mechanism for increasing access

vices.

Great urgency

Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana and Suriname, Mark Berman

Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag), Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards

to justice in areas such as the recording of court cases and virtual hearings for trial.

Although information technology is an essential tool, if not handled efficiently and with commitment, he cautioned that it may instead frustrate measures at modernisation. In light of this, he pointed out that is the duty of any proactive Judiciary, to prepare to meet these challenges since the main business of the Judiciary is to hear and determine cases in a fair and timely manner at a reasonable cost.

Berman said, “And in doing so, the processes that lead to the conclusion of cases, must be efficient, effective, and equitable.” The diplomat explained that the modern approach to delivering justice requires the balancing of various objectives of the justice system given the scarcity of resources and cash-strapped societies. He also said that justice must be available to all who seek it while adding that the processes must not be exclusionary, discrimina-

tory, or show partiality to any class of litigants.

Lagging

The High Commissioner informed that the ceremonial nature of law has never been synonymous, particularly with advanced technology and electronics. In reality, Berman informed that courtrooms have somewhat lagged when it comes to modern technology. He shared, “I myself recall spending hundreds of hours photocopying thousands of pages of legal precedent in preparation for court. It was many years after I graduated from law school that law students, young lawyers, and senior legal practitioners did their own photocopying, were able to access case laws online.”

While highlighting that the judicial system has been hesitant to embrace the constant technological advancement seen in other sectors, he said that increasingly, the legal profession has begun to leverage technology to enhance the delivery of ser-

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, JURIST has been engaging with regional judiciaries to address case flow management and court administration challenges with great urgency. A major component of the project is to address delay and backlog which directly affect the efficiency of the Judiciary to resolve cases in a timely manner and serve those who are the most vulnerable in society.

And according to Berman, Guyana’s Judiciary has benefited significantly under this component as a result of the pandemic. He disclosed that the Guyanese public has been benefiting from the public education guidance on accessing court services while following the new practises required by public health officials.

Apart from the Chancellor and Canadian High Commissioner, other attendees at the simple ceremony included Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC; Director of Public Prosecutions Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC; Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George, SC; and other Judges of the Supreme Court; Registrar of the Supreme Court Suenna Lovell; Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan and other Magistrates; President of the Guyana Bar Association Pauline Chase; JURIST Project Manager, Gloria RichardsJohnson; Head of the Court Superintendent Office, Assistant Superintendent of Police Shellon Daniels and Commissioner of Police Nigel Hoppie.

18

guyanatimesgy.com

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2022

News

1 dead, 1 critical after car Guyana ranked 10th most competitive oil & gas crashes into arch at NA jurisdiction in the world

Dead: Rawle Victor

O

ne man is now dead and another is critical after the vehicle in which they were travelling crashed into the arch at New Amsterdam, Berbice in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) in the wee hours of Monday.

IHS Markit Vice President Daniel Yergin

The arch that the car collided with

ed that the motor car, PHH 9366, was being driven by Victor at a fast rate of speed when he lost control and collided with the concrete

The car that was involved in the accident

Dead is Rawle Victor, 38, a poultry farmer of Percy Smyth Street, Number 2 Village, East Canje, while 23-year-old Mario Ramacingo of Sheet Anchor Village, East Canje, has been admitted a patient at the New Amsterdam Hospital suffering from several injuries including a fractured hip.

The now dead man’s wife confirmed that he was consuming alcohol with friends prior to the fatal crash.

However, Police stat-

base of the New Amsterdam Arch.

As a result of the impact, the driver and occupant received injuries and were taken to the New Amsterdam Hospital in an unconscious state.

The dead man’s wife, Janice Daniels, told Guyana Times that he left to take the car to be washed but after hours had elapsed, he did not return home.

“Yesterday (Sunday) whole day I didn’t talk to him and about 3:30 – 4 o’clock,

he bathe and got dressed and he told his friend that he was going to the car wash and coming back just now.

I don’t know if he go to the car wash or what but later I hear that he and some of his cousins drinking by one of their cousins in Sheet Anchor,” the woman related.

The 24-year-old mother of two, who is also three months pregnant, related that as he was leaving home, he took his cousin with him.

She said she has not been able to find out what transpired after he left Sheet Anchor.

She said it was sometime after 01:00h of Monday morning that she was informed that he was involved in an accident and that his condition was critical.

“When I reach to the hospital there was my child father Rawle Victor lying down there with his eyes open and lifeless… No voice or anything could come out of his mouth like ‘J’ or Janice or babe,” she said as she broke down.

The couple has been together for ten years.

Meanwhile, this is not the first time a vehicle has crashed into the base on the arch, damaging it. On the two previous occasions, the municipality had asked the drives to repair the base.

Mali Parliament approves 5-year democratic transition plan

M

ali’s lawmakers on Monday approved a plan allowing the military Government to rule for up to five years, AFP journalists said, despite regional sanctions imposed on the country over delayed elections.

The army-dominated legislature also decided that the country’s interim President cannot stand for a future democratic election, as part of the same Bill.

After staging a coup in the impoverished Sahel state in August 2020, Mali’s military rulers initially promised to stage a vote in February 2022.

But in December last year, the military Government proposed staying in power for between six months and five years, citing security concerns.

In response, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) last month imposed a trade embargo and closed its borders with Mali.

The bloc has called the potential length of the transition unacceptable.

On Monday, 120 members of Mali’s 121-seat interim Parliament, called the National Transitional Council, voted to allow the military Government to govern for up to five years.

It also voted to forbid the interim President from standing for future election.

Of the lawmakers attending the vote, none voted against the Bill or abstained, AFP journalists present said.

The Bill does not mention Mali’s interim President Colonel Assimi Goita by name – leaving open the possibility that he could run if he steps down ahead of a future election. Nor does the Bill mention on what date a future election might be held.

Goita has pledged to restore civilian rule, but he has refused to commit to a date.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

A

mong the oil and gas jurisdictions in the world, Guyana has done so well in its management of the industry that it is ranked 10th for competitiveness in exploration and production by internationally respected business intelligence firm, IHS Markit.

Markit’s Vice President and energy expert, Daniel Yergin, revealed this during last week’s International Energy Conference and Expo in a remote address.

“Guyana today, is in a competitive position.

IHS Markit [Petroleum Economics and Policy Solutions] PEPS analysis ranks it as the 10th most competitive jurisdiction for upstream [Exploration & Production] investment out of 45 countries, and I hasten to add, ahead of Brazil and ahead of Argentina. That’s a position that Guyana should strive to maintain.”

Guyana, Yergin said, is proving to be a model for how to get things done, and for developing institutions that the times require.

“A regulatory system

that meets the need of the people and an environment of standards that will provide sustained revenues for development and rising standards of living. A framework for the development of the country’s resources in an appropriate way and in an environmentally responsible way that will work for the people of Guyana.”

He added that an important message is being sent to companies around the world that Guyana has a trustworthy investment climate which will bring investment and partners into other sectors.

Markit’s assessment is that the main challenge for Guyana is managing the flow of money to the country to prevent overheating and distortions of the economy.

Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has said that while overheating is a fair concern, the Government is keeping careful watch.

This caution will be especially pertinent as Guyana’s revenues balloon. With current production, Guyana is already expecting almost

US$1 billion this year. Its recoverable resource, according to analysts, is also expected to balloon.

Yergin said, “We estimate currently that it’s in excess of 13.5 billion barrels of oil equivalent with another yet to find potential 9.3 billion of oil equivalent remaining. That makes the ultimate recovery total something like 23 billion of oil recovery…”

Yergin said he expects this number to rise even further as companies test new geological plays and subplays.

The Liza Phase 2 began producing oil earlier this month. In fact, this will bring Guyana’s oil production capacity to 340,000 barrels per day (bpd) following the commencement of production at the Liza Phase 2 project.

It was explained at the time that production at the Liza Unity FPSO vessel is expected to reach its target of 220,000 barrels of oil later this year, as operations continue to be brought safely online.

ExxonMobil has said it anticipates at least six projects offshore Guyana will be online by 2027. This includes the Payara and the Yellowtail developments, while Exxon also seeks approval for the Uaru development.

In fact, $88 million was approved in Budget 2022 for a consultancy firm to review the Field Development Plan for Uaru, which if approved will be of Exxon’s fifth oil development in the Stabroek Block.

Perjury accused to make court appearance

O

fficials from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) have confirmed that a 25-year-old male witness in a murder case was on Monday afternoon questioned in relation to an alleged “wilful and corrupt” perjury, which occurred at the Georgetown Supreme Criminal Court on February 16, 2022.

This, the CID stated, was in order to prevent the conviction of the accused Pascale Smith for an indictable offence of murder which took place on April 30, 2017.

Police stated that on that on October 30, 2017, the man initially testified in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts in the case of murder committed on John Hutson, but on February 16, 2022, he told the Georgetown Supreme Criminal Court that he knows nothing about the matter.

During interrogation on

Monday, he was cautioned in accordance with the Judge’s rules and he elected to tell his story.

He reportedly stated that he did give a written statement to the Police at Kitty Police Station of what he witnessed on the night of April 30, 2017.

A few weeks later, he had attended and positively identified the suspect at an identification parade and subsequently testified on October 30, 2017, at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Magistrate Leron Daly.

Further, the man told investigators on Monday that sometime in January 2021, he was taken to the accused’s father who threatened that if he did not change his story, he would “face the consequences”.

Meanwhile, on February 16, 2022, he attended court and stated that he knew nothing about the matter.

Pascale Smith

Based on this, the Police are expecting to charge him for the said offence of perjury as soon as today.

Pascale Smith was acquitted after Demerara High Court Judge Brassington Reynold upheld a no-case submission made on his behalf by his lawyer, Siand Dhurjon, and directed the jury to return a formal verdict of not guilty.

guyanatimesgy.com

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2022

19

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS Oil rises as RussiaWest stand-off alarms tight market

O

il prices rose on Monday over the stand-off between Russia and the West over Ukraine, adding to supply concerns that have kept oil prices near US$100 a barrel.

Brent crude futures jumped US$2.74, or 2.91 per cent, to US$96.28 a barrel by 2 pm ET (1910 GMT). US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose US$2.79, or 3.06 per cent, to US$93.86 a barrel at 1915 GMT. Russian forces killed a group of five saboteurs who breached the country's southwest border from Ukraine on Monday, news agencies quoted the military as saying, an accusation that Ukraine called fake news.

French President Emmanuel Macron said earlier on Monday that US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed in principle to a summit over Ukraine, but the Kremlin said there were no immediate plans.

US markets were closed on Monday for the Presidents Day holiday.

"Oil prices are once again marching upwards, as the optimism of a Biden-Putin meeting fades, while OPEC+ is continuing to struggle to hit its quotas which have largely created the severe global energy deficit," said Pratibha Thaker of the Economist Intelligence Unit.

Ministers of Arab oil-producing countries said on Sunday that OPEC+ should stick to its current agreement to add 400,000 barrels per day of oil output each month, rejecting calls to pump more to ease pressure on prices.

Price gains have been limited by the possibility of more than a million bpd of Iranian crude returning to the market.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh said "significant progress" had been made in talks to revive Iran's 2015 nuclear agreement on Monday after a senior EU official said on Friday that a deal was "very, very close".

Analysts said the market remained tight and any addition of oil would help, but prices would remain volatile in the near term because Iranian crude was unlikely to return until later this year.

"If a Russian invasion (of Ukraine) takes place, as the US and UK have warned in recent days, Brent futures could spike above US$100/bbl, even if an Iranian deal is reached," Commonwealth Bank analyst Vivek Dhar said in a note. (Excerpt from Reuters)

COVID: England ending isolation laws and mass free testing

A

ll COVID restrictions will end in England on Thursday and free mass testing will stop from April 1.

The Prime Minister told MPs the legal duty to isolate for those who tested positive would be dropped as he unveiled his "living with COVID" plan.

From April 1 the provision of free testing would be targeted to the most vulnerable, Boris Johnson said.

But the British Medical Association, a doctor's union, said the plan failed to protect those most at risk from COVID. And Opposition parties said the Prime Minister's blueprint out of the pandemic had moved too fast and voiced concern over the scaling back of free testing.

The Scottish Government said the public health advice it had received did not recommend lifting the restrictions.

Speaking at a Downing Street news conference on Monday evening, Johnson

said "today is not the day we can declare victory over COVID because this virus is not going away" and described the pandemic as "two of the darkest, grimmest years in our peacetime history".

However, he said the nation had passed the peak of Omicron, with falling cases and hospital admissions.

And he said the country could now complete the "transition back towards normality" while retaining contingencies to respond to a COVID resurgence or a new variant.

Sir Patrick Vallance, the UK government's chief scientific adviser, warned the virus would continue to evolve over the next couple of years and there was no guarantee that future variants would be less severe than Omicron.

He argued it was crucial the nation retained a virus surveillance system to monitor new threats and the capacity to "ramp up" measures again quickly to protect the vulnerable.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Putin orders troops to breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine

R

ussian President Vladimir Putin recognised two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent on Monday and ordered the Russian army to launch what Moscow called a peacekeeping operation into the area, accelerating a crisis the West fears could unleash a major war.

Putin told Russia's Defence Ministry to deploy troops into the two regions to "keep the peace" in a decree issued shortly after announcing recognition for Russian-backed separatists there, drawing US and European condemnation and vows of new sanctions.

It was not immediately clear whether the Russian military action would be regarded by the West as the start of an invasion of Ukraine that the United States and its allies have warned about for weeks since the area was already controlled by Russian-backed separatists and Moscow in practice.

There was no word on the size of the force Putin was dispatching, but the decree said Russia now had the right to build military bases in the breakaway regions and that troops' mission would be to uphold the peace.

In a lengthy televised address packed with grievances against the West, Putin, look-

Russian President Vladimir Putin signs documents, including a decree recognising two Russian-backed breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent entities, during a ceremony in Moscow, Russia, in this picture released February 21, 2022

ing visibly angry, described Ukraine as an integral part of Russia's history and said eastern Ukraine was ancient Russian lands and that he was confident the Russian people would support his decision.

Russian State television showed Putin, joined

by Russia-backed separatist leaders, signing a decree recognising the independence of the two Ukrainian breakaway regions -- the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic and the Lugansk People's Republic - along with agreements on cooperation and friendship.

Defying Western warnings against such a move, Putin had announced his decision in phone calls to the leaders of Germany and France earli-

'Nigerian air strike' kills 7 children in Niger

Niger and Nigeria have been conducting joint military operations against armed gangs in the border regions

S

even children have been killed in Niger in an air strike by the Nigerian army targeting "bandits", a local governor and state media have said.

Five more were hurt in the apparently accidental strike, the Governor of Niger's Maradi region told AFP. Governor Chaibou Aboubacar said four were killed instantly and three died on their way to hospital. State TV said the attack happened in Nachade village.

Nigerian officials said an investigation had begun.

Aboubacar said the victims' parents were attending a ceremony and "the children were probably playing" when the air

strikes hit them.

He said he believed the planes were targeting "armed bandits" in areas around the border between the two countries but missed their target and hit Nachade, a village in the area of Madarounfa.

Niger and Nigeria have been conducting joint military operations against armed gangs responsible for a wave of kidnappings and killings in the region.

Since 2018 Niger has reinforced military patrols along its border with Nigeria to prevent incursions of the gangs.

The children's deaths come just three months after 26 children aged five and six died in a fire at a school in Maradi city.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

er, both of whom voiced disappointment, the Kremlin said.

Moscow's action may well torpedo a last-minute bid for a summit with US President Joe Biden to prevent Russia from invading Ukraine. The rouble extended its losses as Putin spoke, at one point sliding beyond 80 per dollar.

Biden will issue an executive order soon prohibiting "new investment, trade, and financing by US persons to, from, or in" the two breakaway regions, the White House said.

It will "also provide authority to impose sanctions on any person determined to operate in those areas of Ukraine," White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said in a statement.

Psaki said measures being rolled out in response to Putin's decree were separate from sanctions the United States and its allies have been readying if Russia invades Ukraine.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the executive order "is designed to prevent Russia from profiting off of this blatant violation of international law."

The UN Security Council will meet publicly on Ukraine at 9 pm EST Monday (0200 GMT on Tuesday), a Russian diplomat said, following a request by the United States, the United Kingdom and France.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said European Union countries have agreed to impose a limited set of sanctions "targeting those who are responsible" for Russia's recognition of the rebel regions.

British Foreign Minister Liz Truss said in a Twitter post that on Tuesday the Government will announce new sanctions on Russia in response to Putin's decision.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg accused Russia of continuing to fuel the conflict in eastern Ukraine and "trying to stage a pretext" for a further invasion.

Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.

In his address, Putin delved into history as far back as the Ottoman empire and as recent as the tensions over NATO's eastward expansion - a major irritant for Moscow in the present crisis.

With his decision, Putin brushed off Western warnings that such a step would be illegal, kill off peace negotiations

and trigger sanctions.

"I deem it necessary to make a decision that should have been made a long time ago - to immediately recognise the independence and sovereignty of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Lugansk People's Republic," Putin said.

He said earlier that "if Ukraine was to join NATO it would serve as a direct threat to the security of Russia."

Putin has for years worked to restore Russia's influence over nations that emerged after the collapse of the Soviet Union, with Ukraine holding an important place in his ambitions.

Russia denies any plan to attack its neighbour, but it has threatened unspecified "military-technical" action unless it receives sweeping security guarantees, including a promise that Ukraine will never join NATO. But recognition of the separatist-held areas paved the way for Putin to send military forces there, arguing that he was intervening as an ally to protect the separatists against Ukrainian forces.

Putin's move will narrow the diplomatic options to avoid war, since it is an explicit rejection of a seven-year-old ceasefire mediated by France and Germany, touted as the framework for future negotiations on the wider crisis.

Separately, Moscow said Ukrainian military saboteurs had tried to enter Russian territory in armed vehicles leading to five deaths, an accusation dismissed as "fake news"

by Kyiv.

Both developments fit a pattern repeatedly predicted

by Western governments, who accuse Russia of preparing to fabricate a pretext to invade by blaming Kyiv for attacks and relying on pleas for help from separatist proxies.

Moscow has said repeatedly it has no such plans.

Hours earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron gave hope of a diplomatic solution, saying Putin and Biden had agreed in principle to meet.

But the Kremlin said there were no specific plans for a summit. The White House said Biden had accepted the meeting "in principle" but only "if an invasion hasn't happened".

Washington says Russia has amassed a force numbering 169,000-190,000 troops in the region, including the separatists in the breakaway regions, and could invade within days.

European financial markets tumbled at the signs of increased confrontation, after having briefly edged higher on the glimmer of hope that a summit might offer a path out of Europe's biggest military crisis in decades. The price of oil - Russia's main export - rose, while Russian shares and the rouble plunged.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

20

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2022

guyanatimesgy.com

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ARCHIE

Nurture relationships instead of building a wall of separation. Be willing to adjust and compromise, but don't let anyone take advantage of you. An open dialogue will help you maintain peace.

(March 21-April 19) Be open to suggestions and eager to put muscle behind your dreams, hopes and wishes. Share your feelings, and be willing to trying something new. Love and romance are favored.

DILBERT

(April 20-May 20) Depending on others will lead to disappointment. Don't get caught up in an emotional situation that causes problems at work or can affect your position, reputation or peace of mind.

(May 21-June 20)

PEANUTS (June 21-July 22)

You'll make connections that can change your life. Pay attention to what others say and do, and the information will lead to personal growth and self-improvement. Nurture meaningful relationships.

Don't make a change or sign up for something for the wrong reason. Follow the path that empowers you to reach your goals, not one that tends to stifle your plans.

(July 23-Aug. 22)

CALVIN AND HOBBES (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

You can make a difference if you concentrate on positive change, assist those who require help and look on the bright side of any situation. Take physical action and push for what you want to achieve.

Anger will not help you bring about positive change, but kindness and consideration will encourage others to see things your way. Be reasonable and ready to move forward alone if necessary.

Be open to suggestions, and accept changes that encourage others to feel comfortable. Home improvements and creative projects will help you overcome emotional setbacks.

SUDOKU (Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

Use intelligence regarding money matters and when dealing with a friend or relative who is out of control or in a negative space. Innovative suggestions and hands-on help are favored.

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

Make the changes that will brighten your day, surroundings and relationships with those you love and respect.

How you deal with others will alter the path you follow. Live, love, laugh and be merry.

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Go about your business and immerse yourself in projects that ease stress.

Refuse to let what others do or say put you in a funky mood or lead you into an unwanted battle.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Adjust your finances to ensure you can afford your lifestyle. Be cautious when it comes to shared expenses and joint ventures. Balance and integrity will make a difference.

(Feb. 20-March 20)

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2022

21

Veteran cricket umpire, administrator Vish Jadunauth passes on V

eteran cricket umpire and administrator Vish Jadunauth passed away Saturday morning at age 60 after developing a lung infection.

Jadunauth was the Chief Financial Officer of the Scarborough Cricket Association (SCA) and held a Level Four umpiring certificate affiliated with both West Indies Cricket Umpires’ Association and Canada Cricket Umpire Association (CCUA).

SCA President Shiv Persaud stated that he was still “shocked” at the sudden demise of Jadunauth, who had been around the cricketing fraternity in Ontario and, by extension, Canada for the past two consecutive decades.

According to Persaud, Jadunauth was one of the live wires, always performing his duties with great professionalism and character.

“We at SCA (are) defi-

nitely saddened with his passing; he left a tremendous void now; he was a great individual and his contribution and service to cricket in Ontario was also tremendous,” he related.

Persaud noted that Jadunauth loved the game immensely and supported youth and female cricket; at the time of his death, Jadunauth was Cricket Ontario Junior Coordinator.

“Cricket has definitely lost a great man; he loved the game passionately and would have always worked tirelessly to get things done, both on and off the field; certainly, a very sad day for cricket in Canada,” Persaud declared.

Jadunauth, who was born in Mahaicony, Guyana, leaves to mourn his wife, a brother, and two sisters.

Meanwhile, former Ontario Softball Cricket League (OSCL) President Albert Ramcharran said he was still in disbelief

over the death of his former executive and ‘buddy friend’. Ramcharran said that Jadunauth was an outstanding individual during his time at the OSCL and gave 100 per cent commitment to his work in various capacities. Jadunauth served as a treasurer and statistician, and was part of the formation of OSCL in 1996.

“This is a massive blow when it comes to softball and hardball cricket; he was a wonderful friend and always willing to serve the game in any way. He will definitely be missed,” Ramcharran stated.

Jadunauth had served as the Treasurer for CCUA and Ramcharran –the current President – said the umpiring fraternity was also in shock over his passing.

According to reports, Jadunauth suffered from respiratory issues over the past several weeks and was

hospitalised at Centenary in Scarborough, Toronto where he was in the Intensive Care Unit ICU).

CCUA Secretary Azad Khan expressed his condolences to Jadunauth’s family and loved ones. Khan stated that Jadunauth was also a cricket scorer and what he had done for cricket certainly epitomised profound love for the sport.

He noted that Jadunauth’s achievements as an umpire also spoke volumes.

“Yes, when was crick-

Vish Jadunauth

et matches and umpiring, you could have counted on his availability; we lost a good umpire; his achievement showed that he was a terrific human and may the Almighty bless his soul,”

Khan stated.

Notably, Jadunauth was also the President of Kaieteur International Sports Club, a club that won a championship recently in the SCA tournament.

NBA All-Star Game: Stephen Curry sets record as Team LeBron win 163-160 against Team Durant

Nadal would “welcome” Djokovic playing slams if he can do so unvaccinated

R

afael Nadal would "welcome" seeing Novak Djokovic play at future grand slam tournaments if he is granted permission to do so unvaccinated against COVID-19.

World number one Djokovic has courted controversy for his views on being jabbed and was last month deported from Australia on the eve of the Australian Open.

Djokovic has confirmed he is willing to miss future slams after stating he was prioritising his right to choose what to put into his body above his sporting ambitions.

In Djokovic's absence, Nadal became Australian Open champion and now has 21 titles – the most for a male player.

Nadal believes that any

further omissions from Djokovic would only be harmful to the Serbian's chances of history not the slams themselves, but he would have no issue with his rival playing in the sport's biggest tournaments.

Speaking ahead of his return to the ATP Tour in Acapulco, Mexico, Nadal said: "It will affect Novak's [grand slam] history if he can't play.

"It will affect him, not the grand slams themselves.

Whoever wins the most slams – it will be what it will be. Everyone takes their own decisions and must live with them.

"In that sense, hopefully the pandemic subsides and we stop having so many deaths around the world and this horror ends, and we can return to normality – not for

Novak but for the world in general.

"There are many people that have suffered, but if Novak can play the grand slams unvaccinated, then he is welcome."

Nadal defeated Daniil Medvedev in an epic Melbourne showpiece to become the first man to 21 slams, but he says the achievement has not changed his life.

"Absolutely nothing has changed having 21 slams, I won't lie to you," he added.

"From 20 to 21 there is not a very large difference.

Life goes on exactly the same. The only thing that has changed is that now I play tennis, which a few months ago I couldn't.

"I am very happy for everything that happened in Australia, it was very unexpected, especially before the tournament started. In my life, nothing has changed.

No title is going to change what is important in my life, which are other things.

"Already, at 35 years old, I have a lot of experiences behind me, of successes and bad moments, and these sensations already help me to live in a more calm and different way." (Sportsmax)

S

tephen Curry scored 50 points and set an All-Star Game record as Team LeBron claimed a 163-160 win over Team Durant.

Curry, 33, finished with 16 three-pointers, setting a record for the most in an All-Star quarter (six), half (eight) and game (16) in the process.

The previous record in an All-Star game was nine, set by Paul George in 2016.

Curry, who was two points short of the scoring record set by Anthony Davis in 2017, won the Kobe Bryant Trophy as the All-Star Game's most valuable player.

The All-Star MVP Award was permanently renamed in honour of LA Lakers legend Bryant, an 18-time All-Star, after he and his daughter Gianna were among nine people killed in a helicopter crash in 2020.

LeBron James also played in his 18th All-Star Game to sit one short of

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record.

The Los Angeles Lakers star made the game-win-

Allen at the top of the alltime list for threes made and was honoured as a member of the NBA 75th

ning shot on Sunday after his team had been set a target winning score of 163 in Cleveland.

That target was determined after Team Durant held a 139-138 lead heading into the final quarter and, for a third consecutive year, 24 points were added to the leading total to reflect Kobe Bryant's jersey number.

Curry surpassed Ray

Anniversary Team at halftime.

James made 24 points for his side and Giannis Antetokounmpo, of the Milwaukee Bucks, added 30 points and 12 rebounds.

Team Durant were led by the Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid, who recorded 36 points and 10 rebounds, while Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns contributed 20 points. (BBC Sport)

22

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2022

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Linden are new champions of Rawle Toney 3x3 Classic … Thomas emerges as MVP

Earlier in the tournament – in the first semi-final, it was Pitbulls versus Royals. The match was fire from jump time as both teams played aggressive basketball, fighting to book their spot in the final.

Pitbulls, who were the de-

opted not to play, handing Guardians the win.

At the end of the tournament, founder Rawle Toney had this to say, “Taking into account all the challenges I had to face and all the hurdles I had to face to see this event through,

Linden in action

By Timothy Jaikarran

T

he refurbished Burnham Hardcourt was witness to one

either “go big or go home”; both teams had exceptional players in their corner.

Linden featured Daniel Omondi, Stanton Rose,

Rawle Toney

visioned and I want to say thank you to everyone.”

Toney further said that

part in making the event a huge success.

The tournament

The players pose with their championship rings, compliments of Jacobs Jewellery

fending champions, put up a good fight, but, in the end, they lost by two points as Royals won 7-5.

In the second semi-final, Guardians duked it out with Linden. This match

I would not call it a success but a huge major success, because we had to take into consideration – shift in venue. As the idea was to present a premium 3x3 basketball tourna-

Royals came in second

Shelroy Thomas was adjudged the MVP

of the most exhilarating basketball tournaments Guyana has ever hosted. The Rawle Toney 3x3 Classic finale saw Linden cart off the coveted title and $500,000 after 10 minutes of intense action on the court. The Royals bagged $100,000 as their runners-up prize.

Tensions were high from the moment the players were seen doing their warmup drills as half of a million dollars was now on the line. For the teams, what was once a dream had now become a reality. It was

Harold Adam, and Shelroy Thomas while Royals had Orlan Glasgow, Marlon Pollydore, Yonnick Tappin, and Joel Webster. The game began with slow scoring in the first half as both teams exhibited exceptional offence and defence; at one point, the score was 7-6 with Linden in the lead and one minute and forty-eight seconds remaining on the clock. However, Linden held their nerve and pulled off a stunner, managing to keep Royals at bay with the final score reading 8-7, Thomas was adjudged the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament.

he was grateful to the media, the sponsors, the players, the sport gamer from the Guyana Basketball Federation and Guyana

Guardians came in third

had the crowd on their feet: both teams put in the extra effort. The players sometimes fell and they rose, nothing was going to stop them taking a shot at $500,000, but alas, Linden were too good and went past the Guardians 15-12.

In the third-place match, Pitbulls were set to take on Guardians, but the former

ment at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall and not being able to use the venue and moving to Burnham Court in which we had a wonderful turnout. We had to deal with the weather and it all turned out well. We had challenges with teams, players and a couple of other things, but nonetheless it came out just how I en-

Linden celebrate their win

Basketball Official Council as everyone played their

"We're not happy with losing, but it is a work in progress" – Pollard reacts to India series defeat

W

est Indies Captain Kieron Pollard is choosing to focus on the positives coming out of the Indian white-ball tour in which the Caribbean side was swept 3-0 in both the OneDay International (ODI) and T20 International (T20I) series.

Speaking after the West Indies lost the final T20 by 17 runs on Sunday, Pollard said the tour was not a complete disaster. “ W h e n you look at the games, it was definitely a close

was sponsored by Team Mohamed’s, Modern Building Solutions, Medicine Chest, Mackeson, Guyana Lottery Company,

series, but it just goes to show the fine line in international cricket in terms of the margins for error,” said Pollard.

“I thought the guys really put up their hands and gave a really good account of themselves, so I don’t think we should feel disgraced by what has taken place.

"We’re not happy with losing, but it is a work in progress. I’m very happy with the performances of some of the guys and we crack on.

We have no international white-ball cricket for the next three months, so we have time to find out what’s for the future.”

Among the players that Pollard was pleased with was his Vice Captain, Nicholas Pooran who starred with 184 runs in the three games.

“I thought Nicholas was outstanding.

Three fifties in three games is fantastic for him and that’s the consistency that we ask for,” said Pollard.

Pollard’s Mumbai Indians teammate Suryakumar Yadav was India’s best batsman in the series with 107 runs in the three match-

es. The West Indies Captain believes he is someone his batters should try to emulate.

“Surya is a world-class player. I’ve had the opportunity to play a lot of years with him, so it’s great to see that he has grown well and is doing great things for himself and great things for India. He’s a 360-degree player and that’s something that our batsmen could try to emulate,” Pollard said.

An important part of a successful T20 outfit is laying out specific roles for specific players and Pollard, while being aware of this, says it’s also important to rotate to give others opportunities.

“I think everyone is clear in their role. Once you get an opportunity to play, you know your role so it’s about getting the experience and understanding what is needed at the international level. We’re not just chopping and changing for the sake of it, guys came in and had specific roles to play. We’re in a position where we have to give guys opportunities,” he said.

The West Indies next white-ball assignment will a tour of the Netherlands in May-June where they will play three ODIs. (Sportsmax)

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Guyana aiming to host semi-finals, final of CPL 2022 …Ramson Jr optimistic about current negotiations

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ulture, Youth and Sport Minister Charles Ramson Jr figures that Guyana is currently in a great position to host a portion of the 2022 season of the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL), while revealing that the focus is airing hosting rights for the semi-finals and final to be played in Guyana.

Ramson Jr made this rev-

they were the ones that were conceptualising it at the early stages,” the Sport Minister informed.

Also explaining one of the reasons behind Guyana’s intense pursuit of hosting the event, Ramson Jr posited that this would contribute to the Ministry’s vision of transforming Guyana into an events hub in the Caribbean.

On the matter of Guyana’s preparedness to host such a grand event on the global calendar, Ramson Jr pointed out that rehabilitation work was done at the National Stadium recently, noting that this would be improved upon.

On this matter, the Sport Minister commented, “In order for us to host the West Indies and Pakistan matches here – it [the Stadium] was in bad condition— so, early I had to go back to the Cabinet and say look, we didn’t have the money to do it. The Cabinet gave

me $50 million to spend on the National Stadium, luckily that helped us to also secure hosting the Under-19 World Cup. “So, a lot of work has already been done, but I haven’t left it there. Out of this year’s budget, we’ve put aside $50 million to do an electronic scoreboard; we also put quite a bit of money to get the equipment we need, like the super soaker.”

Essentially, if the CPL final and semi-finals are confirmed for Guyana, it will not only be a proud moment for the Minister

but also Guyana’s President Dr Irfaan Ali, who first expressed the ambition to host the 2022 final in December of 2021, at a tourism event.

“So, it’ll be a big boost for us, as a country, as a people, being able to host CPL finals for the first time in ever. I mean, I’ll put my feather in my hat and walk,” Ramson Jr candidly Culture, Youth and Sport Minister shared.

Charles Ramson Jr

Madray, Duncan, Persaud emerge as 2021 National Champions in Archery Guyana’s Indoor Championships … tournament sponsored by Seven Seas

elation Saturday night during the 2022 Soca Monarch finale.

When quizzed by Journalists about the status of hosting rights negotiations, which were publicised by CPL’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Pete Russell last week, the Minister said that talks were advanced.

“It’s advanced. It’s advanced. I think by next month, you’ll be able to get a decision.

But, it’s something that the President is working really hard on, it’s his baby too. He’s really behind it in a major way; he loves cricket and in fact,

“What you would have heard the President announce and what we’re doing to support that is really positioning Guyana as this events capital of the region. That’s one of the reasons why we’re trying to get the CPL finals and semi-finals here. So, we’re working very hard to conclude that arrangement and when that’s done, we’ll be able to make the announcement.”

He went on to state, “Hopefully, it will be favourable, but that’s an indication of what we’re trying to do.”

GMR&SC Endurance Race round one…

Team Wreckers win, dedicate victory to late Anil Persaud

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fter a postponement last year, Archery Guyana's Seven Seas Indoor Championships 2021 were held at the Muslim Youth Organisation (MYO) on Woolford Avenue and Albert Street over two nights starting Tuesday, February 15, 2022 with the Ranking Rounds, which determined the pairing of archers for the competitive elimination shootout on Thursday, February 17, 2022.

Archers were keenly awaiting the exciting 18-Metre Indoor Championships for men and women of all ages in two categories: Recurve and Barebow.

For the Recurve competition, Samira

Prize winners pose with Director of Shooting, Ryan McKinnon; Chair of Judges’ Committee Robert Singh and a Seven Seas Representative

Duncan took first place (gold medal) and Vidushi Persaud-McKinnon received the second spot.

The men's side was heavi-

sored by Seven Seas and the archers were kept hydrated

by Archery Guyana’s sponsor Oasis Water. Especially available to participants and

T

he season-opening Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) endurance race meet got off to a flying start on Sunday with Team Wreckers winning the overall trophy.

Returning to a three-hour format for the first time in many years, the event was sponsored by Secure Innovations and Concepts Inc. Thirtyfive cars lined up on the grid for the 14:00h start and when the dust settled, it was the Team Wreckers squad of Anand Ramchand and Adrian Fernandes that emerged champions, completing a total of 116 laps, one more than the team of Sean Bacchus.

Both cars were part of the 1501-1600cc class. Speaking after the event, Fernandes said, “I am dedicating this win to the late Anil Persaud. Despite him being from another team, he always helped where he could have, before and even on race day. To his family and friends, we dedicate this win.”

Team Wreckers, which are also under the sponsorship of AJM and Vitality Inc, had a tense battle with Shan Seejattan and Nyron Maraj, all of them completing 108 laps with 10 minutes remaining.

However, both Seejattan and Maraj suffered mechanical issues which caused them to pit and eventually fall behind. They still managed to complete the three-hour event. In the 0-1500cc class, Narendra Mangar took the top spot after completing 112 laps ahead of Naresh Alves (109 laps) and Troy Muir (101) in that order while Mohamed Roshandin (103 laps) finished behind Fernandes and Bacchus in the 1501-1600 class. In the 1601-2000cc class, Richard Hamid of Team First Class completed 114 laps ahead of Ryan Rahman (107 laps) and Bishram Rajaram (28 laps).

Zafeer Khan finished third in the unlimited class with 93 laps behind Seejattan (second with 111 laps) and Maraj (first with 114 laps). Seejattan with a 1:22.480 was the driver with the fastest lap of the day.

GMR&SC President Rameez Mohamed commended the participants for ensuring that all the COVID-19 protocols were adhered to. “I also want to thank all the marshals and volunteers for today’s (Sunday’s) event. We could not have pulled it off without you, and moving ahead with our 2022 plan, it is integral that we have your support,” he said. “Our next proposed event is a circuit race planned for March, but that is subject to the approval of the National Board of Health and COVID Task Force, but I feel we have done a good job today in adhering to the no-spectator and other rules set out by The Task Force…”

He added that the club would return to the Task Force to seek permission for that event.

Men’s Barebow Gold Medallist Jeewanram Persaud receiving his prize from a Seven Seas representative

Women’s Gold Medallist Samira Duncan

ly contested and Umasankar Madray ranked supreme earning the coveted gold medal, with Jeewanram Persaud in second place (silver medal) and Fabian Ramdatt receiving third place (bronze medal).

For the Barebow competition, Persaud finished top (gold medal) followed

by Nicholas Hing with second place (silver medal) and Sean Duncan, third place (bronze medal).

The competition was successfully conducted under supervision of the Director of Shooting, Ryan McKinnon and the Competitions Committee together with the Chair of the Judges Committee, Robert Singh and his team of nationally- certified judges. The competition was customised to meet strict COVID-19 guidelines.

The annual indoor championships were spon-

spectators at the event was Guyana Beverages Inc’s new

for Seven Seas’ continued collaboration as a competition sponsor. special thanks to the management of Massy Distribution (Guyana) Inc and Seven Seas as Archery Guyana moves forward to promote the sport in Guyana.

Seven Seas has been around for generations, becoming a household name over half a century ago. Its products are the culmination of a continuous, rigorous and intense research and development process resulting in formulations that are known for their excellent quality and high standards. Seven Seas’ range of products, which are built on the science of OMEGA-3, help families live their TRUEAGE. In this regard, the branded masks and special packages available to

Men’s Gold Medallist for 2021, Umasankar Madray receiving his prize from a Seven Seas representative

sports drink, Altitude, which contains sodium, potassium and magnesium and comes in three flavours – Fruit Punch, Grape and Blue Frost.

Altitude replaces electrolytes lost through sweat.

Thanks are expressed by the Board of Archery Guyana,

the respective winners were deeply appreciated.

The next competition for Archery Guyana will be the 2021 Outdoor Championships set for Sunday, March 6 at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2022

Sport is no longer our game, it’s our business

Page 23

Guyana aiming to host semi-finals, final of CPL 2022

…Ramson Jr optimistic about current negotiations

GMR&SC Endurance Race round one…

Team Wreckers win, dedicate victory to Page late Anil Persaud 23

Linden are new champions of Rawle Toney 3x3 Classic

… Thomas emerges as MV

Page 22

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