Guyana Times -- Wednesday, September 9, 2020

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CGX donates $10M towards Guyana’s COVID-19 fight Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 4403

THE BEACON OF TRUTH WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2020

$330B Budget to be presented today Page 3

No evidence Berbice murders were politically-motivated – Crime Chief Page 19

PRICE

$80 VAT INCLUDED

WHAT'S INSIDE: Oil payments

P10

Transparent system must be set up before accessing NRF – President Ali

48th COVID-19 death, 53 new cases reported

P18

…family of dead teens, commuters beaten, robbed in WCB protest Pages 7 & 18

Berbice teens' brutal murders

Criminality should not be associated with seeking justice – President Ali

… Govt prepared to engage protesters – AG Prime Minister, Retired Brigadier Mark Phillips, along with Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn and Human Services and Social Security Minister, Dr Vindhya Persaud, visited relatives of murdered Berbice teens Isaiah and Joel Henry on Tuesday (Office of the Prime Minister photo)

ExxonMobil Leaders who politicise Berbice makes tragedy “equally 18th oil poisonous, disgraceful” discovery – ANUG Chairman offshore Guyana

Man kills self in attempted murder-suicide P8

PNCR Region 2 Chair charged for attacking businessman on social media P15

Page 14

Page 9

Increased P16 COVID-19 deaths linked to comorbidity, not resources – DMPS

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS For the Demerara Harbour Bridge there will be no retraction until further notice.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, September 9 – 08:20h – 09:50h and Thursday, September 10 – 09:30h – 11:00h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

Expect sunshine during the day. Clear skies will prevail at night. Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

Winds: South-Westerly to South SouthWesterly to South South-Easterly to East SouthEasterly to Easterly to East North-Easterly between 1.34 metres and 3.12 metres.

High Tide: 08:40h and 20:56h reaching maximum heights of 2.3 metres and 2.3 metres.

Low Tide: 14:29h reaching a minimum height of 0.98 metre.

$330B Budget to be presented today

By Jarryl Bryan

T

oday marks the first budget Guyana will be getting in almost two years. With a sum of $330 billion expected to be presented by Public Works Minister Juan Edghill, it promises to be a budget that caters to some of the immediate needs of Guyanese amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

During a press conference on Tuesday, President Dr Irfaan Ali had announced that the budget contains a number of measures that will put money into the hands of persons, from frontline workers directly involved in the COVID-19 fight to the Joint Services to the average Guyanese.

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has, in fact, quantified the money persons will save or receive, in the region of $20 billion. For one, Edghill, a former Minister within the Finance Ministry, will be announcing a sum of $150 million being set aside for frontline workers.

Joint Services

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2020

LOTTERY NUMBERS J

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FREE TICKET

19 Bonus Ball

DAILY MILLIONS

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2020

01 17 18 23 24 LUCKY 3

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2020

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Afternoon Draw

DRAW DE LINE

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Pensioners & VAT

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2020

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PAY DAY

SUPER PAY DAY

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2020

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2020

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

COMMODITIES Indicators

US$

Change %

Crude Oil

$39.78/barrel

-7.24

Rough Rice

$224.24/ton

-0.16

London Sugar

$359.00/ton

+1.27

Live Spot Gold

USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

$1926.00

$1927.00

Low/High

$1905.90

$1941.70

-5.00

-0.26%

Change

Members of the Joint Services will also be receiving a two-week tax-free bonus. This, therefore, means that the Guyana Police Force (GPF), the Guyana Fire Service and the Guyana Prison Service will benefit.

The Joint Services previously received a one-month tax-free bonus implemented by the former People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Government, until the measure was discontinued by the former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government back in 2015.

Another measure that President Ali reiterated would be implemented, is a $25,000 cash per household distribution drive. It was explained on Tuesday that the Government favours teams of workers going into communities and distributing vouchers, for which a representative of the household would sign.

In addition, the old-age pension will be increased to $25,000 per month. In addition, pensioners will receive free water, with the overall removal of Value Added Tax (VAT) on electricity and water also slated to be announced.

It was announced that VAT would also be removed from all medical supplies, not just those related to treating COVID-19 and its symptoms, or even for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

VAT will also be removed from hinterland travel and cell phones, as well as building and construction materials. The Government will also be removing corporate tax on private education and healthcare, a measure likely to bring the service costs down.

The Arthur Chung Conference Centre, where the budget will be presented today

Indigenous

September is Indigenous Heritage month. President Ali had announced that $800 million had been set aside for the Amerindian Development Fund. This will provide funding to support the socio-economic development of Indigenous communities and villages, through the implementation of Community Development Plans (CDPs) the Indigenous communities themselves picked.

When it comes to school children, the Government will also be implementing, effective from January 1, 2020, a $15,000 cash grant for children and a further $4000 uniform voucher allowance.

Productive sectors

There are also measures for the productive sectors. VAT has been removed from all exports, as well as machines and equipment.

Additionally, duties have been reversed on machines and equipment.

President Ali had also announced that tax concessions will be granted for persons operating in the mining, agriculture and forestry sectors, one of several campaign promises the President made in the

run-up to the elections.

Persons looking to purchase a used vehicle are also catered for, since the Government will be reversing the ban on importation of vehicles older than eight years that was introduced by the former APNU/AFC Government back in 2016.

Land leases is another issue that will be addressed by the Government. According to President Ali during his press conference, all increases in land lease fees dating from 2015 will be reversed.

Back in 2017, the former Government had increased land rentals for rice farmers from $1000 to $7000 and drainage and irrigation fees from $2500 to $8000. In addition, rent for cattle pastures went from $487 to $2500 and fees for other pastures to $1400.

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

Sourcing the funds

Questions have been raised about how the PPP Government is sourcing the

money for such a large budget, considering the fact that the country has been in a prolonged political standoff since 2018, after the passage of a No-Confidence Motion against the former Government.

In addition, the last time a budget was passed was in November 2018. But Vice President Jagdeo had explained during Tuesday’s press conference that the monies comprise funds the Government borrowed, as well as rollover sums.

“We’d have to borrow.

Because we have to continue borrowing, given the revenue shortfall and given that a lot of the expenditure is a rollover expenditure. We’d have to continue accessing the domestic market for financing the budget.”

“We’re hoping in a year or two, to not only correct this, but also to retire all the domestic debt or a significant part of the domestic debt… which are reflected in treasury bills issued for fiscal purposes and the overdraft at the central bank,” Jagdeo had said, adding that the Government is careful about borrowing from the domestic market to avoid crowding out Private Sector investment.

(G3)

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guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2020

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

Lawlessness must cease

T

he current events unfolding in villages along the West Coast of Berbice, where protest actions over the gruesome murders of the two Berbice teens have descended into lawlessness, cannot be tolerated any longer. The security forces must work to ensure that normalcy is returned to the communities urgently, so as to allow persons to carry on with their daily lives uninterruptedly.

The entire nation is outraged about the manner in which the young men met their deaths, and everyone has expressed that there is no excuse for that kind of barbaric action from anyone.

However, for residents to engage in breaking the law in their demand for justice, it would defeat the very purpose for which they are fighting.

We are currently witnessing the blocking of main thoroughfares, preventing persons from going about their businesses freely. We have also heard reports of innocent passersby being attacked, robbed and beaten, and their vehicles being set on fire, in some case in full view of the Police. Many have expressed that there is no reason for such behaviour, especially considering the fact that law enforcement officials have arrested several persons, and are working feverishly to solve the crime.

Everyone wants to see justice delivered, but law enforcement officials would not be able to do their jobs in an environment in which there is a breakdown of law and order.

The Government, in no less a person than the President himself, has condemned the heinous crime, and has, on at least three occasions, given a commitment that all resources would be utilised to ensure that the persons who are found to be involved are brought to justice.

We have observed that some political leaders are capitalising on the opportunity to gain political points from this incident. This is not the opportunity to do so. Responsible leaders do not use a highly tense environment to further create division. Our political leaders also have a crucial role to play, and we expect them to put country above partisan interests. That is the kind of mature political leadership that is needed at this time.

We have also noted the high level of irresponsible behaviour exhibited on social media by some citizens, both here and abroad. In events such as this, quite a lot of content is generated in the form of “live videos” and “comments” on social media platforms. However, most of the content cannot be regarded as informative and healthy debate, and as a result, they do more harm than good.

One cannot ignore the fact that unity in the population is fractured at the moment. We therefore call on all Guyanese to desist from making racially motivated remarks, which can incite others and contribute even more to the high level of tension in the society.

It should be mentioned, too, for citizens’ awareness, that penalties are attracted when they engage in such behaviour, as they can be prosecuted for offences under the Racial Hostility and Representation of the People Acts, as well as under the cybercrime laws.

We urge the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) to continue to be vigilant in its monitoring of both the mainstream media and the various social media sites, in order to flag racially insensitive content and to take appropriate actions where necessary. The use of social media to resort to the purveyance of racial hate for political purposes is highly unacceptable, and must be rejected by all citizens who desire to live in peaceful communities.

The President has already expressed his concern over “the degree of race-baiting, racial hate and racial hostility which pervade the social media platforms”. He has since indicated that action will be taken, utilising the necessary legal mechanisms, against persons who engage in such conduct.

There is need for all stakeholders, including the current administration, political parties, civil society groups, religious leaders and, more particularly, the Ethnic Relations Commission to renew their efforts in forging harmony in the country.

Even as the Police continue their investigations into the heinous act, our hope is that every Guyanese would exercise tolerance and respect for each other throughout their daily lives.

Now that Guyana is about to benefit fully from the revenues from its oil resources, the possibilities for development are endless, but would be difficult to achieve in a society where peace and harmony are absent.

No victor in racist politics being practised by APNU/AFC

Dear Editor, In April 2019, the former Minister of Public Security met with residents and was adamant that the high rate of murder is as a result of “interpersonal rate of violence, alcohol abuse, dysfunctional families” and to reduce or eradicate this we must read “the classics, the Quran, the Bible and the Mahabharat”. I agreed with him to some extent then since it is impossible for the police to anticipate and prevent murders and interpersonal violence which can be a spur of the moment act, sometimes induced by drugs and alcohol. However, he failed to mention that by providing employment and adequate wages and salaries, many of our social ills can be reduced. For instance, stealing and domestic violence due to a lack of financial resources.

It must be recalled that when the coalition was in the Opposition, they blamed the then PPP/C Government for every social ill under the sun. Ramjattan’s statement at a meeting on the Upper Corentyne highlighted the two-faced nature of the coalition.

When the coalition was in Government, crimes were not given a political twist and flavour but now they are. Today, the APNU/ AFC is once again in the opposition and the statement by Granger and Harmon under the pretext of mourning the brutal murder of Isaiah and Joel Henry must be condemned. This barbaric and senseless act must be condemned by all but it is a gross disappointment to listen to the barefaced politicking by these two PNC leaders. On one hand, Granger promoted “vigilante” styled justice which he called the creation of “self-defence society”. He made it plain that if residents do not protect themselves then no one will protect them. Has the coalition failed the Security during its just-con-

cluded 5-year term? He added that the violent protest is the correct response to such crimes. Was it the correct response when his coalition was in Government? He then went on a full-blown political speech of the current Government’s ability to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic and to continue to “pressure the Government”. He inadvertently admitted that the aim of such protest is to “pressure the Government”.

On the other hand, Harmon clearly tried to link the murders to the Government calling for a “forensic” investigation by an independent since the investigative arm of the police has been “infiltrated” but yet called on the police to “do their work”. In other words, Harmon is implying that the murders have a political link. This is such a barefaced attempt at distortion aimed at poisoning the minds of the PNC supporters. This kind of speech must be condemned. He also lauded the violent protests as “the correct response”.

He also echoed Granger’s statement, calling for the community to be “vigilant” to keep it safe. Harmon seemed to forget the PNC backed “freedom fighters” which wreaked havoc on this nation. Does he want another such gang? Harmon then said that he will “take this opportunity to take care of the burial expenses” whilst exhorting the residents not to accept any assistance from anyone else, implying the Government. Imagine the PNC saw the murders as an “opportunity”, there is no doubt that the deaths now present an “opportunity” to push its political agenda to destabilise the duly elected Government. Harmon has exposed the true agenda of the PNC. Granger and Harmon’s statements have escalated the level and spread of violent protests in other areas as well which resulted in robberies, threats to life and prop-

erty and extortion of monies. Temporary “toll gates” as were installed a few days ago at Belladrum. which forcefully extracted monies from vehicle owners to pass and now that has spread to the other villages. Sometimes an area with three blockades have three such “toll gates” with vehicle owners paying from $1000 to $2000 per blockade. Instead of condemning such violent protests, these two failed riggers of the 2020 elections have deemed these to be the “correct response”. What a shame! Are we to believe that these people would want to be the next Government? However, the pronouncements of this duo should not surprise us a bit, if we just recall what transpired since March 2nd and the five months which followed. Violent protests like these must be condemned and it is totally abhorrent for political leaders to fan the flames of racial violence just for political mileage.

In conclusion, this is not the first time where the murder of persons of one race or another has occurred but it is sad that just after several devious attempts to rig the elections, the coalition has once again embarked on a racial divisive tactic to cause this nation to bleed once again. What would have been the response of the coalition to these cruel murders if they were still in Government?

Would they have encouraged such protests?

Would they have blamed themselves? Would they have taken responsibility? The GPF must be allowed to do their jobs to bring the perpetrators to justice and our legal institutions must be allowed to function. There will be no victor in this type of racist politics being practiced by the coalition, the collateral damage will be too costly.

Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf

Nothing can justify this level of insane brutality

Dear Editor, The 108 Temples Organisation of Guyana has noted with horror and disbelief the murder of the two young men, Isaiah and Joel Henry, whose bodies were discovered last Sunday in the backlands of Cotton Tree, West Coast Berbice. With the

rest of this nation, we condemn this unspeakable atrocity and call for the police to do everything in their power to find the perpetrators and have them brought to justice. Nothing in our mind can justify this level of insane brutality. We take this opportunity to reach out to the families, rel-

atives and friends of the Henry boys. Our prayers are with you in this dark and terrible moment. May God grant all of you the fortitude to endure your pain.

Sincerely, Swami Aksharananda

An insensitive leader focused on an evil agenda Dear Editor, One wonders if there is an unseen state of devilish paroxysm that has besieged Guyana and created a turmoil that has erupted in a frenzied and murderous era. Is the air polluted with hysterical madness or the minds of Guyanese convoluted with feverish insanity?

Maybe it has to do with a delirious drink that is poisoning the system and contributing to the idiocy or consuming some carnivorous meal that establishes a ferocious euphoria.

Perhaps, the absorption of some perplexing drug enhances this puzzled outburst that translates into this erratic seizure. Whatever it is, society has definitely lost a sense of semblance and cannot rationalise soberly, thus, losing control of their thinking faculties and allowing themselves to indulge in this mental ecstasy that empowers a deranged spasm. This display of explosive physical attacks is gruesome and horrendous and must be chastised. All the guilty parties must be condignly dealt with by the law. This is an intolerable situation and political and racial innuendos certainly do not help. There is certainly no lethargy that is found wanting for the past couple months and Guyana has certainly painted a picture that will influence any Alfred Hitchcock production, filled with perpetual goriness, leaving the imagination occupied with extreme be wilderness.

The sad days of Jones Town extremities once again bear a callous reminder of the unnecessary killings that had unleashed an international upheaval.

All Guyana mourn the loss of all the violent killings that have occupied the conscience of peaceful Guyanese and definitely condemn these atrocious acts. The quick action from the police is commendable and they remain challenged, in the case of the West Coast Berbice teens, Isaiah and Joel.

The families’ loss is all of Guyana’s loss and this brutal trauma is felt by all Guyanese.

All Guyanese send their sympathies and

condolences to the bereaved families and would like them to know that our thoughts and prayers are with them in their troubling times. This is an uncomfortable moment as Guyana is now treading the path of so many various recoveries, strong community relationship being in the forefront. While many in all sincerity mean well and do view this tragedy in abhorrence, others see this as a leeway to score political mileage. How sad and pathetic that some ill-conceived leaders should take advantage of the families’ miseries and turn this into a problematic forum. This narrow-mindedness should not be condoned and should be resisted. It is irresponsible to ferment further torment when the flesh is so injuriously raw.

The Mingo pandemonium in March that escalated in the East Coast mishap was soberly approached by the PPP/C party leaders and protesters were cajoled, begged, requested and pleaded to desist from their public reactions and to go home. The PPP/C party did not orchestrate or organised that display but rather encouraged the supporters to disembark from their mediation and to clear the roads so that they can be no obstruction and no one will be in harm’s way.

The unhappy outcome was the unfortunate death of an eighteen-year-old. His death was not down-played nor was it over-played to fathom racial overtone. It was not a prolonged issue to last for days and usurped commuting. Mingo was again the centre of controversy when residents blocked the road and protesters took to the street in Belladrum. Where were the political inciters to curb this fiasco? In fact, APNU/AFC party leaders encouraged this political turmoil and fuelled its continuous presence.

This is a stark contrast and quite contrary to the PPP/C party leaders handling of the situation. It is quite obvious to the entire Guyana who wants peace and who has an indifferent preference.

In the case of the killings of the West Berbice youths, President Ali was very transparent in condemning this monstrosity when he said, “ I condemn every single act in this country that had criminality in it,” and called on the people to come off the street. On the other hand, Mr Granger, a past President and leader of the PNC, his statement is questionable and is material for the ERC to scrutinise. Mr Granger’s statement is objectively subjective to unruliness and political instability that can incite unrest and lead the country astray. He said, “We call on the Government to protect us and if the Government does not give us full protection, we are going to take any reasonable measure to defend ourselves.” He further went on to say, “ We can’t reverse what has happened but we will do our utmost to avoid a recurrence.” Definitely, here is a perpetrator whose sly intention is focused on an evil agenda and an insensitive leader who is bent on creating mischief and who does not have the interest of the Guyanese people at heart.

Mr Granger is well advised to continue to maintain his indoor preference. His recent public appearances have only instigated aspersions for uneasiness. During his caretaker tenure, he had domiciled behind closed doors when his presence was much needed in the public. Such reckless behaviour should be chastised by all and Guyanese should remain wary and not be deceived or fooled with such irresponsibility. Guyanese cannot afford to lax and fall for any such trap and participate in any unnecessary disturbance that will snatch Guyanese peace and replace it with conflict.

Do not generalise the action of a few to fuel a convenient significance and castigate a stigma.

Respectfully, Jai Lall

guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2020

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

Allegiance to PNC began the downfall Misuse of social media for the wrong purposes of once-great organisation Dear Editor, Upon the passing of the late Sais Narain, inevitably his association with the Maha Sabha of Lamaha Street, Georgetown, came into the fore where he served as President for a lengthy period before handing over to the late Judge Ramraj Jagnandan. I think it would be apposite to note here that this organisation which is still in existence is proba-

bly the first organised body in Guyana which propagated Sanatan Vedic Dharma in a structured manner and many stalwarts of the past were associated with it but one name stands out as a founder member in the 1930s and that is the redoubtable Dr Jung Bahadur Singh, who lobbied intensively during British colonial rule for the right for Hindus to be cremated. Maybe the divine law

of Karma played its hand and it seems that Dr JB Singh was officially the first Hindu to be cremated after this final rite for Hindus was legalised in then British Guiana.

In the minds of many Hindus, the Maha Sabha’s unfortunate allegiance to the PNC under the leadership of Sais Narain began the downfall of this once great organization, creating a split within the Hindu community and

leading to a gradual whittling down of its large membership and estrangement of prominent Hindus. I believe the lesson is that Hindu organisations should stay away from political affiliation and concentrate strictly on the promotion and propagation of our great and eternal Dharma.

Yours sincerely, Chris Persaud

GHRA calls for international forensic expertise

Dear Editor, The Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) shares the horror and revulsion being felt across the society at the murders last Saturday of the teenage boys, Isaiah Henry (16 yrs) and Joel Henry (19 yrs) in West Coast Berbice. The prevailing poisonous political atmosphere has penetrated the society to the point where public trust in an impartial investigation is virtually non-existent.

In view of the circumstances, the GHRA is preparing a formal request to the UN Resident Representative for a visit to Guyana of the UN Special Rapporteur on Extra-Judicial Executions, accompanied by a forensic pathologist.

This call is not intended to cast doubt on the capacity or impartiality of local investigators, so much as a response to the deep distrust accompanying the political polarisation of the society. Both of the main political parties are still operating in elections mode regardless of the cost to the national interest: the APNU

coalition refusing to acknowledge the legitimacy of the elections and the ruling PPP fixated on making them pay for the past five months.

These callous murders are not seen as isolated. Both sides are quick to see them as a continuation of earlier ethnic upheavals – the “fine man” gang murderous massacres on the Indo-Guyanese side and the large number of young Afro-Guyanese males killed in the decade of 2000.

Both sides feel accumulated bitterness towards a system that has accommodated such turmoil.

The harsh dimension of the problem is that the more insecure each group becomes, the less capable they appear to be of appreciating the extent to which they share the same fears and insecurity.

This incapacity does not reflect an unwillingness to recognise the identity of pain and suffering, so much as how to do so as ethnic groups.

Individual Guyanese are not naturally disposed to hate people of other races. Indeed as a small multi-cultural na-

tion, we mix more easily than is the case in most societies.

However, we have failed spectacularly to translate this gift from individuals to group relations. The simplistic insistence of both parties that they are national rather than ethnic bodies is utterly irresponsible. The need is even greater now for them to help people grieve constructively.

At present, there is a vacuum of community leadership, for which responsibility must be shared by both civic and political organisations – the mediators of our interactions beyond the individual level. We can all call for swift apprehension and punishment of the killers. While such calls are inevitable and correct, politically we have nothing else to offer the families and groups most affected by these deaths. We can only put hope in a judicial solution.

But judicial solutions are symbolic and do not purge inaccurate perceptions or address the causes of crime. Nor can we take refuge in platitudes such as “time heals all

Would the cousins want this?

Dear Editor, Of course, people have a right to express their hurt, anger and anguish. That is non-negotiable.

But to do so in the name of protests where peoples’ rights are being trampled upon, roadways

blocked making ingress and egress impossible; robberies; extortion, vehicles damaged and other illegal activities being seized in the name of protest as a people and community mourn is not protesting but using a sad, grievous sit-

uation for outcomes unrelated to this core issue.

That is reprehensible.

Would the cousins want this?

Sincerely, Shamshun Mohamed

wounds” or “forgive and forget”, as the past fifty years have demonstrated. We remember everything, forget nothing, with time embalming grievances rather than pacifying them.

The Guyana Human Rights Association is calling on all religious, social and political leaders to explore how to build a reconciling dynamic into all of our activities. Without this ingredient, it is difficult to see how we can move the society to more respectful and dignified ways of relating to each other. Business as usual, albeit in a softer tone, is no longer sufficient.

The GHRA is confident that the two major parties have the capacity to bring this crisis to an end and will do all in their power to ensure an impartial, transparent investigation into the recent atrocities that occurred in West Coast Berbice.

The GHRA also appeals to those Governments and international organisations which sustained an extraordinary interest in the electoral saga that precipitated this tragic event, to sustain their concern by supporting the call for international forensic expertise to accomplish this goal.

Sincerely, Executive Committee Guyana Human Rights Association

Railway, not highway Dear Editor, As the highway between Linden and Lethem takes centre stage, given the expressed Brazilian re-committal to its completion, it caused me to revisit a letter published in September 2006, in which I recommended that, as a highway did not make much economic sense because the traffic could not justify its capital expenditure, a railway would be more suited not only from the standpoint of its lower costs, but for its being better equipped to handle the main flow between the two countries: cargo.

My letter had followed an article published on September 14, 2006, in which President Jagdeo was quoted as saying, “You can’t spend US$200 million on paving a road that earns you US$500,000 a year”.

Here is some of what I had said then: “Although I don’t usually agree with the application of cost/benefit analyses for public projects, it is difficult to disagree with the President on this one. There are more pressing infrastructural works which would better justify such an outlay of capital and which would touch the lives of many more Guyanese. Some high-priority projects that come to mind are the strengthening of the water conservancies on which the mainstay of Guyana’s economy, agriculture, depends; improving sea

defences or, alternatively, relocating the country’s main population from the ravages of the Ocean as its level rises from melting ice caps (remember New Orleans); and stabilising the cost of energy by substituting local energy sources (hydro, wind, solar, tidal) for imported ones (hydrocarbons). Nevertheless, I do see regional integration, of which a transportation link to Brazil is part, as an essential requirement for the development of Guyana.

“Although I’m not in a position to estimate the cost of building a rail system to Lethem, intuitively I feel it should be significantly lower that a paved road.

The existing all-weather road would offer a sound foundation on which to lay the tracks. Railroad ties or sleepers are produced in Guyana, and metal tracks can be obtained from Brazil’s very competitive steel industry. If the country’s electric transmission system is interconnected to Brazil’s, then it would run parallel to the rail system and provide electric power for the trains. Otherwise, the trains would be diesel operated.

“Besides construction cost savings, other benefits would include lower operational cost, improved security along the route, less environmental degradation; and railways can be privately funded, owned and operated, saving public outlays.”

It’s amazing how very little has

changed over the fourteen years since that letter was published. If I had to upgrade my recommendation, I would substitute electric power from the Amaila Falls project as an option to the integration of the Brazil/Guyana electric power grid. In addition, the rail system would not terminate at Linden, but at the Deep Water Harbour in the Berbice River, allowing connection to a rail sub-system into Suriname across the proposed Corentyne River Bridge.

These two connection points would allow Brazilian suppliers and consumers access to World markets, thus making the project extremely valuable to Brazil. This value could move it out of the realm of a public project funded by Guyanese taxpayers to a private project with Brazilian and Guyanese capital.

As the country rolls out infrastructural development projects, given the opportunity presented by its imminent oil wealth, it must do so in a comprehensive and wellthought-out manner to minimise waste and inefficiency. Such planning would allow more to be accomplished with available funds. And to start this process, the country should build a railway, instead of a highway to Lethem.

Sincerely, Louis Holder

Dear Editor, Not everyone mourns the same way. Some choose to shout and wring their hands whilst others cry as if their very souls are gone, yet there are some who show total control with an inner sort of steely resistance, using the opportunity to strengthen this resistance against the negativities of the world. Similarly, in the use of social media, different persons have different ways of dealing with issues.

The horrific recent killing of the two youths from West Coast Berbice has shown us the entire gamut of emotions humans display and how we choose to portray those. For many on the different apps, but especially the blue app of Facebook, there seems to be a great competition for attention.

Many seem to want to take first place by posting the most or having the most popular post criticising different aspects of the killings. This is their right and no one should stop them because we live in a free world with little to no restrictions on social media. It is also the right of others to peacefully mourn in silence and for them to choose not to post on any matter.

What is callous and totally uncalled for is the need for those who are looking for self-gratification to try to belittle those who choose to mourn silently. I have seen many examples, especially those of some known political operatives trying to gain mileage by tagging persons who have chosen the route of silence and trying to pontificate to them just for likes or a following. Why the need? Are you so insecure in your own ability to effectively address the issue that you sheepishly seek the help of those much more capable but are not man or woman enough to come straight? Do you think by trying to belittle others that it will make persons see you in a better light? Is your voice and reach not enough? Can you not do your part and be satisfied?

Some persons will try to make everything about politics in this unfortunate situation and that is their right. But is it right to politicise everything?

For those who find justification in such actions, kudos to you.

Yesterday we saw hundreds and even thousands of comments on the killing of the Henry boys. Many have pledged to “not take it anymore” or that “enough is enough”, yet how are they addressing the deep underlying issue? Are they going and offer sincere condolence to the family as I have seen some Christian brothers doing yesterday? Are they helping out with the funeral expenses if they can afford it as one political party has offered to do? Or are they helping the police in an active manner to bring the perpetrators to face justice?

You see, talk is cheap and action is much harder. Many will find excuses as to why they cannot offer tangible help.

Others just don’t care enough but want to be “in the trend”.

But how can we really do our part?

First of all, we must hold those in responsible positions, responsible. It is the duty of the law agencies to protect each and every citizen. The Guyana Police Force must be allowed to do their work. If anyone is in a position to assist them, the GPF should not even have to ask for help. Next, the

community leaders, both those elected and selected must play their part in offering guidance and counselling in these trying times. Village leaders, religious leaders and senior regional personnel must get involved. That is why they were given that mandate. Lastly and most importantly, our politicians, both Government and Opposition must be held responsible. All have had a chance to find a solution to heal our nation from this racial division yet all have utterly failed us. How much longer must we continue with such abject failures? How much longer must we the people suffer putting up with leaders who seem to only care about themselves and their own well-being? When are we the people going to hold them truly accountable?

The killing of the Henry boys is the latest example in a long and sorrowful tale, but it will not be the last if we choose to sit back and pontificate from our social media pulpits while looking for likes and a following. It is time we force all our leaders to accept that there is a big problem named racism and commit all stakeholders to begin addressing it forthwith. We have to start. We have missed our opportunity for over 60 years so we are starting well behind schedule but start we must. This divide needs to be bridged. This enmity that silently exists needs to be brought to the open and broken down and destroyed forever. We the people must be the ones to do this. No more hiding in our houses, no more fake friendships, no more getting along well for 4 out of every 5 years. Why not all 5 years in every election cycle? Is that too hard or too much to ask?

To the divisionists and those that chant “is we time now” every 5 years, you have had your time. You did not make use of it wisely. It is that very behaviour that has brought us here. It is that very behaviour which took the lives of the two kids and it is that same behaviour that is causing the robbing and looting of the vehicles that are passing each blockade on the West Coast Berbice road. How much longer must we go on living like this?

Finally, for those who may attempt coming for me because they choose not to accept the reality, take a step back and do some introspection. How have your action/s on this blue app helped over the past 24 hours?

Did it really bring acknowledgement of the enduring issue at hand or did it bring its fair share of more division and negative comments? Think quietly in your corner, it is your right. No political party will fix this issue by themself, no one President has the answer.

No one religion can address it effectively. We all must play a positive role in addressing this problem, our problem, a Guyanese problem, racism.

IF you want to know my personal view of the issue, then take a look at Tuesday’s Kaieteur News to read my letter to the editor. I chose to share it with Guyana and all Guyanese who really matter and not with those on the blue app who are simply looking for likes and a following. Our issue is a national one. We must address it as a nation, as one people, with one common destiny.

Sincerely, Dr Mark France

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2020

Page

Foundation

SUMMER OF LEARNING

◄

Æsop’s Fables

FOR CHILDREN

Multiplying fractions: Reciprocals To multiply fractions, treat the numerators and the denominators as two different multiplication exercises.

Multiply the numerators to find the numerator of the product. Then multiply the denominators to find the denominator of the product.

Example: 5/6 x 2/8 Step 1: Multiply the numerators: 5 x 2 = 10 Step 2: Multiply the denominators: 6 x 8 = 48 Step 3: Write the product: 10/48 You may need to multiply reciprocals. Reciprocals are two fractions that look like upside-down reflections of one another. The numerator of the first is the denominator of the second and the numerator of the second is the denominator of the first.

Example: 2/8 x 8/2 You could go through the steps of multiplying the numerators (2 x 8 = 16) and then multiplying the denominators (8 x 2 = 16). Notice the products are the same.

When multiplying reciprocals, the product of the numerators and the products of the denominators will always be the same.

Exercises: Multiply 1) 3/3 x 1/3

4) 6/8 x 1/2

2) 10/4 x 4/10

5) 4/16 x 5/9

3) 1/3 x 7/12

6) 1/6 x 6/1

The Wish Tree Think about a big issue that you wish could come true.

Supplies

• Coloured index cards or light-coloured construction paper • Pens, pencils, or thin markers • Hole puncher • String or yarn, cut to 12-inch lengths

Let’s get started

Punch a hole in each card or construction paper square and write in big letters the topics you care about, and then a brief sentence about your wish for the world. . Here are some examples: Clean Oceans: I hope that one day there will be no more plastic in the oceans so that sea creatures can have a healthier environment.

No Violence: I want a world where

no child or family has to experience war or violence.

Kindness to Animals: I hope we can live in a world where all animals are treated humanely.

Tie each wish card to a tree in your

yard or the community green space. Or you could string the punched cards on a long piece of yarn or string and hang up a “wish strand” in your home.

Discuss with adults how to do your part. (startwithabook.org)

A

dog and a cock, who were the best of friends, wished very much to see something of the world. So, they decided to leave the farmyard and to set out into the world along the road that led to the woods. The two comrades travelled along in the very best of spirits and without meeting any adventure to speak of.

At nightfall the cock, looking for a place to roost, as was his custom, spied nearby a hollow tree that he thought would do very nicely for a night’s lodging. The dog could creep inside and the cock would fly up on one of the branches. So said, so done, and both slept very comfortably.

With the first glimmer of dawn the cock awoke. For the moment he forgot just where he was. He thought he was still in the farmyard where it had been his duty to arouse the household at daybreak. So standing on tip-toes he flapped his wings and crowed lustily. But instead of awakening the farmer, he awakened a Fox not far off in the wood. The fox immediately had rosy visions of a very delicious breakfast. Hurrying to the tree where the cock was roosting, he said very politely: “A hearty welcome to our woods, honoured sir. I cannot tell you how glad I am to see you here. I am quite sure we shall become the closest of friends.”

“I feel highly flattered, kind sir,” replied the cock slyly. “If you will please go around to the door of my house at the foot of the tree, my porter will let you in.”

The hungry but unsuspecting fox went around the tree as he was told, and in a twinkling the dog had seized him.

WORD SEARCH

NEWS

7

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Berbice teens’ brutal murders

Criminality should not be associated with seeking justice – President Ali

…commits to swift justice

damage to property, robberies and brutality associated with a number of the protest action in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice). He added that those individuals who continue to cause public harm and mischief cannot pretend to be doing so in the name of justice for the teens.

No stone unturned

“The police has also updated me on the progress of

Ali called on all Guyanese to condemn the brutal murders of Joel and Isaiah and to also condemn the brutality and unlawful behaviour of those who have inflicted injury, and robbed and damaged property of innocent Guyanese. He added that this is a time for Guyanese to reflect as a nation and to redouble efforts towards strengthening relations.

The President has assured the families of Isaiah

ing with the father of Isaiah and the mother of Joel. It is unfortunate because of the tragic way that these young men met their death.

On behalf of the people of Guyana and my own behalf and that of my family and Government, I express our condolences to the family, to the parents,” President Ali said.

The President said the murders are particularly heinous and reiterated his

President Irfaan Ali

A

s the country continues to mourn the gruesome deaths of 16-year-old Isaiah Henry and 19-year-old Joel Henry and demand justice, President Dr Irfaan Ali has said that seeking justice should not be associated with criminality.

He was, at the time responding to the reports of protesters destroying property, assaulting and robbing persons who were traversing along the West Coast Berbice Public Road.

The President said that the destruction of property and robbery is the type of behaviour that does an injustice to the case of Joel and Isaiah Henry.

He indicated that the Police Force has briefed him on the severity of attacks,

Protesters blocked the public road, preventing commuters from using the roadway

their investigation and they have assured that they will leave no stone unturned in ensuring justice for Joel and Isaiah is achieved, professionally. They have also assured me that the individuals who have caused harm to members of the public and private property will be identified and processed in accordance with the laws,” the President said.

and Joel that he will work with law enforcement to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to swift justice.

He made the commitment to the families during a telephone call on Monday with Gladston Henry, the father of Isaiah and Gail Johnson, the mother of Joel Henry, to express his condolences.

“This morning, I had the unfortunate task of speak-

Government’s commitment to bring those responsible to justice.

“I assure you that as President, I will work very, very hard to ensure those criminals are brought to justice…. We have to work on ensuring that crimes like these do not reoccur,”

16-year-old Isaiah Henry and 19-year-old Joel Henry

President Ali said.

The President also called on the nation, and Berbicians in particular, to stand in solidarity during this tragic time and to offer their support to the teenagers’ grieving parents, relatives and community.

“I want to ask all Guyanese not to use this moment to divide us or to separate us, but for us to be conscious of the implications that our statements, comments and posts can have, especially on social media… I can tell you the parents of these two young men are sincere; they are humble people, and as they go through this moment of loss, as they grieve in these moments, communities from which these young men came… what we can do as a people, as a country, as Guyanese is to strengthen

our resolve, strengthen our commitment, strengthen our sense of purpose to our communities, to our neighbours, to our friends, to each other in ensuring that our society… our communities do not have to go through these painful moments,” President Ali said.

The President also called on the public to exercise patience and to allow the Guyana Police Force to conduct its investigations.

“I ask that you give them an opportunity to complete their work, to support them as they seek to aggressively bring the perpetrators to justice; that whatever we do in demonstrating our emotions, I appeal to you to do so in a peaceful manner, to do so in a respectful manner, to do so in a lawful manner,” President Ali said. (G2)

8 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Man kills self in attempted murder-suicide

The injured Amrita Singh after the chopping incident

The house that the couple occupied with their two children

he lifeless body of 40-year-old Mahendra Persaud also called “Sunil” of Five Door Sluice, Land of Canaan, East Bank Demerara (EBD), was found in his backyard on Tuesday after he attacked and chopped the mother of his two children.

His body was discovered by his 14-year-old son, who went in search of him after he was not seen since he left home just after midnight.

The victim, 35-year-old Amrita Singh also called “Asha” is presently nursing chop wounds to her hands, back and chest.

She was treated at the

up the walls and so…I tried to ask he what happen and he continue cussing,” Singh stated.

Nevertheless, she and her 14-year-old son retired to bed but at about 00:00h, she felt something sharp placed against her neck. As she opened her eyes, she saw her husband over her holding a cutlass to her neck. He reportedly gave her a few tablets and asked her to drink it but she refused.

The devastated woman told Guyana Times that as he started to pelt chops, she barred with her arm and ordered her son to run. The door, she noted, was well secured by the now dead man but her son

T

Georgetown Public Hospital and sent home.

At her brother’s residence at Mandir Street, Land of Canaan, EBD, the woman recalled that her reputed husband left home on Monday morning in good spirits to visit his relatives in Spring Gardens, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam).

However, upon his return the said afternoon, his mood changed. The woman explained that he started to verbally abuse her.

“When he come home, he bring two Chinese food and he and meh son eat… I didn’t eat though… anyhow, he started to cuss up and start lashing

eventually opened it.

“After the door opened, meh son pulled me and that is how we manage to run out of the house… we left he behind and we run to a neighbour house… I was bleeding so they didn’t hesitate to call a car and it carry me to the hospital,” Singh added.

She nevertheless made sure that her son was safe before leaving the scene. The woman noted that it was after she returned to her brother’s home, she learnt that her reputed husband of ten years had passed.

Further, the woman said that over the ten years that they were together, she was mercilessly beaten.

TURN TO PAGE 15

Where will this end…

A

…for the country?? s your Eyewitness wrote yesterday, there’s no question that the horrific killing of young Isaiah and Joel Henry has shocked the conscience of the nation.

But it doesn’t appear that there’s any appreciation for the quick and conscientious reaction of the Guyana Police Force to bring all their resources to bear on the crime - and to have already secured seven arrests. There was a crime – a ghastly crime – and the Police have acted. Isn’t that what is expected when the law is broken in this or any other country??

So exactly what is the cause of the protests, which we’ve seen spread from West Coast Berbice to the Corentyne Coast? It couldn’t be for Police indifference and sloth, which is what most citizens have experienced when crimes are committed, or have been committed, in our communities. The Police were on the scene hours after the bodies were discovered, and crime scene investigators were expeditiously rushed from Georgetown – so that the evidence wouldn’t deteriorate. One would’ve thought there would have been praise for the Police, and exhortations that they act with the same alacrity whenever crimes are committed.

Some say they’re “protesting for justice” for the two young men whose lives have been so tragically snuffed out.

But the question is, “Has justice been denied in this case?”

Up to this date, seven individuals have been arrested and the Crime Chief has assured one and all that investigations are continuing and “no stone will be left unturned”. Has there been any indication in the three days since the terrible discovery that justice has been delayed or subverted?

The President, the Minister of Home Affairs, and the Commissioner of Police have all weighed in and assured that they will ensure justice is done; but yet we see the protest quickly morphing into civil unrest and widespread lawlessness against all individuals seeking to traverse the Public Road - and Indian-Guyanese in particular. While for others there is the discomfort of being unable to travel uninterruptedly, the latter have been assaulted, robbed, beaten, extorted, molested; had their paddy trucks destroyed, cars damaged, and themselves being subjected to various forms of harassment and humiliation in the form of racial taunts with nary a word of condemnation.

All of these atrocities can be traced to the very public utterances of David Granger and Joseph Harmon, who, rather than calling for the Police to be allowed to do their work, have actually suggested that such work would be tainted since, they claim, “thugs” have been recruited into the GPF in the one month that the PPP has been in office.

And we finally arrive at the real cause of the protests and unrest – partisan politics by the PNC! How cynical can they get?? …for race relations?

In the five months following Mingo’s dastardly attempted elections’ rigging, the PNC have brought out the worst ailment in our body politic - its racial cleavages. The opportunities for every man, woman – and even child – to enter the public sphere via smart phones and the Internet took the dangers to unimaginable heights (or depths). This media allowed the visceral racial fears that are normally kept under cover to explode unmediated into the minds of the citizens and further polarise the nation.

In the aftermath of the PNC’s sick exploitation of the West Berbice murders, over in the Corentyne, a weekold murder of a mixed race young man - which had been categorised by one and all as a fight following an old feud among some youths – suddenly was transformed into a “racial” killing. Even though he’d been riding home with an Indian friend who was severely wounded in the fracas!

So now there’s unrest on the Corentyne for “justice”, even though the incarcerated murderer has confessed to the crime!! …for progress?

Your Eyewitness sees a testing period ahead for our fledgling democracy. The PNC is determined to continue its attempted heist of the reins of Government. The murder of the Henry boys is the occasion, not the cause of the war.

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

NEWS

9

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

ExxonMobil makes 18th oil discovery offshore Guyana …Local Content Panel begin work, policy to be drafted – Govt

E

xxonMobil has made its 18th oil discovery offshore Guyana and the second discovery for the year, bolstering the already 8 billion oil-equivalent barrels estimated to be contained in the Stabroek Block.

The announcement was made by Natural Resource Minister Vickram Bharrat, who released a statement on Tuesday revealing that the find was made at the Redtail-1 exploration well. According to him, exploration efforts from ExxonMobil continue to turn up high-quality reservoirs in close proximity to their previous discoveries.

“The Government of Guyana welcomes the Redtail discovery and remains committed to the development of Guyana’s oil and gas resources… the ExxonMobil exploration programme continues to identify high-quality reservoirs in close proximity to previous discoveries. This will play an integral part in our longterm growth plans which will bring significant value to Guyana’s development,” he said in the statement.

“This discovery comes in wake of our country’s Budget for the year 2020

The Noble Don Taylor had been drilling at the Redtail-1 well

and complements the number of progressive measures announced by Dr Irfaan Ali, President of Guyana and Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo. I assure you that the Government will do everything possible to ensure benefits from this and other sectors enhance the lives of all our people,” he added.

According to Bharrat, the discovery complements the Lisa-1 well, which he pointed out has already netted Guyana US$150 million ($31.3 billion) from three oil lifts and two royalty payments.

The Liza 2 well is expected to start production in early 2022 from the Liza Unity Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel with a capacity to produce up to 220,000 barrels of oil per day, the Minister said.

“Additionally, upon successful conclusion of the negotiations and approval, Payara will follow Liza 1 & 2 with Prosperity FPSO, also producing 220,000 barrels of oil. The Government of Guyana is committed to ensuring Guyanese benefit from this sector.”

TURN TO PAGE 16

10 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Oil payments

Transparent system must be set up before accessing NRF – President Ali …negotiations ongoing with ExxonMobil on Payara – Jagdeo

W

hile Guyana has needs, a transparent framework must be set up, inclusive of establishing a Petroleum Commission, so that the Government can access the billions of Guyana dollars sitting in the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) in the United States (US) Federal Reserve bank.

This was according to President Dr Irfaan Ali, speaking at a press conference on Monday. When asked

President Irfaan Ali

if the Government will seek to access the funds when Parliament meets, he made it clear that the issue of transparency and accountability is of paramount importance when dealing with the Natural Resource Fund.

“Of course, the country has needs. The country is going through its own crisis with the COVID pandemic. We have a transformational set of investments that need to be made now, to create opportunities

for the future, that would require us reaching into as much resources as we can,” Ali said.

“But importantly, is also the issue of transparency and accountability. Ensuring that the systems and institutions are in place before we utilise any resources. So that our country and our people can understand and it is done in an open and transparent way and there’s no secrecy behind the use of any resources. So those are the things we’re put-

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

ting in place now.”

Ali cited the recently established local content panel, which contains eminent experts in the field of oil and gas, local content and labour relations. He also noted the need for establishing the Petroleum Commission, which languished on the order paper of the 11th Parliament for some time.

“We’re building up the mechanisms, the institutions,

Exxon.

That being said, Jagdeo acknowledged that the Government and Exxon do not see eye to eye on various aspects of the Payara license and as such, this must be ironed out. Prominent in their disagreement are the prevailing environmental issues.

“Let me just say we don’t favour flaring. We’re opposed to flaring. Secondly, we believe that any water discharge, whether reinjected or discharged, must be treated to international standards,” Jagdeo told the media.

“We see this as a continuum, Exxon is not going to disappear tomorrow. The Payara license is not the only opportunity we have to get what the President said we wanted and what the PPP campaigned on, which is an industry which benefits the investor and significantly benefits the people, through jobs, business opportunities and so on.”

US Federal Reserve

building up the framework, the rules. We have to get the (Petroleum Commission) in place. We’ve just put in place the advisory body on local content. We have to have an advisory body in terms of the review in various areas. These are all things that must be put in place and setting up the institutions,” he added.

So far, Guyana has received three cargo lift payments and two royalty payments, all deposited in the NRF. This means approximately US$150 million has been deposited in the Fund, plus interest.

However, this money has remained untouched, as the protracted political crisis that followed elections sabotaged any attempt to set up a system for withdrawing funds. The Natural Resource Fund Act stipulates that various committees must be established to provide oversight for the Fund. It is expected that this legislation will be reviewed by the current Government.

Payara

When it comes to approval for the Payara project, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, who accompanied Ali at the press conference, noted that the Government does not wish to telegraph its position during the negotiations with

Jagdeo also reminded that the negotiations with Exxon are not one-off but rather, an ongoing process. He noted that there will be several opportunities over the course of negotiations to press Guyana’s case.

“There are numerous opportunities in this continuum.

This is not a one event activity, where Payara will determine all our opportunities.

There will be one when we come to talk about local content, when we talk about gas and development of our gas fields,” Jagdeo explained.

Exxon has for some time been engaged in flaring excess gas in the Stabroek Block, an exercise that caused environmentalists to be up in arms since this is generally viewed as harmful to the environment.

The issue of flaring, as well as the dumping of processed water back into the ocean, are some of the environmental issues that have held up discussions on granting approval for the Payara project.

The Payara development plan includes a Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, named Prosperity. It is expected to produce 220,000 barrels per day, supporting up to 45 wells, including production, water injection and gas injection wells. (G3)

NEWS

11

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Hundreds turn out to protest brutal murder of teens Three of those persons are a 57-year-old man

Protesters kneeling

Vanessa Nurse

“N

o Justice, No Peace”, were the cries of hundreds of Guyanese who turned up at the Square of the Revolution on Tuesday in solidarity with the family of 16-year-old Isaiah Henry and 19-year-old Joel Henry, who were brutally murdered on Sunday at a coconut farm at Cotton Tree, West Coast Berbice (WBD).

Persons were seen car-

way. I am very much happy that the people of Guyana are willing to lend their support, even If it was to come and to stand up and to lend their support,” Organiser of the event, Eden Corbin explained.

At the peaceful gathering, persons were seen kneeling as mothers cried and rolled on the floor as they poured out their condolences to the family of the boys.

Protesters holding their placards

rying signs emblazoned with the lad’s identities, while other signs read “Their Lives Were Worth More Than Coconuts”.

They were standing in lines in front of the 1763 Monument, thus forming a chain around the recently painted “Black Lives Matter” sign.

Although the COVID-19 guidelines are still in effect, several groups along with NGOs were determined to draw national attention to the shocking and tragic deaths of the teens.

“It is clear that Guyana, with the response, that all of these persons are aware, that we are sensitised. For us to brave a pandemic to be able to stand in solidarity with two black men who have met an untimely death in this gruesome, inhumane, and degrading

The ghastly murder of the teen boys has prompted massive protests across Berbice.

A mother of four, Vanessa Nurse, who was at the protest, said: “I am here because I am a mother of four, I have two boys and this could have been my sons….”

Present at the protest were also several Members of Parliament of the APNU/AFC Opposition including former Education Minister, Nicolette Henry who is a distant relative of the two dead teens.

The badly mutilated bodies of the two young men were discovered almost one day after they went missing. The Guyana Police Force has announced that seven persons are now in custody as they continue their investigations.

upon whose estate there was what appeared to be

bloodstains, a handyman who worked with the es-

tate owner, and the estate owner’s son.

12

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2

2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

13

14 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Leaders who politicise Berbice tragedy “equally New NCN, Chronicle poisonous, disgraceful” – ANUG Chairman Boards appointed

P

olitical leaders who seek to politicise the recent gruesome murders of the two Berbice teens are “disgraceful” and should be rejected as they are ultimately attempting to further divide the country.

This is according to Chairman of A New and United Guyana (ANUG), Timothy Jonas, who, during a recent interview on Globespan, slammed certain politicians for using the incident to rely on “their own race-based politics to try to play tit for tat.”

“Anybody who tries to politicise this and say APNU or PPP (was responsible), those people are equally poisonous…because when you are in the backdam and you catch two youngsters…you are not concerned about who is President and who is not President, you are acting on race, you are not acting on politics.

“So don’t let’s politicise this, let us catch the people who did it, let us fix our society and let us reject the politicians who try to politicise this and divide us further,” Jonas asserted.

According to the ANUG Chairman, who is also a lawyer by profession, the police should have been able to have the confidence of the public so that they could have ventured into the villages and get crucial information that would have allowed them to

ANUG Chairman Timothy Jonas

solve the crimes and bring the perpetrators to justice.

“When somebody goes into the backdam, as these youngsters did, and this result happens, there is one thing left for us to do; we have to try as quickly as professionally and as effectively as possible to catch the murderers and to bring them to justice,” Jonas posited.

He argued: “what happened at Cotton Tree are hate crimes, they are racebased crimes” and the efforts by the politicians to politicise it is not in the best interest of the nation.

In what was seen as a clear attempt to gain political mileage from the tragedy, top coalition leaders, including David Granger and Joseph Harmon, on Monday, sought to cast blame on the PPP/C Government for the incident, saying that it was politically motivated.

The badly-mutilated bodies of 16-year-old Isaiah Henry and 19-year-old Joel Henry of West Coast Berbice (WCB) were discovered almost one day after they went missing. They reportedly left on Friday to pick coconuts in the backdam.

Their disappearance prompted family members to launch several search parties to look for them. After hours of searching, the badly-chopped bodies were discovered among the bushes and were partially covered in mud.

The murders have sparked outrage in the community, resulting in fiery protests, some of which have become violent, with some passersby claiming that they were robbed and beaten.

Several roads have also been blocked over the past two days, preventing commuters from getting to their destina-

tions freely.

In an address to the nation on Monday, President Irfaan Ali made a passionate appeal to the residents to express their emotions in a manner that is lawful and respectful and allow the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to carry out its duties uninterrupted.

“Whatever you do in demonstrating your emotions, I speak to you to do so in a peaceful manner, in a respectful manner...I understand the hurt,” the President urged.

The President also cautioned all Guyanese to be very careful regarding their statements and comments on social media so as to avoid the situation deteriorating.

Dr Ali expressed that it is quite unfortunate, the manner in which the two Berbice teens met their deaths and pledged that as President he will work very hard to ensure that justice is served.

He related that he spoke with the parents of the victims and assured them that his Government is committed to bringing the perpetrators of the heinous crime to justice.

Five persons have since been taken into custody including a 57-year-old man upon whose estate there were what appeared to be bloodstains, a handyman who worked with the estate owner, and his son.

Chair of the NCN Board, Raymon Cummings

Chairman of the Guyana Chronicle Board, Yog Mahadeo

abinet has approved the appointment of new members to the National Communications Network (NCN) and the Guyana Chronicle Boards.

Former General Manager of Freedom Radio, Raymon Cummings has been appointed to Chair the NCN Board. Other members of the Board include Shaleeza Shaw, Tracy Shamshadeen, Peter Ramsaroop, Phyllis Jackson, Michael Gordon, Vanelda Harris and Shaz Ali. The Chief Executive Officer will serve as an ex-officio member. Michella Abraham-Ali is currently serving as the entity’s acting CEO.

Meanwhile, former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT), Yog Mahadeo was appointed as Chairman of the Guyana Chronicle Board. Joining Mahadeo on the Board are members: Harry Gill, Jason Abdulla, Raul Aaron, Indira Badal, Nicole Williams and Vanessa Narine.

The General Manager will serve as an ex-officio member.

Moshamie Ramotar is currently acting as General Manager.

Both Boards will serve for a period of one year with effect from September 3, 2020, to September 2, 2021.

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Ramsammy’s Ruminations PNCR Region 2 Chair charged for

New PPP Govt rejects attacking businessman on social media previous Granger-led Govt’s policy of neglect in COVID-19 fight as a bribe to support the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) in case of a riot in the region. In the post, he had also called out Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo for sending unmarked vehicles in

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etween March 5 and August 2, a period of 150 days, Guyana, under the APNU+AFC, conducted 4,705 COVID-19 tests, an average of 31 per day.

Most of those 4,705 tests were done in June and July.

For the period March, April and May, Guyana’s testing rate was absolutely atrocious. The March 5 date is when a lady was suspected to be infected with the COVID-19 virus.

Between August 3 and September 6, a period of 34 days, the new PPP Government conducted 5,057 tests at an average of Dr Leslie Ramsammy 150 per day, five times more than what were conducted by the previous Government. Around the world, testing is one of the most important public health strategies in the fight against COVID-19. At the beginning of August, Guyana ranked among the bottom countries for COVID-19 testing. The new Government is transforming the way we fight COVID-19. The lack of testing before August allowed undetected COVID-19 cases to circulate in the population, spreading the deadly seed among people in every community. Today, we have a crisis because of the David Granger Government’s policy of neglect.

Last week, the former President of Guyana, David Granger, who said very little about COVID-19 from its first appearance in Guyana to the time he exited the Office of the President (almost six months), suddenly had a lot to say about Guyana’s surge in COVID-19 cases. Essentially, he claimed the new PPP Government abandoned the strategy of containment implemented by his APNU+AFC Government.

The testing policy and the overall strategy to fight COVID-19 before August 1st was never a policy of containment; it was a policy of little to no testing, a policy of neglect. The rationale was that if there is no testing, Guyana does not have to admit we failed to stop COVID-19. That policy of neglect has led to the widespread transmission of COVID-19 across Guyana, and to a surge in deaths.

Guyana has been fighting back since the beginning of August, and while the news sometimes seems bleak, Guyana will win this fight.

As at September 6, 2020, Guyana had recorded a total of 1,560 COVID-19 cases. Guyana also recorded, as at that date, 47 deaths.

Brazil has recorded more than 4 million cases and 126,000 deaths; Venezuela has recorded 52,000 cases and 420 deaths; Suriname 4,320 cases and 77 deaths so far. In all the countries surrounding Guyana, the COVID-19 surge is still on the upward trend. It is therefore not shocking that Guyana also is on the upward surge.

In fact, the new PPP Government has abandoned the policy of neglect of the previous Granger-led Government.

One of the reasons for the surge in new documented cases of COVID-19 is that the new PPP Government has totally rejected the previous Granger-led APNU+AFC Government’s timid testing policy. The Granger Government, with COVID-19 cases exploding around the world, made no preparation for fighting COVID-19 in Guyana. One of the most egregious examples of non-preparedness is that by the time the first case of COVID-19 was noticed in Guyana, the country had not prepared itself to test for COVID-19. PAHO/ WHO and CARPHA had to hurriedly get the first suspected case in Guyana tested. That person died, and her status was confirmed by testing done post-mortem. On the day the WHO had accumulated enough evidence to deem the spread of COVID-19 a pandemic, Guyana had still not established a regime for COVID-19 testing.

This monumental negligence on the part of the Granger-led APNU+AFC Government has resulted in the present crisis Guyana faces. Between January 1 and July 31, a period of seven months during which COVID-19 went from cases in just a few countries to being declared a public health emergency in February, and then a pandemic on March 11 – Guyana had conducted a paltry 4,705 COVID-19 tests. Of that amount, there were 413 positive COVID-19 cases and 20 deaths. We now know that there were other deaths in that period, but the results of their COVID-19 tests were only confirmed in August, and therefore were reported only in August.

From August 1 to now, a period of about 5 weeks, Guyana has conducted another 5,057 tests and recorded another 1,147 COVID-19 cases. In less than five weeks, the new PPP Government has conducted more tests than the previous Granger APNU+AFC Government did in more than six months.

But there is another truth. While some of the deaths documented in August occurred in July and before, there might also have been deaths before August that have never been documented. The previous Government thought one way to demonstrate success is not to know, by not testing. The new Government wants to know, and want the people to know. It is the only way we could win the COVID-19 fight. But during all this time, when people were not earning and were in dire economic circumstances, the previous Government did not step in to support families. The new PPP Government is finding ways to help people; example, every household will receive a stimulus payment of $25,000. It is a Government that cares. We will win the COVID-19 fight.

PNCR Region Two Chairman Prince Holder

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ore than four months after making derogatory comments on social media against an Essequibo businessman, the People’s National Congress Reform Chairman of Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Prince Holder was charged on Tuesday for the offence.

Prince made his virtual appearance at the Anna Regina Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Dylon Bess where he pleaded not guilty to the charge which states that on June 7, 2020, at Henrietta, over the internet, he used a computer system to publish transcripts of electronic data, with the intent to humiliate and cause emotional distress to Tamesh Jagmohan.

He was represented by Attorney-at-Law Haimraj Rajkumar, who made a successful bail application. As such, Prince was released on $10,000 bail and will return to court on September 16, 2020, for the commencement of trial.

Prince had accused the businessman of sharing hampers to residents in Essequibo

Man kills self in...

FROM PAGE 8

One of the most recent, she stated, was a few days ago. “He come home and start to beat me up… he pick up the gas bottle and throw it to the walls and wanted to burn down the house… I left the house and went by meh brother with meh two children.”

Persaud then went to her brother’s house and begged her to return home but she refused.

At first, he wanted her to leave the children at her brother’s place but after three days, she returned with her son.

“Now that you think about it, like he de had intention all along because why would he tell me to leave the children at my brother house and go back home?” the woman added.

Meanwhile, when Guyana Times visited the scene, residents confirmed that Persaud would always take advantage of the woman.

One neighbour explained that she was awakened by the screams of the woman and her son and immediately thought something was amiss. Soon after, she noted that Singh and her son were seen fleeing the house. She could not recall seeing Persaud.

Persaud’s body was taken to Lyken’s Funeral Home awaiting a post-mortem as Police continue their investigations.

the region to intimidate residents.

“These behaviour will not be tolerated, I am making it very clear to Jagdeo and the PPP, I am ready for any kind of confrontation with the

PPP….I am not afraid to die for my country Guyana and the APNU/AFC, so for the PPP who came to Region 2 with your plans, do me a favor, bring it on,” the post had stated.

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Increased COVID-19 deaths linked to comorbidity, not resources – DMPS

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he death toll from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) here in Guyana is highly linked to comorbidity in patients, which is derived from pre-existing medical conditions.

This was the position shared by Director of Medical and Professional Services (DMPS) at the Georgetown Public Hospital, Dr Fawcett Jeffrey, on Tuesday.

The health official explained that a closer look at the recent deaths showed that there were no shortages of medical equipment or protective gears for staffers in the designated Intensive Care Unit (ICU). As the virus progresses, more information has been surfacing about its nature, which has established a link between comorbidity and the death rate.

“When you have COVID-19 and comorbidities, then this can lead to your demise. I don’t think there is a limitation of resources for my doctors who are working in the COVID-19 ICU that has actually caused

some underlying condition.

“So far, in the reviews of the patients that we have had, there is nothing specific that we can say was a deficiency, that led to the demise of the patient. Even though internationally it was said that the elderly are the more affected age group, in Guyana we had quite a younger age group of persons that tended to succumb but all of them had some comorbid condition.”

Director of Medical and Professional Services, Dr Fawcett Jeffrey

the demise of the patients.

It’s just the natural history of COVID-19 patients that are severely ill and have comorbidities that has caused the number of death,” Dr Jeffrey informed.

A team has been established to review deaths from the virus to produce answers, as well as to improve treatment for new patients.

It was found that very young patient that would have succumbed from the virus had

Contamination

While addressing concerns of cross-contamination, Dr Jeffrey said every effort has been taken to separate patients who are in the transition process. Since the hospital is unaware of the status of the patient at this time, any contamination is accidental. After testing, those that return with positive results are immediately isolated.

The Director outlined, “Most of these patients in the transition unit, we do not know their status so we have to take precautions to

avoid communication until we know their status. When we know their status, we immediately move them to a place that is safer. In a transition area in any institution around the world, there is always a risk.”

Nevertheless, he said it is also difficult when patients choose not to comply.

For this, staff members have been asked to maintain all protocols.

“At no point has there been a deliberate attempt by anyone to facilitate cross-contamination. The institution has protocols that our staff follow to mitigate that problem…It’s all about staff being careful, making sure they keep their distance.

The senior official expressed that they will be able to move patients at a faster rate, with the backlog reducing to under 100. The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) assisted Guyana with testing of a few hundred cases.

Impact

In efforts to curtail the

The Georgetown Public Hospital

spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and treat patients, other specialised services at the Georgetown Public Hospital have been affected. The entire East-West wing is now occupied to treat coronavirus patients, and resources from the other departments were transferred to aid this fight.

“It caused us to stop admitting regular patients. We had separate areas of the hospital…We lost a lot of beds; I think it's about 112 beds. All of those were moved from the [department of surgery] and

internal medicine so that we could accommodate patients with COVID-19 – suspected or positive. So that is the real impact of COVID-19 had on the institution that would have affected general surgery, internal medicine and all of the other specialties. Our numbers have come down so much surgically,” the DMPS positioned.

In 2019, GPHC would have facilitated 7619 surgeries but this number has dwindled significantly to just 1344 for the year thus far.

(G12)

GGDMA condemns brutal slaying of Berbice teens

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he Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) said it is appalled by the brutal and senseless murders of 19-year-old Joel Henry and his 16-year-old cousin, Isaiah Henry.

The boys, both of Number Three Village, West Coast Berbice, left their homes last Friday to pick coconuts in the backdam, but their badly mutilated bodies were discovered on Sunday by a search party after they did not return home.

The GGDMA condemned the “barbaric act” and added that such actions have absolutely no place in today’s society.

“We also join with all

right-thinking Guyanese in urging the Guyana Police Force to spare no effort in bringing the killer(s) to justice. The Guyana Police Force must be supported in their effort to investigate free from political interference. Thus, we call on all political actors to desist from milking political mileage from this national tragedy and urge our leaders to work together and start urgent discussions about measures that can bring about national dialogue and healing,” the GGDMA said.

It added that while every Guyanese is affected by this crime, the calls for justice must not be soiled by elements who are intent on

opportunistic crime and violence against citizens.

The badly-mutilated bodies of Isiah and Joel were discovered one day after they went missing. Following the discovery and the gruesome manner in which the boys were murdered, residents in several villages in Berbice took to the streets. Over the past two days, they blocked the roadways and burnt debris all while calling for justice.

Protest actions are still ongoing and have spread to a number of other villages along the West Berbice corridor. Members of the Joint Services had travelled to the areas as they attempted to restore order.

ExxonMobil makes 18th...

The Minister said that the Government’s commitment can be seen in the appointment of a local content panel, which he revealed has already started its work.

Moreover, a policy document will be drafted to replace the much-criticised one drafted by the previous A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government.

“The panel has already commenced work in this regard and will soon be holding consultations and workshops with the relevant stakeholders with the intention to draft a policy document and eventual local content legislative framework,” he explained.

“These significant discoveries in the new and emerging oil and gas sector will provide the impetus to the Government’s effort to re-vitalise and re-capitalise the traditional productive sectors so that Guyanese can

enjoy progress and contribute to wealth generation under the People’s Progressive Party Administration.”

Last year, Exxon made five discoveries offshore Guyana. Discoveries were made in the Tilapia-1 well, Haimara-1, Yellowtail-1, Tripletail-1 and the Mako-1 well. These discoveries had pushed the total estimated recoverable barrels of oil equivalent to over six billion.

The company also discovered oil in the Uaru-1 well back in January 2020. Uaru was ExxonMobil’s 16th oil discovery in the Stabroek Block. The Uaru-1 well was drilled in a new reservoir, encountering approximately 94 feet (29 metres) of high-quality oil-bearing sandstone reservoir and was drilled in 6342 feet (1933 metres) of water.

And in July of 2020, ExxonMobil’s partner in the Stabroek Block, Hess Corporation had revealed

FROM PAGE 9

that two high-quality reservoirs offshore Guyana were found in 2020 around the time the company was appraising the Yellowtail-2 well.

So far, Guyana has received three cargo lift payments and two royalty payments courtesy of the Liza-1 well for which production started last year. This means approximately US$150 million has been deposited in the Natural Resources Fund housed in the United States (US) Federal Reserve.

However, this money has remained untouched, as the protracted political crisis that followed elections sabotaged any attempt to set up a system for withdrawing funds. The Natural Resource Fund Act stipulates that various committees must be established to provide oversight for the fund. It is expected that this legislation will be reviewed by the current Government.

NEWS

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

GPHC conducts lifesaving abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery

During the groundbreaking aneurysm surgery

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he Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) has conducted a groundbreaking abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery – the first of its kind to be done by the surgical team. Previously, the services were only accessible overseas.

The procedure, which lasted over three hours, was spearheaded by Dr Carlos Martin on an 80-year-old female. It was done on August

27 and the patient has been recovering well.

On Tuesday, Chief Executive Officer, George Lewis expressed that their staffers have been part of ongoing training through international collaboration, to advance the delivery of services to the Guyanese populace.

“Prior to the availability of this service, patients presenting this vascular condition would either have to

seek treatment out of Guyana or unfortunately if time did not permit, they might have died. The management of the Georgetown Public Hospital attributes this success to continued commitment to training and dedication of our staff,” the CEO positioned.

Dr Martin would have received additional training in Canada, and returned in July.

One month later, he would successfully conduct the sur-

gery via an endovascular operation.

He shed some light on the procedure, noting that it was a very smooth one. This was credited to the patient, nursing staff and senior officials at the hospital.

“The patient volunteered to have this first big surgery done in Guyana. I really must thank her for the trust that she had in the organisation. I think the key thing to this success was teamwork…

She (the patient) was so forthcoming and willing throughout the process,” the surgeon shared.

An aneurysm is a dilatation of an artery. In this case, the aorta measures approximately two centimetres in diameter but when it enlarges to more than three centimetres, it is considered an aneurysm. In many cases, patients suffering from the condition would usually detect it from an incidental finding.

This was the circumstance surrounding the now treated patient, who stumbled upon it after initially complaining of abdominal pain. The 6.5-centimetre aneurism was then discovered.

“That was the case with our patient. She had a little bit of abdominal pain. We did a CT scan and there it was, the aneurysm. The key to the

Dr Carlos Martin

management of an aneurysm is actually proactive care because if these aneurysms rupture, essentially there is a 90 to 95 per cent chance of mortality,” Dr Martin cautioned.

The graft used in the surgery was acquired from a private source and can be made available for future operations. By inserting the graft,

the aneurysm is excluded from the patient’s circulatory path. The surgeon informed that through the endovascular method, patients can be discharged the same day.

“At this point, we hope to do this in the future. We’re able to this surgery endovascularly. The good thing about endovascular is there is no incision on the abdomen. This patient actually did very well and went home postoperative day four. By the endovascular method, these patients can actually go home the same day…Why is it important that we’re celebrating this achievement is that these patients are doomed to death.

This is a massive leap in the services offered by GPHC, not only on a surgical point of view but all the logistics that go along with undertaking a big procedure like this is available at GPHC, both from human resource and the equipment that is needed,” he related. (G12)

WCD businessman conned into purchasing car

Contractor seemingly abandoned construction of new wing at St Rose’s High – School Board

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ontractor Courtney Benn Contracting Services Limited (CBCSL) has seemingly abandoned the construction of the new wing of the St Rose’s High School at Church Street, Georgetown.

This is according to the school’s Board of Governors which on Tuesday said that its only role in the construction of the school’s new wing was that of consultation, facilitation, monitoring and acting as a safeguard in the interest of the students and staff of the school, the alumni, the convent and the other stakeholders at large.

The Board explained that the CBCSL has been preventing the Education Ministry from facilitating regular stakeholders’ meetings to inform on the progress of the project.

The contract for the reconstruction aspect of the building was awarded through the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board by the Education Ministry to the CBCSL in August 2018, following the demolition of the old building. However, the redesign and approval process for the variation to that contract to facilitate the new piling foundation works took over a year before it was approved for commencement by the Ministry before the CBCSL could have begun work.

The Ministry, after approval was given, tasked the contractor with installing approximately 220 timber piles late in 2019 following the completion of the variation process. The Board was informed by the Ministry that the contractor had requested a mobilisation period to accumulate the number of piles,

The building before it was demolished (file photo)

equipment, and the relevant personnel and that the variation piling works of the said contact were set to commence early in 2020, which did occur.

The Board said that as the variation process of pile installation unfolded, it observed that the CBCSL, in a peculiar move, refused to submit directly to them – upon formal request – or make public either its work plan for the variation piling works.

“Further, the contractor sought to prevent the contracting entity (the Ministry of Education) from holding regular stakeholder consultation update meetings with the Board or any other stakeholders which is vital for a project of this nature, size, and complexity, as it allows for smooth execution of works while keeping all informed of the issues and concerns arising from construction. It must be noted that in the two previous stages of this building redevelopment project, the contracting companies readily agreed to and accepted those two vital safeguards while executing the relevant works. Those entities were PD Contracting Inc, which executed the demo-

lition works aspect and Bynoe, Rowe and Wiltshire which executed the building design aspect of works,” the Board said in the statement.

The Board noted that it was observed that the consultants, hired by the Ministry to overlook the construction process, were not retained rather the Ministry chose to conduct daily monitoring internally.

That move, coupled with the CBCSL’s reluctance to engage, made it difficult for the Board to adequately consult, monitor, facilitate and safeguard the interest of the students and staff of the school, the alumni, the convent and the many other stakeholders at large.

“Since the variation piling works began earlier this year the Board observed that approximately 85-90 per cent of the piling works was completed by the contracting entity in a relatively short space of time; however, recently, it was observed that the contractor had removed all of their construction pile driving and other equipment, the remaining piles and all construction personnel from the site, which is an indication to the Board that the site has

been seemingly abandoned by the contractor.

“With the only direct contact being with that of the Ministry of Education, the Board now awaits their direction since the variation piling works have not been fully completed by the contractor and further no aspect of the main building works has neither been approved nor has begun,” the Board explained.

The Board, while reminding that space is sought since staff and students have been utilising the remaining parts of the school, said it was hopeful that the reconstruction would be executed in a timely, accountable and effective manner to the satisfaction of all concerned, with the aim of maintaining the original contracted time line.

Back in 2018, $16.9 million was awarded to PD Contracting for the demolition of the St Rose’s High School Church Street building.

Back then, Chairman of the Board of Governors Kenrick Thomas had said that all options were explored before the decision was taken to demolish the school’s timber building which faces Church Street. The demolition was expected to pave the way for a modern building to be erected.

Thomas had assured that the replacement structure would incorporate many aspects of the original design and would integrate the design of the Marion and other wings on the property, including retention of the green space courtyard area, a unique feature of the school.

The demolition exercise commenced on July 9, 2018.

Efforts by Guyana Times to contact the CBCSL for a comment on the situation proved futile. (G2)

The Facebook page with the info on the car

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he Police are on the hunt for a con artist after he received a sum of money from a Meten-MeerZorg, West Coast Demerara (WCD) businessman for a car he purportedly had to sell on Tuesday at Mandela Avenue, Georgetown.

Based on reports received, the businessman, Satnarine Deonarine became interested in purchasing the car that was advertised on “What’s for Sale Guyana” Facebook Page and contacted the seller, Timothy Payne.

The businessman told Police that he contacted the seller who wanted $800,000 for the vehicle. The businessman jumped on the deal since he thought the selling price was way beyond reasonable for the Nissan Bluebird.

Upon enquiring the reason for the car being sold so cheaply, Deonarine was informed by Payne that the woman who had imported the car had died and as such, he wanted to clear it before it

was left to rot.

The men made arrangements to meet in front the John Fernandes Wharf on Tuesday morning and Payne collected $300,000 to pay bond fees. Soon after Payne informed Deonarine that he was going to gather some documents, but never returned.

After waiting for some time, the businessman and his wife thought something was amiss and went to make enquiries and discovered that the same man had conned a woman out of $500,000 only last week.

Upon hearing this, Deonarine attempted to contact Payne, but all calls to his phone went unanswered.

The businessman immediately went to the Brickdam Police Station where a report was made.

In light of this, the businessman has put up a $100,000 reward for anyone who knows the whereabouts of Payne.

18 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Berbice double murder

7 arrested as Police hunt 3 more suspects – Crime Chief

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ays after the discovery of the badly-mutilated bodies of two teenage boys at the Cotton Tree backdam in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), the Guyana Police Force has announced that seven persons are now in custody.

Those detained for the murders of 16-year-old Isaiah Henry and 19-yearold Joel Henry include the owner of an estate upon which bloodstains were found, his son, two coconut vendors, and several employees. This is a development of two new arrests.

On Tuesday afternoon, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum informed the media that they were pursuing three more persons in relation to the heinous crime.

Their efforts, however, were stymied by the continued unrest, which has continued in the villages in West Berbice through acts of protests and violence. He has since asked persons to let the GPF lead their probe without any interference.

Members of the Joint Services are collaborating as they investigate the murders and try to restore peace in those communities. Samples are expected to be sent to the forensic laboratory as the investigation continues.

Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum

Moreover, it was announced that a post-mortem examination will be conducted on the bodies of the two young men today.

The tortured bodies of the young lads were discovered one day after they went missing. They left home on Friday evening to pick coconuts in the backdam. Their tortured bodies were found on Sunday.

Intensive investigation

On Monday, ranks from the Major Crimes Unit revisited the crime scene to comb for additional evidence but the murder weapons are yet to be found. Commissioner

of Police, Nigel Hoppie had insisted that an intensive investigation will be conducted, as the Guyana Police Force probes the dreadful incident from a professional standpoint. He went on to say that the suspects are assisting with the investigation.

The disappearance of the young boys prompted family members to launch several search parties. After hours of searching, the badly chopped bodies were discovered among the bushes and were partially covered in mud.

At the scene on Sunday, Isaiah’s father, Gladstone Henry said when he found his son’s body, it had several wounds to the neck and face, and he could not come up with a reason why someone would want his son dead.

Joel Henry’s body was discovered a short distance away in a hole, with his face down. At the time he was carrying a bag on his back.

The bodies were taken to the Fort Wellington Hospital on Sunday.

Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn also came out on Monday to express shock at the events which unfolded, noting that the “countrywide distress, abhorrence and condemnation” were keenly felt.

In this regard, it was positioned that the Force has been tasked with ensuring that justice is served for the grieving families, through a comprehensive investigation.

He added that the Police Force is vigorously pursuing its investigations “and is required to spare no lawful effort to bring the perpetrators to justice. These investigations must be complete and thorough.”

With respect to the protest actions, Benn shared that this will not change what has happened but it will affect safety and security in the community. He

16-year-old Isaiah Henry and 19-year-old Joel Henry

urged those persons to remain calm and let the law

Govt prepared to engage protesters – AG …“cannot fight crime with crime” – Benn tells protesters during Berbice visit

48th COVID-19 death, 53 new cases reported

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nother death from COVID-19 has been recorded in Guyana, to register as the 48th fatality from the virus on Tuesday.

Fifty-three new cases were also recorded for a total of 1613 confirmed cases reported in Guyana.

The death toll increased after 84-year-old Samuel Wilson of Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) succumbed to the virus. Just Monday, a

79-year-old male from Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) died while being treated at the designated facility.

After the last death was recorded, officials of the Ministry commenced their surveillance efforts to contact all persons who may have been exposed to the now deceased man to facilitate contact tracing and rapid assistance.

Meanwhile, there are

16 persons in the designated Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with the number of persons in home isolation decreasing from 488 to 477. Some 47 persons are in institutional isolation – showing a decline of five. There are 74 individuals in institutional quarantine.

From the confirmed cases, 1030 have recovered – an increase of 68.

Statistics from the Health Ministry’s dashboard showed a gender breakdown of 796 males and 817 females have been infected thus far.

Of the new cases, four were detected in Region One (Barima-Waini), two in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), eight in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), 20 in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), one in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne); four in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), 12 in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and two in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

The other regional figures remain the same with nine in Region Five (MahaicaBerbice) and 24 in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni). On Monday, the number of persons tested increased to 10,003.

In the Americas, there are over 14 million cases of the coronavirus with almost 500,000 deaths. Neighbouring Brazil has been hit with 4,137,521 cases with 126,650 deaths – a situation which has spiralled out of control. (G12)

take its course in punishing those culpable.

Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn speaking with protesters on Tuesday

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high-level Government team on Tuesday afternoon visited the communities in Berbice where protests over the gruesome murders of two teenagers have escalated into lawlessness resulting in some persons being beaten and robbed.

The team included Prime Minister Mark Phillips, Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn and Human Services and Social Security Minister, Dr Vindhya Persaud.

In urging residents to conduct themselves lawfully, Benn asserted; “We cannot fight crime with crime.”

He said the Government has an obligation to ensure that the matter regarding the murders is resolved “without fear or favour, but we cannot continue a situation which would have continued law breaking and the piling on of lawlessness on crime”.

Benn appealed to residents to work to ensure that law and order is maintained “so development and peace between the communities could continue to exist”.

“So I am appealing to you all, as adults, as people who know better…that we do the things which will restore peace in the community and a resolution of the problem

Irfaan Ali has been speaking to the families of the victims on a regular basis.

The Attorney General made it clear that the Government is prepared to go speak with the protesters directly in an effort to bring calm to the escalating situation.

“The Government is prepared to go there; we are not going to be a Government who will sit in Georgetown and allow our country to descend. So tomorrow, unless this thing stops, you will have a greater presence of the Government there and we will have to engage the people, personally, I am prepared to do that,” the Attorney General is quoted as saying.

Prime Minister Mark Phillips and Human Services and Social Security Minister, Dr Vindhya Persaud speaking with protesters

which occurred; and that we have an analysis of it so that there is no re-occurrence.”

Meanwhile, Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Mohabir Anil Nandlall has since said that Government is prepared to engage residents of West Coast Berbice to bring a resolution to the riotous activities ongoing in various communities.

The Department of Public Information quoted the Minister as saying President

Nandlall is also calling on persons to desist from unlawful activities. He said that the focus of the law enforcement agencies at this point is clearing the roadways and trying to bring calm to the situation.

“There will come a time where if this kind of behaviour continues then the full force of the law will have to be applied because that is the State’s responsibility,” the AG warned.

19 No evidence Berbice murders were politically-motivated – Crime Chief NEWS

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

…as family of dead teens, commuters beaten, robbed in WCB protest Blanhum said that Police were in receipt of three reports, indicating that persons were robbed. In one instance, two of the suspects were brandishing firearms while the others wore masks. He assured that they are trying to get the situation under control by clearing the roads and ensuring that the unrest stops.

Starting from Cotton Tree, the protest manifested in several neighbouring villages and quickly changed into a dangerous setting, even Injured: Shyam Kandhai

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rime Chief of the Guyana Police Force, Wendell Blanhum has taken a strong position that there is no evidence to suggest that the Cotton Tree, West Coast Berbice, double-murder was politically motivated.

He shared this position on Tuesday while updating the media in a joint statement with Commissioner of Police, Nigel Hoppie and GDF Chief of Staff, Godfrey Bess. This comes as the situation continues to escalate, following the gruesome killing of 16-year-old Isaiah Henry and 19-year-old Joel Henry, both of Number Three Village, West Coast Berbice (WCB).

Protests have continued for over two days, escalating to violence on commuters and preventing access along the carriageway. While some persons were robbed, vehicles were set alight.

Another of the injured persons

for law enforcement officers.

Prime Minister, Retired Brigadier Mark Phillips was on his way to send reassurances to supporters but was

One of the trucks on fire

faced with verbal attacks.

During the engagement, the GDF Chief of Staff urged persons in the community to exercise peace and desist from causing unrest.

Reports on Tuesday indicated that a close family member of the two teenagers was robbed by protesters at neighbouring village, Hopetown.

O r i n Carmichael, who is married to a relative of the Henrys, was robbed and the truck which he was driving set on fire. According to Carmichael, he was accompanied by a colleague who was driving one of the Sherriff’s trucks.

They stopped at a service

Speeding motorcyclist killed after slamming into bridge

A

young man on Tuesday met his demise after the motorcycle he was riding crashed into a bridge in New Amsterdam, Berbice.

The dead man is Keon Bacchus, 22, of Levi Dam, Mount Sinai, commonly referred to as Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam. The accident reportedly occurred at about 1:00h after he borrowed a motorcycle, CK 1142, to take a spin.

Based on reports received, the now dead young man was hanging out with friends when he borrowed a motorcycle, and as he was

Dead: Keon Bacchus

negotiating a turn, he reportedly lost control and slammed into the bridge.

He was reportedly flung into the air and landed on another bridge, thus resulting in him sustaining severe head injuries. He reportedly died on the spot.

His lifeless body was picked up and taken to the New Amsterdam Hospital Mortuary awaiting a post-mortem.

Guyana Times understands that at the time of the accident, Bacchus was not wearing a safety helmet and was driving at a fast rate.

Woman robbed at gunpoint after exiting minibus at Annandale

A

57-year-old woman is left terrified after she was relieved of her valuables by three armed men moments after disembarking a bus on Monday evening.

Based on reports received, the Annandale, ECD resident disembarked the minibus on the southern carriage

of the public road when she was attacked by three men on bicycles, one of whom was armed with a handgun.

The men allegedly held the woman at gunpoint and began making their demands. Fearful for her life, the victim handed over all of her belongings to the men.

She was relieved of Samsung Galaxy S4 cellular phone, a shoulder purse and $10,000 in cash. It is unclear if the woman received any injuries during the ordeal.

The suspects escaped and the matter was subsequently reported. Investigations are ongoing.

station at Hopetown but as they were about to leave, members of the Tactical Service Unit (TSU) arrived in the area and ordered that they do not move the trucks.

“We could not leave. We had to stay right there,” the distraught man recalled.

He said even though the ranks were present, he was ordered out of his truck by a mob and relieved of his valuables which include a gold chain valued $250,000 along with a gold ring and his cellular phone.

After robbing the drivers, the protesters set both trucks afire. Several other persons have reported being attacked and robbed. In the vicinity of Belladrum within the same hours, 34-year-old Arvin Sancharra and his coworkers were also intercepted. The men, who work at a rice mill, were forced out of their vehicle and beaten.

The truck was set alight but it is uncertain if it was completely damaged.

Arvin’s sister, Navita Sancharra, told Guyana Times that the men were thrashed until some of their bones were fractured. They managed to escape and seek

refuge at a nearby house.

Until Tuesday afternoon, the injured workers were still waiting for the situation to quell so that they could access needed medical care. Sancharra, on the other hand, returned to the mill where he worked and was waiting to return home.

The men borrowed a phone to contact their families, since their belongings and devices were seized during the ordeal.

Meanwhile, a 61-yearold mechanic was also on Tuesday attacked by some 30 young men a short distance from his home at Recess, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

Shyam Kandhai left his home to purchase some items at a nearby shop at around 11:00h. On his way home, he was confronted and attacked by the group of young men who were involved in the protests.

The elderly man was beaten with wires and a hammer. Kandhai was eventually rescued by a resident and subsequently taken to the Mahaicony Cottage Hospital where he received treatment.

Speaking with this publication, the man’s daughter, Anesa Kandhai, explained that even though her father is still in severe pain, she would like for him to receive advanced medical care. She is worried that he might have suffered internal head injuries, since he is having severe headaches from the attack. However, the family will be unable to travel to the capital city to access the desired medical attention due to the blockage of the roads. Furthermore, the

Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum

daughter explained that she lives in the city and is now unable to go visit her injured father.

Several other persons whose relatives were robbed and beaten took to social media and shared photos of the state of their loved ones with injuries. Additionally, persons reported that their clothes were ripped off as they passed the area.

On Sunday evening, there were reports that persons who wished to pass through any of the cordons set up by villagers were required to pay a toll of between $1000 and $1500.

Persons at Number Three Village took to the streets demanding justice. Several nearby villages also joined in and within hours, the protest became violent with an ethnic bias.

Meanwhile, the police have indicated that roads through the following villages are blocked at this time.

These include Bellevue, Number 40 Village, Number 28 Village, Number 30 Village and Hopetown.

Joint Services ranks are on the ground, the police added. (G12)

CGX donates $10M towards Guyana’s COVID-19 fight

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony receiving the donation from CGX Energy Inc Executive Chairman, Professor Suresh Narine

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anadian oil company CGX Energy Incorporated donated $10 million to the Guyana Government to aid the massive COVID-19 response.

As part of its ongoing commitment to Guyana, CGX Energy Incorporated

handed over its contribution to the Health Ministry to assist in the purchase of COVID-19 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for frontline workers.

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony thanked the management of CGX for its

financial contributions of towards the COVID-19 fight.

During his brief remarks, he explained that there was a daily rise in COVID-19 cases and deaths, and the health team was making efforts to stabilise the current situation.

20

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2020

guyanatimesgy.com

ARCHIE

ARIES (March 21April 19)

New beginnings are overdue, and having a positive, forward-thinking attitude will make every transition easier. Love and romance are on the rise.

TAURUS Avoid making a hasty decision. You have more options (April 20May 20) than you realize. Take a moment to discover the possibilities. Slow down, and follow the path that leads to peace of mind and long-term happiness.

DILBERT

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

CANCER (June 21July 22)

PEANUTS LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

CALVIN AND HOBBES

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

SUDOKU

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

Someone will play with your emotions if you are gullible or too accommodating. Use your intelligence, and you will recognize what’s best for you.

Romance is encouraged.

Look for the right moment to make a change. Be direct about your plans if you want to avoid interference. Someone from your past will entice you to consider something that isn’t in your best interest.

You’ll capture interest with your charm. Present your ideas to those who are in a position to help you reach your goal. Pick up the pace, stay in shape and pay attention to your health and well-being.

Romance is favored.

A certain insight will lead to an emotional moment that requires honesty and clarity. Embrace the future wholeheartedly and put the past behind you.

You can resolve sensitive issues if you have a positive attitude. Personal improvements will lift your spirits.

Intellectual and emotional connections look promising.

Don’t let a change of plans ruin your day. Take precautions when dealing with risky situations. Make your health and well-being priorities. Grant someone a favour.

Make professional moves or form a partnership.

Ensure that you are financially stable before making an expenditure that may not be necessary. Someone will take advantage of you if you are gullible.

Take time to explain yourself and your actions.

Unfinished business needs to be dealt with openly and honestly. A change at home will give you a new lease on life.

Consider the possibilities.

You’ll face uncertainty regarding personal matters, relationships and domestic issues. Refuse to let an outsider interfere in your business or your decisions.

Protect your position, health and reputation.

An emotional debate will be debilitating. Take a step back and consider the consequences before you say something you regret.

Compassion will be necessary to avoid a dispute.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2020

21

Windies Women’s tour of England…

Campbelle upbeat about tour, Guyanese companions

By Jemima Holmes

A

s the West Indies Women continue their preparation ahead of the 5-match T20 series against the England Women, Guyanese player Shemaine Campbelle engaged the media in discussing her expectations and overall eagerness about the tour.

The wicketkeeper/batter has said she is more than excited to get back out and play, after the coronavirus pandemic put a halt on cricket for several months.

She is part of an 18-member West Indies Squad touring England for the fivematch Vitality T20 Series, which is the first female cricket tour since the resumption of play.

Speaking virtually with media operatives on Tuesday, Campbelle stressed the importance of the tour, and shared that she is eager to get back on the pitch.

“Obviously, for us it’s a

great feeling coming back and playing Women’s international cricket. For all of us, it’s a real big (occasion), and we (are) just looking forward to having some real great cricket here with England,” Campbelle explained.

“Cricket is always something that we love in the Caribbean, so coming back out on the field and play is always a good feeling for us.

So, we’re just going to go out there and just do the things that we’re accustomed doing”.

On the sore topic of the 2020 Women’s World Cup, which took place a few months ago and in which the Windies Women had a subpar showing, Campbelle said it was unfortunate, and noted the team had a few lessons to learn. However, she said, the team is ready to get back to its winning ways.

“It’s very important for us. As a group and as a unit, we would just go out there, play, and enjoy the sport; ‘cause you know we’re

Shemaine Campbelle during Tuesday’s virtual interview

known for playing T20 and enjoying. So, I think it’s for us to go and execute and do the things that we know,” she commented.

“We just gotta go and come back strong. I think now we’re well prepared, mentally and physically, so we’re just waiting for that challenge to come up,” Campbelle further stated.

Campbelle who was the first female cricketer to strike a century batting at number 7, has been a staple in the Caribbean team for about 11 years, and can be considered one of the senior

players. Addressing this fact, Campbelle noted that she is keen on setting an example for the younger ladies in the side.

“You know, as a senior player in the team, I think it’s a great challenge and experience. As for me, in my part, it’s just to go and do what I’m accustomed to doing, so I could lead in front and have the youths follow,” the Guyanese stated.

Reminiscing on her century and how that has shaped her approach to the game, the Guyanese player stated, “Batting at number 7

Quarter-final teams confirmed in CSCA tournament – action set for Sunday

E

ight teams are still in the race, vying for supremacy in the Canadian Softball Cricket Association (CSCA) tenten tournament. They will be in action on Sunday at the Greenbriar ground in Brampton, Toronto.

After the final preliminary round matches concluded last Sunday at the same venue in the 12-team specially-arranged tournament, the drawing was done on Tuesday.

In the quarter-final fixtures, to begin at 10:00am, Adventure will tackle Dynamic X1 Sports Club, while the Fearless Titans will do battle against the Renegades Sports Club.

At 12:00hrs (noon), Softball Cricket Canada will collide with Pegasus, while Berbice Viperz and Leguan Boys are slated for a confrontation.

According to the CSCA, the semi-finals and final will take place on September 13, also at Greenbriar in Brampton.

CSCA President Rishi Mohan has said that since commencement of this softball competition, even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic which has badly hampered outdoor activities throughout the world, prog-

ress in the tournament has so far been pleasing, and the players have churned out competitive matches.

Mohan also expressed satisfaction with the way things are progressing both on and off the field, and is very optimistic that the next two Sundays would also be entertaining and exciting.

“The CSCA Board (is) pleased with how the 10/10 tournament is progressing.

All the teams are playing at a high level of competitiveness, and (are) still able to enjoy themselves, because we saw high- and low-scoring games thus far,” he explained.

Mohan related that the players and officials have been very cooperative with the protocols set up at the facility to combat the virus, and he disclosed that he is very grateful to the umpires who have been ensuring that everyone is following the rules and regulations set up under the Ministry of Health within the CSCA jurisdiction.

Last Sunday, there were some outstanding performances in both facets of the game to finish off things in the preliminary round segment. Dynamic X1, Renegades, Fearless Titans and Softball Cricket

(and) scoring that century, I think it’s always a good feeling for me. I know that I’m capable of batting well and doing good for the team, so it’s a case of believing in myself and going out and play good cricket.”

In regard to the other players in the team, the batter shared that she has witnessed improvements in the batting department, and is looking forward to their performances.

“So far, all the girls have been looking good; and as for us batting, everyone has improved over some time. Just for the couple days we’ve been here, I’ve seen some progress in our batting. I think we need to keep that momentum going,” she said.

Aside from Campbelle, Sheneta Grimmond, Kaysia Schultz and Shabika Gajnabi are the other Guyanese in the team.

Campbelle noted that it is refreshing to have so many of her countrywomen in the side.

“It’s always a good feeling to have some players from your home region to be a part of the team, (because) sometimes, being alone in the squad, you have to gel with the others. But, you know, it’s always a good

feeling to have more of us in the team; so, I think that’s a plus,” Campbelle shared.

The Vitality Tour will bowl off on Monday, September 21st, at the Incora County Ground. The other matches will go down on September 23, 26, 28 and 30 at the same venue.

Full Squad: Stafanie Taylor, Deandra Dottin, Shemaine Campbelle, Afy Fletcher, Hayley Matthews, Shamilia Connell, Britney Cooper, Chedean Nation, Natasha McLean, Chinelle Henry, Aaliyah Alleyne, LeeAnn Kirby, Sheneta Grimmond, Karishma Ramharack, Shabika Gajnabi, Cherry-Ann Fraser, Kaysia Schultz

MATCH SCHEDULE Vitality T20I Series

Monday, September 21: 1st Vitality IT20, England v West Indies Wednesday, September 23: 2nd Vitality IT20, England v West Indies Saturday, September 26: 3rd Vitality IT20, England v West Indies Monday, September 28: 4th Vitality IT20, England v West Indies Wednesday, September 30: 5th Vitality IT20, England v West Indies

CONCACAF Qualifiers rescheduled to March 2021 Leguan Boys

Canada were victorious.

Leguan Boys and Adventure claimed walk-overs in their schedules. Dynamic X1 comprehensively beat Berbice Vipers by a ten-wicket margin, while Renegades defeated Pegasus by five wickets.

In the other two showdowns, Fearless Titans humbled Cambridge Jaguars by 36 runs, and Softball Cricket Canada got the better of Scorpions by nine wickets.

Scores from last weekend’s games are as follows: Berbice Vipers 39-9, made in 8.3 overs. Trevin Yusuf 13; Ramraj Ganesh, Ashif Haniff, Gavin Ganess and Raj Singh each took two wickets. Dynamic X1 scored 40-0 in 6.1 overs, with Shafraz Wahab contributing 20 not out.

Pegasus scored 66-6 in 10 overs. Rishi Samuel took 3-5

in 2 overs. Renegades scored 70-5 in 9.2 overs, with Zaheer Allard contributing 25.

Scorpions scored 33-8 in 10 overs. Nick Sarwan took 3-6 in 2 overs. Softball Cricket Canada scored 37-1 in6 overs, with Khemraj Harinarain making 21 not out.

Fearless Titans made 64 all out in 8.2 overs. Shilendra Singh took 3-3 in 1.2 overs, and Rishi Harricharran took 3-13 in 2 overs.

Cambridge Jaguars scored 28 all out in 10 overs.

Raymond Isahack returned figures of 3-0 in 2 overs; Shazam Baksh returned 2-0 in 1 over, and Rishi Mohan returned 3-12 in 1.5 overs.

Legaun Boyz claimed the walkover from The Entertainers, and Adventure got the same result from KR X1.

The Golden Jaguars were drawn in ‘Group F’

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he first round of the CONCACAF Qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM have been rescheduled to March 2021 instead of the previously scheduled FIFA match window of October and November 2020 respectively.

This decision was on Tuesday made jointly by both CONCACAF and FIFA, and is due to the public health situation relative to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Many parts of the region continue to have very challenging public health situ-

ations, and that has been a key factor in this decision.

Additionally, several countries across the confederation have travel restrictions, and quarantine requirements would make international football involving 30 national teams extremely difficult,” read the joint statement.

The parties have committed to finalising a new schedule, which will be released in due course. Guyana was drawn in “Group F”, along with St. Kitts and Nevis, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Bahamas.

22 Hosein, Pierre and Simmons help Trinbago Knight Riders cruise into CPL final T

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2020

he Trinbago Knight Riders’ spinners blasted a hole in the Jamaica Tallawahs’ top order to set up a cruise to a sub-par total with a full five overs to go, and leave themselves one win away from completing the first perfect season in Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) history.

Knight Riders captain Kieron Pollard had enough faith in his opening bowlers to start with himself at short leg, and Akeal Hosein repaid that faith by bowling Jermaine Blackwood. The Tallawahs sprung a surprise by sending Mujeeb Ur Rahman in at number three, and he just about played out a wicket-maiden.

The Tallawahs were rocked further when Glenn Phillips cut Khary Pierre to Ali Khan. Nkrumah Bonner finally hit the game’s first boundary, easing Hosein through cover, but the Mujeeb experiment failed,

Tion Webster goes down the ground in his unbeaten 44

point.

Pollard immediately went back into short leg, and kept himself there for the returning Sunil Narine, who

Khary Pierre celebrates a wicket with team-mates as he edged a reverse sweep onto his pad and was caught at slip, and the Tallawahs had slumped to 10/3 off three overs.

Five wides from Pierre and a straight four by Bonner more than doubled the Tallawahs’ tally, but while Asif Ali got off the mark with a four over Hosein’s head, he fell next ball, cutting to Pollard at

went for just three to close out a dominant Powerplay for the Knight Riders, after which the Tallawahs were reeling at 28/4.

Bonner continued to resist; he cut Fawad Ahmed powerfully for four, a misfield gave him another off Narine to take him to 30, and he pulled Fawad to take the Tallawahs past 50.

Pierre returned with a tight

over that went for just three, and at the 10 over mark, the Tallawahs were 55/4.

Hosein bowled out with an over of just five, and Fawad ended Bonner’s resistance with a quick googly. That finally brought Andre Russell to the crease, but Narine put an end to his innings before it got going.

Russell was beaten in the flight, the ball looped to DJ Bravo at slip and the umpire adjudged it came off bat and pad.

The Tallawahs had lost their biggest weapon, and were 68/6 in the 14th.

Three more boundary-less overs came and went. Rovman Powell had now faced 32 balls for his 26 runs, Carlos Brathwaite had managed only one off his 10 balls, and something had to give off Pierre’s last over.

Powell hit one Hero Maximum, the first of the innings, but picked out Pollard at deep mid-off as he tried to repeat the shot next ball. Even with that six, he finished under a run a ball, and the Tallawahs were 92/7 off 18.

Brathwaite was lucky not to be run out first ball of the 19th, bowled by DJ Bravo, whose three overs didn’t contain a single boundary. Ali Khan got the

Olympics must go ahead at any cost in 2021 – Japan's Olympic Minister

T

he rearranged Tokyo Games must be held "at any cost" in 2021, says Japan's Olympic Minister Seiko Hashimoto.

The Games had been due to start in July, but were postponed for a year in March amidst the coronavirus pandemic. On Monday, the International Olympic Committee said the event will go ahead "with or without COVID".

"Everyone involved is

working together to prepare, and the athletes are also making considerable efforts towards next year," said Hashimoto on Tuesday. "We have to hold the Games at any cost. I want to concentrate all our efforts on measures

against the coronavirus."

Olympic organisers are looking at over 200 proposals on how best to deal with COVID-19, including easing travel restrictions for athletes, implementing anti-virus measures at the athletes' village, and devising ways on how to cope with spectators.

Tokyo 2020 Chief Executive, Toshiro Muto, has already said the Games will be "simplified", and "not be done with grand splendour".

unusual job of bowling only the 20th over, and while Brathwaite finished the innings with a Hero Maximum, that was only the third boundary in the last 11 overs of the innings.

Lendl Simmons steered, then pulled, Fidel Edwards for consecutive fours to end the first over, but Narine wasn’t able to provide his usual powerful start, as he was bowled by Mujeeb’s arm ball.

Powell followed Pollard’s aggressive lead by putting himself at short leg, but Tion Webster was not intimidated. He slapped Veerasammy Permaul through cover, then sliced him for four, to ruin a tight start to the over. After three overs, the Knight Riders were 23/1.

Webster was confident enough to cut Mujeeb’s googly for four, and with wickets a must, Powell, for the first time in Hero CPL 2020, went to Sandeep Lamichhane in the Powerplay.

Simmons paddled him for four first ball, and then pulled Mujeeb to the fence, and the Knight Riders closed the Powerplay at 42/1. The required run rate was already under five an over.

Simmons marred a good over from Lamichhane with a slog-swept Hero Maximum, bringing up the Knight Riders’ 50. Simmons and Webster were able to work Lamichhane around as no-one had all tournament, and though Permaul’s second went for just two and his third was a maiden, at halfway, the Knight Riders were comfortable at 61/1, needing just 47 more to win.

Russell was called on to bowl, but Simmons pulled him for a Hero Maximum,

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Lendl Simmons led the charge with a brilliant 54

and when Russell bowled a second short ball, which was called a no-ball, Simmons helicoptered the free hit for four.

Permaul bowled out with another economical over, but Simmons again pulled Russell for six, to take 10 off the 13th over. The Knight Riders were now 90/1, and needed just 18 more.

Webster guided Lamichhane through cover for four to end the Nepali’s only wicketless spell of an excellent tournament, and Simmons became the leading 50-maker in the tournament’s history, overtaking Chris Gayle with a cover drive for four off Brathwaite, and Webster finished the job that same over.

Simmons needs just three more runs in Thursday’s final to overtake Gayle as Hero CPL’s all-time leading scorer. Much more importantly though, the Knight Riders have a chance to do what last year’s Guyana Amazon Warriors could not, and in doing so win a fourth Hero CPL title. (CPLT20)

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

NOW!

SCOREBOARD JAMAICA TALLAWAHS INNINGS (20 OVERS MAXIMUM) J Blackwood b Hosein 0 GD Phillips †c Ali Khan b Pierre 2 Mujeeb Ur Rahman c DJ Bravo b Hosein 0 NE Bonner b Fawad Ahmed 41 Asif Ali c Pollard b Hosein 4 R Powell (c) c Pollard b Pierre 33 AD Russell c DJ Bravo b Narine 2 CR Brathwaite not out 13 V Permaul not out 3 Extras (w 9) 9 TOTAL (20 Ov, RR: 5.35) 107/7 Did not bat: S Lamichhane, FH Edwards Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Jermaine Blackwood, 0.4 ov), 2-2 (Glenn Phillips, 1.2 ov), 3-10 (Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 2.4 ov), 4-25 (Asif Ali, 4.2 ov), 5-63 (Nkrumah Bonner, 11.4 ov), 6-68 (Andre Russell, 13.3 ov), 7-92 (Rovman Powell, 17.6 ov) BOWLING AJ Hosein K Pierre SP Narine Fawad Ahmed DJ Bravo Ali Khan

4-1-14-3 4-0-29-2 4-1-13-1 4-0-29-1 3-0-12-0 1-0-10-0

TRINBAGO KNIGHT RIDERS INNINGS (TARGET: 108 RUNS FROM 20 OVERS) LMP Simmons not out 54 SP Narine b Mujeeb Ur Rahman 4 T Webster not out 44 Extras (lb 1, nb 1, w 7) 9 TOTAL (15 Ov, RR: 7.4) 111/1 Did not bat: TL Seifert †, DM Bravo, KA Pollard (c), DJ Bravo, AJ Hosein, K Pierre, Fawad Ahmed, Ali Khan Fall of wickets: 1-14 (Sunil Narine, 1.4 ov) BOWLING FH Edwards Mujeeb Ur Rahman V Permaul S Lamichhane AD Russell CR Brathwaite

1-0-10-0 3-0-18-1 4-1-14-0 4-0-29-0 2-0-25-0 1-0-14-0

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2020

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

23

Zouks bulldoze Warriors on course to 1st CPL final livery alone, striking a pose, if you will. Swinging in, the y now it has probably delivery deceived Hetmyer, become a household hitting the stumps to weltale of the Guyana come his exit.

Amazon Warriors’ misforNicholas Pooran survived tunes at the final of the the hat trick ball and the reHero Caribbean mainder of the Premier League. over, to allow But, alas, on the Warriors to Tuesday evening, breathe a sigh the St. Lucia of relief.

Zouks pushed A maidit one step furen over from ther when they Mohammad subjected the Nabi followed, Warriors to the building up the ultimate heartpressure on break just one the Warriors’ step before the batsmen. With big game.

Kuggeleijn takTo tell the ing the third, truth, going into Pooran was fithe second seminally able to final of the touropen his arms nament and the and play his day, neither natural game, team could be hitting the considered betbowler for ter than the othback-to-back er. Although in boundaries. previous years The partthe Guyana frannership bechise held the tween Pooran upper hand over and Hemraj, their St Lucia though in its incounterparts, fancy, seemed 2020 has been to be the one the year when that would get the Zouks turned the Warriors the proverbithrough the Hemraj was the only batsman to stand al tables on the difficult overs up to the Zouks’ bowling Warriors, as they before they could had a much better last game, and immediately score a little more freely. outing than had obtained made an impact that would But the partnership lasted in years gone by. In the pre- cost the Warriors the win. all but 14 runs, when, at 14liminaries, the Zouks and After two dot balls in the 2, Pooran mistimed a shot Warriors had each won one first over, Kuggeleijn’s third to long on, which could not encounter when they faced delivery to Brandon King clear the boundary. Covering each other, and both teams may or may not have picked ground well, Mark Deyal befinished on 12 points. So, up a knick of the bat and gan his man- of-the-match from all indications, the zinged straight through to campaign with a Republic playing field was level in the the keeper.

Bank classic catch, diving semifinal. That is until the Regardless of what King forward to dismiss Pooran.

Zouks tipped the scales.

After a slew of singles thought, the umpire raised the dreaded finger, and with in the ensuing overs, Ross Sammy: The man with the plan no review system to rely on, Taylor went cheaply for During his semifinal King had no choice but to 3, falling lbw to Ronston lead-up press conference, walk.

Chase.

Zouks’ Skipper At 24-4, it Darren Sammy was all falling had indicated apart for the that there was Warriors, but already a plan Hemraj sought to cut down the to build some Warriors. kind of part“In the last nership with four games, they whichever playhave chased and er came to bat won,” Sammy next. It was stated.

Keemo Paul, Clearly, who was quite Captain Sammy content to hit had already forthe odd sinmulated his gle and rotate game plan, the strike for and was eajust about two gerly awaitovers before the ing the opporpressure of the tunity to strike. run rate got to Upon winning his head. Paul the toss on slogged one Tuesday afterover the onside, noon, an ecstatic probably not Sammy opted to putting much bowl first. The thought into the Man-of-the-match Deyal celebrates with Captain Sammy Warriors, on the shot or the sitother hand, did uation at hand, not know what was about to Unlike in his last two in- and picked out Ronston hit them. nings, Shimron Hetmyer Chase to give Kesrick Coming to the crease did not come to the crease Williams his first wicket. first, the Warriors opted for to stay a while; it was more Chris Green was next the same opening pair of of a drive-by, as he opted to on the cards to try to musChandrapaul Hemraj and leave Kuggeleijn’s fourth de- ter some substance with

By Jemima Holmes

B

Brandon King, who haven’t been able to find their synchrony at the top of the order all year.

Scott Kuggeleijn came back into the Zouks squad after missing out on the

Some Zouks players execute their signature celebration

Hemraj, but even the captain could not seem to hold on for long enough to get the Warriors to a respectable total. Following a Hero Maximum off the first ball of the 12th, Green chose to retry the shot, but this time around, Nabi was waiting on the ropes to take the catch.

The real nightmare at the Brian Lara Academy came with the score at 55.

It was a horrific scene as the remainder of the batting order went without troubling the scores, not even drawing out the lucky wide.

Mark Deyal clean bowled Hemraj to end his attempts at anchoring the innings, and Romario Shepherd returned the very next ball softly to Deyal for a caughtand-bowled opportunity that he did not pass up.

Kevin Sinclair and Imran Tahir both made their exit in the 14th in subsequent balls, to leave the Warriors with a score that has been recorded as the second lowest total in CPL history.

During the post-match chat, Sammy finally revealed that thought process behind his game plan.

“We wanted to win the toss and bowl first, and we got that right. If you notice, the games being played here at 5:30 pm, all the games with the team batting in the first innings in the day have not scored 100. I don't know if it's the dew falling on the wicket that makes it difficult batting first, but I told Rawl Lewis I have a feeling we'll restrict them to under 100, but I did not foresee 55.”

And to see his plan go that easily made Sammy put his pearly whites on display.

Easy like Sunday Morning

There was nothing for Rahkeem Cornwall and Mark Deyal to rush during the chase. After all, 56 from 120 was easy picking.

Rather than take it one ball at a time, the opening pair had different plans, almost as though they were rushing to achieve a better run rate. Two maximums came of Cornwall’s bat in the first over bowled by Chris Green, and in the second, he punished Imran Tahir with three boundaries.

The Warriors captain next opted for pace in Naveen Ul Haq, but the result was the same, as this

bowler was dispatched for 16. Tahir came back for the third, and went for 11; by which time the Warriors knew their cause was lost, with just three required of their opponents for the win.

Instead of going for the flare, the pair rotated strike with singles to see their team home safely, in St. Lucia’s first ever 10-wicket win.

Visibly disappointed, Captain Chris Green was increasingly proud of how the Guyanese franchise was able to make it, considering their earlier slump in the tournament. Green stated, "It's a disappointing effort to be knocked out like that, but full credit has to go to Daren and his team. They completely outplayed us tonight. You can't score 55 and expect to defend it.

“Nonetheless, I'm incredibly proud of our guys, the way we turned it around.

Had a tough start, we came together; everything I asked of them, they gave 100%. We had a lot of fun together as a group. Some guys have stood up this tournament.

I'm especially excited about some of our young players, Ashmead Nedd and Kevin

Sinclair forcing their way into their best XI has been something I'm really proud of.”

For his part, Darren Sammy was figuratively over the moon to have made it to his first CPL final with his home franchise, the St. Lucia Zouks.

“The way our boys have played, to the Zouks fans, they've been begging for something like that. I told the guys in the dressing room, ‘This is not what we came here for; we didn't come here to celebrate a semi-final’. Nobody really gave us a chance. The guys we have, we have effective guys. We don't have guys in the top 5 or 10 in runs, but we play as a team. It's a massive effort to get to the finals with the players we have. To have an opportunity to play and for St Lucia Zouks in the final is a massive achievement,” Sammy shared.

The St Lucia Zouks have a date with destiny on Thursday, September 10, when they play the Trinbago Knight Riders in the final match of the Hero Caribbean Premier League 2020 tournament.

SCOREBOARD Guyana Amazon Warriors Innings (20 overs maximum) BA King c †Fletcher b Kuggeleijn 0 C Hemraj b Deyal 25 SO Hetmyer b Kuggeleijn 0 N Pooran † c Deyal b Mohammad Nabi 11 LRPL Taylor lbw b Chase 3 KMA Paul c Williams b Chase 2 CJ Green (c) c Mohammad Nabi b Glen 11 K Sinclair st †Fletcher b Zahir Khan 1 R Shepherd c & b Deyal 0 Naveen-ul-Haq not out 0 Imran Tahir c Cornwall b Zahir Khan 0 Extras (w 2) 2 TOTAL (13.4 Ov, RR: 4.02) 55 Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Brandon King, 0.3 ov), 2-0 (Shimron Hetmyer, 0.4 ov), 3-14 (Nicholas Pooran, 3.5 ov), 4-24 (Ross Taylor, 6.6 ov), 5-32 (Keemo Paul, 8.5 ov), 6-51 (Chris Green, 11.2 ov), 7-55 (Chandrapaul Hemraj, 12.2 ov), 8-55 (Romario Shepherd, 12.3 ov), 9-55 (Kevin Sinclair, 13.3 ov), 10-55 (Imran Tahir, 13.4 ov)

BOWLING SC Kuggeleijn Mohammad Nabi RL Chase Zahir Khan J Glen M Deyal

2-0-12-2 3-1-6-1 4-0-15-2 2.4-0-12-2 1-0-8-1 1-0-2-2

St Lucia Zouks Innings (target: 56 runs from 20 overs) RRS Cornwall not out 32 M Deyal not out 19 Extras (w 5) 5 TOTAL (4.3 Ov, RR: 12.44) 56/0 Did not bat: ADS Fletcher †, RL Chase, Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, J Glen, DJG Sammy (c), SC Kuggeleijn, KOK Williams, Zahir Khan BOWLING CJ Green Imran Tahir Naveen-ul-Haq

1.3-0-16-0 2-0-24-0 1-0-16-0

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2020

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

guyanatimesgy.com

See story on page 23

Zouks bulldoze Warriors on course to 1st CPL final

Hosein, Pierre and Simmons Windies Women’s tour of England… help Trinbago Knight Riders cruise into CPL final Page 22

Campbelle upbeat about tour, Guyanese companions Pg 21

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