Guyana Times - Friday April 23, 2021

Satyadeow Sawh will be remembered for sterling efforts in struggle for democratic freedoms – President Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 4626

THE BEACON OF TRUTH FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021

Collective approach needed to tackle environmental threats – President tells regional leaders Page 3

…lauds ratification of LAC environmental treaty as milestone

“Ramp up your campaign against crime” – GCCI urges Police See story on page 2

Celebrating Earth Day 2021

3 more COVID-19 deaths move April’s death toll to 44 …102 new cases recorded Page 9

Illegal, unregulated fishing

Students of the Bishops’ High School on Thursday planting trees in the school’s compound in celebration of Earth Day 2021

10% of fishing vessels casualties of bankruptcy in 2020 — Corentyne Co-op See story on page 16

COVID-19 forces cancellation of Grades 2, 4, 9 Assessments Page 17

P17

PRICE

$80 VAT INCLUDED

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Delivery man shot, robbed of motorcycle P7

Sugar workers’ protests

GAWU, GuySuCo in public spat P17 over unsettled salary increases No need for squatting with Govt’s robust housing plans P9 – Croal Senior Police Officers slapped with more fraud P12 charges 7 juveniles P16 escape from Sophia Holding Centre …5 recaptured

Truck driver P13 killed after log on truck hits tree, pins him to steering wheel “Biggie” wanted for murder of Charlestown man P11

2 NEWS

FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

“Ramp up your campaign against crime” – GCCI urges Police O ne day after the Guyana Police Force (GPF) released crime statistics claiming that serious crime was on the decline, the business community issued a statement expressing concern over the escalating rate of crime in the country.

The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) called on the relevant authorities to urgently address this issue, which it said was directly impacting the welfare of citizens and enterprises.

The GCCI on Thursday

GCCI President Timothy Tucker

contended that there seemed to be an increasing rate of criminal activities against the business community.

According to the GCCI, this has created an atmosphere of fear among the populace.

“The perpetuation of these violent crimes is of great concern to the members of the Chamber as it directly impacts the welfare of the citizens and enterprises of the country,” the business umbrella organisation said.

Against this backdrop, the business umbrella organ-

isation called on the relevant authorities to take stern action against criminal elements and ramp up its campaign against crime.

The Chamber said it continued to remain willing to assist in any way possible and continued to view itself as a partner in development and nation-building. This call from the business community comes on the heels of the GPF stating that serious crime has decreased by 29.8 per cent for the year thus far.

In particular, the Police said there has been a 38.4 per

A gunman pulling Derick Doodnauth from his car

cent decrease in armed robberies where firearms were used by the perpetrators and a 47.7 per cent decrease in armed robberies where other instruments were used.

Nevertheless, the Police Force said it has begun targeting motorcycle and bicycle bandits.

The Force added that extensive campaigns were on-

and on the West Bank of Demerara.

The GPF assured the general public that it continued to aggressively pursue crime-fighting strategies in order to maintain its mandate of public safety and security.

But the Police assurance comes even as more persons are being robbed

File photo: Three bicycle bandits caught on CCTV robbing a man at gunpoint

going in the Police Divisions, to rein in and detain motorcycle and bicycle riders and arrest persons where applicable.

Such campaigns were conducted in several communities around Georgetown

by motorcycle bandits. Only on Wednesday evening, a 22-year-old delivery man was shot to his jaw as bandits robbed him of his motorcycle.

Shot and hospitalised is Navin Mahabal, who is in critical condition.

On Monday, Derick Doodnauth, an employee of Health International Inc, was hauled from his motor car by an armed gunman and his three accomplices who arrived on two motorcycles at Lying Street, Charlestown, Georgetown.

At the time, Doodnauth was driving slowly as traffic built up in the street. Closed Circuit TV (CCTV) footage showed that the bandit pulled the driver out of the car and pushed him down on the road while one of his accomplices reached into the car and grabbed an envelope with over $1 million, along with cheques, that was in the backseat of the vehicle. The men then hopped onto the motorcycles and made good their escape. (G9)

NEWS

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FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Friday, April 23 – 02:00h-03:30h and 13:00h-14:30h and Saturday, April 24 – 02:30h-04:00h and 13:30h-15:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Friday, April 23 –13:15h-14:45h and Saturday, April 24 –14:15h-15:45h.

Collective approach needed to tackle environmental threats – President tells regional leaders …lauds ratification of LAC environmental treaty as milestone

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

WEATHER TODAY

Light rain showers are expected followed by sunny conditions. Light rain showers are expected during the night. Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-Easterly to North-Easterly between 2.23 metres and 5.36 metres.

High Tide: 02:58h reaching a maximum height of 2.44 metres.

Low Tide: 07:33h and 19:59h reaching minimum heights of 0.87 metres and 0.71 metre.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 2021

LOTTERY NUMBERS C

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Thursday, April 22, 2021

DAILY MILLIONS

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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

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Change %

Crude Oil

$65.40/barrel

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Rough Rice

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USD Per Ounce

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$1786.60

Low/High Change

$1785.40 +1.70

$1786.90 +0.10%

President Dr Irfaan Ali

P

resident Dr Irfaan Ali has emphasised the importance of having a collective approach in the Latin America and Caribbean region in order to tackle environment threats and other issues imposed by climate change.

He was at the time addressing regional leaders during a virtual event on Thursday held to commemorate the entry into force of the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean – known as the Escazú Agreement.

President Ali said ratification of the Escazú Agreement is a significant milestone in the Latin America and Caribbean region, which coincides with Thursday’s observation of International Mother Earth Day. Emphasising that the effects of climate change and the ravages of natural disasters are not confined to any one country, the Head of State underscored the need for regional leaders to work together to mitigate these existential threats.

“Natural disasters (are) threatening the very survival of small-island developing and low-lying coastal states.

I therefore reiterate the need for us to act collectively for protection of our peoples and their environment. Our twin celebration of the entry into force of the Escazú Agreement on International Mother Earth Day should engender a greater sense of urgency to work collectively to safeguard our people and the planet,” Ali contended.

The Escazú Agreement, which is the only binding agreement derived from Rio+20 in 2012, was adopted in 2018 and entered into effect on Thursday, after a structural ratification process by 24 nations took place in January of this year.

The Latin America and the Caribbean environmental treaty, the first of its kind in the region, seeks to ensure that people have access to timely and reliable information, and can participate in an effective way in the decisions that affect their lives and their environments, as well as to access justice in environmental matters.

According to President Ali, these are critical elements in dealing with an environment affected by climate change.

“That access rights contribute to the strengthening of democracy, good governance and human rights. Re-enforcing democracy, transparency, ac-

countability and effective, inclusive and responsive institutions and policies is crucial.

Access to information and broad-based involvement in environmental decision making play a vital role in the sustainable development equation.

The agreement’s provisions for judicial and administrative proceedings include remedy and redress. This, we believe, is necessary for the strengthening of, and the inclusive and transparent approach that we’re fostering on environmental matters,” he posited.

The President noted that Guyana became the first State to ratify the Escazú Agreement in April 2019. He added that the agreement is aligned with Guyana’s Constitution, which proclaims that everyone has a right to an environment that is not harmful to his or her wellbeing.

Moreover, President Ali outlined that the region must strive to protect the rights of environmental defenders, who continue to put their lives at risk to safeguard the environment. He said the protection of the environment is mainstream in Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), which is premised on the REDD+ mechanism.

“In the ongoing implementation of this Strategy, we’re committed to continuous multi-stakeholder consultations undertaken in an institutionalized, systematic and transparent manner to ensure full and effective participation of Indigenous peoples and other forest-dependent communities through free, prior and informed consent.

“Further, we’re working towards the enhancement of transparency and access to extractive industry information as required under Guyana’s Extractive Industry and

Transparency Initiative (EITI) obligations,” the Head of State said.

As such, Ali said, Guyana subscribes to the belief that public access to the information and citizens’ participation in environmental decision-making are vital elements of sound environmental stewardship.

Further, the Guyanese Leader outlined the importance of access to, and dissemination of, accurate information, referencing the massive misinformation and disinformation at the onset of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“One of the major lessons learned was the importance of making information widely available. A better postCOVID-19 recovery must be

predicated on access to reliable information. This is crucial not only in relation to the pandemic, but also concerning threats to the environment,” he asserted.

On this note, President Ali encouraged other countries in the Latin America and Caribbean region to ratify the Escazú Agreement as a step towards guaranteeing a healthy environment for future generations through a full participatory process.

Along with President Ali, several others contributed to Thursday’s virtual discussions, including United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, and Vice President of Costa Rica, Epsy Campbell.

(G8)

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guyanatimesgy.com

FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021

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

Another COVID-19 blow to Education sector

T

he Education Ministry and, by extension, the Government, has done a remarkable job over the past months in terms of the partial reopening of schools and for learning to continue for students across the country.

No one should underestimate the level of planning and the kind of resources that are needed to ensure that academic learning continues and students and teachers are safe in these challenging times.

The Education Ministry has managed to open schools for Grades 6, 10, 11 and 12 (primary four, fourth, fifth and sixth forms) to allow those students to prepare for their exams. These students have already missed out on a significant amount of academic work, and certainly, the partial reopening has proven to be a challenge in terms of completing the syllabus.

But as the COVID-19 death toll and new cases skyrocket across Guyana, this sector has now taken a major blow with the cancellation of the National Grades Two, Four and Nine assessments and placement examinations.

We agree with Chief Education Officer (CEO) Dr Marcel Hutson, who made the announcement on Thursday evening, that the need for students to be safe is of paramount importance.

There are a few who had hastily criticised the Ministry for moving ahead with the partial reopening of schools without offering any proper alternative. However, we believe that Education Minister Priya Manickchand was correct in pointing out that school doors cannot remain closed forever. Learning needs to continue, but certainly with taking all the necessary health precautions very seriously.

We have noted that the Ministry has been very thorough in terms of putting systems in place to prevent persons from contracting the virus. However, like many other countries, there was no guarantee that persons would be free from getting infected. And this was exactly the case when the administration of Queen’s College was forced to suspend classes for two weeks after an auxiliary staff tested positive for COVID. It could be recalled that prior to the reopening of schools, the Ministry held a number of consultations with the Health Ministry, medical professionals, CXC, head teachers, teachers, the Guyana Teachers’ Union, parents, students and other stakeholders to discuss and consider the relevant issues relating to the pandemic.

At the moment, it is mandatory for every student, teacher and member of the auxiliary staff to wear a face mask in Guyana. Everyone is also being temperature tested before being allowed entry into the school compound. Students were also supplied with safety kits and are being given the necessary support, etc, to cope with the changing learning environment.

While it is not the ideal situation, the Education Ministry must be commended for the work it has done to ensure learning continues. It should be noted that Guyana is one of the few developing countries in the world that have given this kind of support to students and teachers in spite of the scarcity of resources.

That said, in light of the changes that are being made due to COVID-19, educators would have to adapt very quickly and ensure that students are not left behind. The failure of students must not be an option, hence the important role of the head teachers, regional education officials, and even parents.

Through effective leadership, coupled with sound management, head teachers and their senior staff must be able to cope with the changes that are being forced upon us in order to effectively transform the performance of students.

Good managers know that planning and organisation are critical to success, and it is important that every school adopts this approach.

The best performing schools often have better organised and prepared teachers.

Additionally, the Education Ministry, and Government as a whole, must constantly review approaches to education delivery and management. Doing so would not only allow for improved results at the national and regional examinations, but would contribute to churning out competent and capable individuals who can adapt easily to tertiary education or the working environment.

Further, it is clear that parents have a greater role to play in their children’s education. Now that children spend most of their time at home, it is in their parents’ interest to monitor their children to ensure that they are gainfully occupied. Parents must not leave their children’s education to teachers and the Education Ministry alone. They must

To celebrate Earth Day, First Lady Arya Ali joined the staff at the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) and Protected Areas Commission to launch a national tree planting exercise, which will be continuous for the next four years. To mark International Year of Fruits and Vegetables, several fruit trees were planted in the National Park. Among the fruit trees planted were guava, cherry and mango (Office of the First Lady photo)

Absolute need to license counsellors

Dear Editor, The Ministry of Human Services and Social Security is moving towards creating a Social Work Act which would allow for the licensing of those employed in the field locally. Perhaps this initiative could be the catalyst for a number of outstanding others to professionalise and boost services offered to consumers.

For starters, there is an absolute need to also license counsellors, especially since, for too long, all sorts have been running around as counsellors, creating significant harm.

I had previously written about two different instances of individuals being pushed to suicide by such quacks; and I do know of a Guyanese mental health expert living in Florida who would be willing to lend her expertise in setting up such protocols, since the International Registry of Counselor Education Programs has tasked her with responsibility for the Caribbean.

As well, finally, the 1930s Mental Health Act is been updated. May I suggest that before it moves to finality, all stakeholders be provided with opportunities to review and make suggestions, especially since so much has happened on the mental health landscape since the 1930s.

Also, the new Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) legislation currently being drafted should include a mental health component to prevent workplace discrimination against disabled

persons; address issues like suicide ideation, stress and anxiety; and mandate designation of workplaces as abuse- and violence-free locations that provide necessary assistance to employees in these regards.

As well, child labour needs to be included, along with trafficking for coerced, exploitative labour, with victims who are often physically and sexually abused.

In regard to OSH, labour inspectors should be trained and mandated to initiate sanctions once transgressions are found, which is currently not the case. It becomes a time-dragging, tedious exercise in frustration that other personnel have to be sought to enforce sanctions.

And while the line minister has vowed to implement substantial fines, punitive consequences need to be significant enough to act as deterrence, while enabling timely and standardised enforcement that could possibly include mandatory training each time there are transgressions, and an evaluation system that deducts points for such transgressions.

Meanwhile, the current practice of having legal and medical practitioners respectively deal with complaints of malpractice will always be viewed as prejudicial to the consumer (victim), especially since these mechanisms generally leave much to be desired.

Consequently, the woefully ineffective Legal and Medical Practitioners Acts respectively also need to be

updated to, among things, mandate timely and open investigation of all forms of malpractice on the one hand, and enable citizens to still be able to sue if not satisfied with decisions.

Finally, very much needed are clear laws and guidelines for consumers, who are left to the mercy of the public bureaucracy and private management, endless red tape and runaround, far too often end-

ing in frustration, abuse and dehumanisation. Such laws and guidelines must place emphasis on safety, quality ratings, consumer-centric services that include empathy, mechanisms to address complaints in a timely and non-confrontational manner, and consumer’s legal redress.

Sincerely, Annan Boodram

Let’s all support hardworking crimefighting ranks Dear Editor, It is important for us as Guyanese to give credit where credit is due. As I reflect on the tenure of the APNU+AFC, one thing is clear: the coalition failed miserably at addressing crime in Guyana. Recent statistics point to the fact that, ever since the PPP/C Government came into office in August 2020, crime rates have declined significantly. In fact, Guyana’s serious crimes decreased by 34.97 per cent.

Recent reports show that for the period January to March 2021, there has been a total of 450 serious crimes, which is a decrease from the 692 serious crimes recorded under the same period for 2020 under the APNU/AFC. Notably, crimes like robbery under arms decreased from 240 in 2020 to 142 in 2021; robbery with aggravation decreased from 24 in 2020 to 5 in 2021; larceny decreased from 39

in 2020 to 11 in 2021; and burglary from 45 in 2020 to 16 in 2021. These statistics show that the PPP/C Government is indeed prioritising public security, and I commend such efforts.

One of the things that cannot be overlooked is the fact that the PPP/C Government is actively working towards strengthening the Guyana Police Force. I have interacted with many Police officers, some of whom I share close friendships with as well, and one of the things they would speak of regularly is the fact that since the new Government took office, there is a renewed sense of confidence among crime-fighting ranks in the Force. Under the APNU/ AFC coalition Government morale among these ranks was at its lowest. They were scared to go after criminals, owing to the posture of the then Government.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

guyanatimesgy.com

FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021

5

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

Cost of living is manageable now Dear Editor, I do not profess to have an Economics degree, but I am well read and capable of distinguishing factual from fictitious and suspect writing.

Recently, I came across a piece which I read online, titled “Rising cost of living”.

Editor, the piece had some salient points which I agree with, but the major premise of the cost of living increas-

ing or rising now does not find favour with me.

The cost of living in Guyana is not rising astronomically, as the article leaves the readers thinking. The opposite is happen-

ing, since this new model of financing and economics has been employed by the experts at the Ministry of Finance.

The cut-throat taxes have been reduced, making

Best is yet to come from gas-to-shore in Guyana

Dear Editor, Guyana’s gas-to-shore project is definitely a game-changing initiative that would see gas from the Liza Field offshore Guyana being pumped onshore to generate power. The main objective of the initiative is to transport sufficient gas from the Stabroek Block’s petroleum operations to supply some 200-250 megawatts of energy to the national grid, leading to a significant reduction in electricity cost.

President Dr Irfaan Ali had previously said the landing of the gas-to-shore pipeline in Region Three would lead to “big industrial development taking place there, that is linked to not only power generation and a power plant.” He also said the investment on the Demerara River’s shoreside would create massive opportunities and a trickle-down effect.

Reducing the cost of energy would not only make the country more competitive in terms of us being able to export more with the objective of having a trade balance surplus, but we would also save foreign exchange, because we spend more than $500 million a year to import fuel.

So, the gas-to-shore project would mean that we would get cheaper electricity, we would be pushing industrialisation and reducing manufacturers’ costs. It also means we are going to save about $250 million or more in fuel importation. Public and private investments could potentially increase by more than 50 per cent annually, effectively translating into the creation of more than 100,000 jobs along with tremendous growth in entrepreneurial opportunities during this period. In this regard, with unemployment currently estimated to be more than 25 per cent or 125,000 persons of the total labour force, the number could be reduced to the lower single digits over the next five years.

The gas-to-shore project would transform Guyana’s economic landscape, bringing tremendous development for all. Our Government expects Guyana to save as much as US$160 million a year in power costs when the gas-toshore project, which would be feeding gas from the Liza Field offshore Guyana, comes on stream.

The project is expected to have a positive impact

on future operating costs in Guyana, and enable the country to restructure its energy matrix to support its burgeoning industrial sector.

This gas-to-shore project is intended to deliver affordable energy to Guyanese consumers, utilising natural gas presently being flared from the country’s world class offshore oil finds. It is important to all Guyanese as it would break the country’s dependence on imported fuel oil, lower costs, stabilise the energy system, and enable Government to explore other renewable energy solutions, including hydropower. This would include the PPP/C Government’s flagship hydropower project at Amaila Falls in Region 8, which was championed by the PPP/C when last in office, but was set aside by the former APNU+AFC administration. It is to be resuscitated. Our Government must go back to hydro and an energy mix – hydro, wind, solar.

When we examine the social, environmental and economic benefits to be had from the imminent gas-toshore project, it is clear that Guyana has nothing to lose.

The project would help the

PPP/C Government and Guyana in its goal to transition to cleaner sources of energy, reduce its carbon footprint and electricity costs for citizens, and serve as a catalyst for economic development.

If you ask many of our investors and local business persons what is their number one obstacle to doing business here in Guyana, they would say electricity, from the aspect of cost and reliability. So, the PPP/C Government has highlighted electricity generation as a high priority. It is imperative that, as Guyanese, we all support the gas-to-shore project. It is clear that the price of electricity in Guyana would fall by 50 to 60 percent, and there are many other efficiency gains that could be had from the side of transmission for our country.

The PPP/C Government’s transformative gas-to-shore project, which is expected to be in operation by 2023, would see some 3000 persons being employed. The best is yet to come from gas-to-shore in Guyana.

Sincerely, David Adams

it very easy for customers to afford many basic items which they are accustomed to. The value-added tax policy has been changed by the Government because it was hurting poor families. From a microeconomic standpoint, every single area has been significantly altered. Just look at the key industries and the sectors, for example.

I also disagree that “life is hard for the ordinary man”, because there are many opportunities available in education, health, agriculture and local government. All one needs to do is to take advantage of these opportunities and one begins to open up the door towards a better life.

Do not listen to the gossip being bandied around.

Life in Guyana isn’t hard, but the Government can do much more to decrease the level of unemployment, decrease poverty while raising

the standard of living for all Guyanese, regardless of where you stand on the political aisle.

And these reporters or writers must do their research, in order to get a good understanding of what they are seeking to enlighten the public about. I am sure the writer could have spoken to some ordinary folk, who would tell them about the real deal in the pre-2020 economy. The rich were getting richer and the poor were getting poorer, while the politicians in power were the real “fats cats” in our society.

As a humble citizen, I say things are not worse off than what was happening, but things in the case of Guyana are a little easier and better for the normal citizen.

Yours truly, Alvin Hamilton

Let’s all support hardworking...

FROM PAGE 4

There was the view that criminals had more rights than the Police.

As citizens, we must all show our commitment, and provide the necessary support to the hardworking crime-fighting ranks. Crime affects us all, not just businesses and the Government.

We must therefore redouble

our efforts. In this regard, I urge the now APNU/AFC coalition Opposition to give the necessary support to our law enforcement ranks, and refrain from postures which diminish their efforts and morale.

Yours respectfully, Erin Northe

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FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021

Page

Foundation ◄

By Hazel Simmons-McDonald

I leave this house Box pieces of the fiveweek life I’ve gathered.

I’ll send them on to fill spaces in my future life.

One thing is left a spray of orchids someone gave from a bouquet one who makes a ritual of flower-giving sent.

The orchids have no fragrance but purple petals draw you to look at the purple heart.

Thursday’s answers c. Given US$1.00 = EC$2.70 and TT$1.00 = EC$0.40 i. EC$1.00 = TT$2.50 ii.US$80.00 = EC$216.00 iii. TT$648.00 = US$96.40

I watered them once when the blossoms were full blown like polished poems.

I was sure they’d wilt and I would toss them out with the five-week litter.

They were stubborn.

I starved them They would not die.

This morning the bud at the stalk’s tip unfurled.

I think I’ll pluck the full-blown blooms press them between pages of memory.

Perhaps in their thin dried transparency I’ll discover their peculiar poetry.

Questions: What type of poem is it? What is it all about? How did you know what it was about?

WORD SEARCH

NEWS

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FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Delivery man shot, robbed of motorcycle

A

22-year-old delivery rider is currently hospitalised in critical condition after he was shot to his jaw while fighting off two armed bandits on Wednesday evening.

Shot is Navin Mahabal.

According to the Police report, Mahabal went to visit his family at John Smith Street, Campbellville, Georgetown, but as he was about to dismount his motorcycle on arrival at the home, he was approached by two armed males on a motorcycle.

The men demanded that Mahabal hand over his motorcycle.

However, Police said, Mahabal refused and the pillion rider dismounted and drew a black handgun from his pants waist. He reportedly discharged a round at the victim, hitting his left jaw before escaping with his motorcycle in an

unknown direction.

The injured man was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was admitted.

His brother, Ravin Mahabal told Guyana Times that incident occurred about 20:45h.

“He was coming to visit us like always, but when he come off the bike to open the gate, the men came on an XR motorcycle – that’s the same type of motorcycle like my brother’s,” he told this newspaper.

He said that the gunman then told his brother “give we the bike and everything you get”.

However, Ravin said, his brother attempted to fight off

Shot delivery man, Navin Mahabal on the motorcycle that was stolen

the bandits, but was shot to his left jaw. He said, at this point, neighbours were alerted after hearing the gunshot.

“After people started looking out now, so they stop because they were going to shoot him again. Then one of them jumped on my brother bike and rode off and the next one followed him,” he explained.

Speaking on his brother’s injuries, Ravin said that “the bullet enter his jaw and [went] into his neck”.

Meanwhile, Police said investigators were currently making efforts to review Closed Circuit TV (CCTV) footage from the area as the probe continued.

Only on Tuesday, a

25-year-old motorcyclist was robbed of his motorcycle and cash at Eccles Public Road, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

The Police said that Romain Legay of La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara (WBD), was proceeding south along the Eccles Public Road, when he stopped at the Eccles traffic light. Legay told Police that while at the stoplight, he noticed two males on a black and red XR motorcycle approaching; then the pillion rider dismounted and started to assault him.

This resulted in a scuffle, and subsequently led to the pillion rider brandishing a black handgun which he used to deal the victim several blows to his face before relieving him of his motorcycle. (G15)

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FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Changes…

Y

…in ideology esterday, your Eyewitness fixed his gimlet-like eyes on the newspapers, hoping to see some reference to the 150th birth anniversary of the man who led the greatest revolution of the 20th century. And more to the point, that revolution reverberated big time right here in Guyana, as our leaders for independence from the British colonial yoke followed the lessons on the very same man. And who was this man? No one other than Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov! Still doesn’t ring a bell? Well, how about his nom de plume, Vladimir Lenin??

Aha! Rings a bell with your oldsters, eh? Yes…it’s old Lenin’s - the man who led the Russian Revolution of October 1917 - 150th birthday! The same one who inspired Jagan and Burnham to have a ding-dong fight as to whose party - the PPP or the PNC - were the “Bolsheviks” - the radical communists led by Lenin - and who were the “Mensheviks” - the more moderate socialists. The ironic thing was that even though Burnham insisted he was a moderate, and distinguished himself from Jagan on this line with his “cooperative” socialism, he still insisted his PNC were the Bolsheviks!!

The point, of course, is that people always want to identify with winners - no matter how tenuous the link and for sure it was the Bolsheviks who came out on top in the Russian Revolution. Conceding that his party was ideologically more like the Mensheviks would not only have proven Jagan’s point, but imply that his party might eventually also fade into oblivion! Which it’s doing right now, thank you!!

Anyhow, for the young’uns out there, shaking their heads to clear their eyes of their glazed look, you’re excused. After all, with the fall of the communist system in the dust of the collapsed Berlin Wall in 1989, and PNC’s acceptance of the IMF “conditionalities” to pull us out of our Burnham-inflicted bankruptcy, we’d accepted the capitalist order of the West hook, line and sinker. When Jagan and the PPP took over in 1992, even he had to embrace the neo-liberal line dubbed the “Washington Consensus”.

And we arrive at the present dispensation, where it’s not so much the “end of ideology” as the hegemony of new-liberalism to such an extent that it’s not even questioned. Do we argue about breathing in the air around us? It’s just THERE!! So not only is Lenin irrelevant to our present political leaders, but also embarrassing!

His Revolution failed, didn’t it? So, the question for us in Guyana - as a sardine-sized economy - is which Party the PPP or PNC - can better utilise neo-liberal premises to swim between the sharks.

And from all indications, even PNC followers concede that role to the PPP! …in sugar Looking at the ongoing debate between GuySuCo’s management and GAWU over wages for the latter’s members. For sure there’s no “looking back”! GAWU’s insisting there was a commitment from management to revise the 5% wage increase they secured a year ago.

Pointing out that “GuySuCo spent 102 percent of its earned revenue to pay wages and salaries (in 2020)”, this newspaper noted the CEO responded to GAWU, “On top of that, you have the audacity to tell us that we are not trying out best? Where are we going to get more from?”

Well, this isn’t just neo-liberal language, but unbridled 19th century Robber Baron’s vitriol! After all, even neoliberals accept that workers can be represented by trade unions. And the latter’s duty is to negotiate the best wages and benefits for their members. The management is implying that workers must “band their belly” because of GuySuCo’s challenges.

With its comment that “management is top heavy”, GAWU is implying that GuySuCo hasn’t followed its own advice!

What now?

…on Earth Today is “Earth Day”, reminding us that we have a duty to OURSELVES when it comes to protecting the Earth.

The duty simply reminds us that “we shouldn’t cut the limb on which we are sitting.”

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

NEWS

9

FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

3 more COVID-19 deaths move April’s death toll to 44 …102 new cases recorded

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he Health Ministry reported three more COVID-19 deaths as at Thursday, now bringing Guyana’s total death toll to 277 – 44 of which were recorded for April.

Recent fatalities are

three males: a 76-yearold from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), a 70-year-old from Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and a 42-year-old from Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne)

Additionally, the revised dashboard saw the overall positives moving to 12,234 after an alarming 102 cases were confirmed in one day. This represents 5,624 males and 5,420 females.

Active cases are at 1402 – 12 in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 66 in institutional isolation, and 1,324 in home isolation.

Another 16 persons are in institutional quarantine. Recoveries are now at 10,555.

Of the new positives, three are from Region One (Barima-Waini); one from Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam); 19 in Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara); 55 in Region Four (DemeraraMahaica);7 in Region Five (Demerara-Mahaica); 10 in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne); 1 in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and 6 in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

The total cases in Regions Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) and Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) remain at 996 and 252 respectively.

With vaccination, persons are primed with anti-

bodies to defend against any contact with the coronavirus.

Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony expounded on this process on Thursday, detailing that the two doses combine to offer long-term protection.

“When you get the first dose of a vaccine, it starts stimulating your immune system to produce antibodies. After a certain time, those antibodies can drop a little bit; so, with a second dose, it makes sure the level of antibodies in your system remains at an acceptable level. If you come in contact with the virus, your immune system would recognise this virus very early, and react to defend your body,” the health official indicated.

He reminded that if a person contracts the virus, it is recommended to wait until complete recovery before taking the vaccine.

Most persons cover this

window of time between doses.

“What we would advise is that people wait until they would have recovered fully, and then come for your second dose…

That’s the formulation that

we have been using, because if by chance somebody gets an infection of COVID after your first dose, we want that person to be fully recovered before you get the second dose.”

He also clarified apprehensions concerning the vaccines by assuring that it is not a ‘time bomb’. Moreover, there is evidence to prove that it works.

“Vaccines have been proven to help to eradicate diseases. We’ve had experiences with a number of vaccines in childhood diseases, and because of those vaccines, literally millions of children’s lives have been saved. So, we know that vaccines work, and in this case, with the COVID-19 vaccine, it has been very protective. It has served to reduce infections, reduce hospitalization, and for most of the vaccines, they are 100 per cent protective,” Dr Anthony stressed.

(G12)

10 NEWS

FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

No need for squatting with Govt’s robust housing plans – Croal

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he long-term housing plans currently being set in motion by Government are expected to meet the needs of people across the country, eliminating the need for squatting on State lands.

Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal told residents of Belle West, West Bank Demerara (WBD) during an outreach that squatting hindered development of the infrastructural framework within communities, thereby creating a disadvantage for scores of persons.

In fact, it also creates a domino effect on the introduction of utility services to these areas. However, Government has a robust set of plans for the housing sector, thereby eliminating the need for informal settlements.

“There is absolutely no need for us to have continuing informal settlements or squatting. Here in Belle West, you’ve had your fair share and we intend to address it. … part of my man-

date as Minister of Housing and Water is also to look at these aspects, because communities cannot develop if we have a parallel implementation or parallel structure ongoing that is outside of what is approved by the State because you’re affected. You won’t get development. You won’t get water.

You won’t get electricity.

You won’t get road. So, it is not beneficial for this to happen,” he outlined.

According to Croal, the zero-tolerance policy for squatting extends to addressing the issue “frontally”.

“We cannot further shy away from dealing with the matter because whoever are there, you are further affected…We want to see betterment of your lives. That is what we work for every day.

That is what we want the government to do. We let a government to bring development for you as a people and to improve your lives.”

In conjunction with the Local Government and Public Works Ministries, an

Funds were for Parfaite Harmonie, Onderneeming, Westminster, Recht-DoorZee, Lust-en-Rust and Schoonord.

The IDB project, which was earmarked to start back in January, would target infrastructural elevation in existing housing areas to make them more appealing to prospective homeowners and create more sustainable communities.

Works would cover the construction of three playgrounds and 50 core houses and at least 500 subsidies would be granted to quali-

Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal

arrangement is in place for the maintenance and construction of the new roadways. Through the Central Housing and Planning Authority, new schemes are being looked at.

“As you can see from our allocation exercise that we had in December last year, you can realise that you are part of our mandate of development. So, the construction industry is expected to take

off. By next month, many of those areas which we have allocated on the West Coast … you can see construction commencing,” Croal indicated.

More than $1 billion will be injected into the Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) housing sector in 2021 through an Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)funded project.

fying prospective homeowners.

Also, on the Ministry’s agenda for housing development are expansion and upgrade of existing housing areas including Stewartville, Edinburgh, Anna Catherina, Tuschen and Zeelugt.

Further, Region Three is also set to benefit from a US$100 million water treatment project for which the Government is securing funding. That should increase water treatment capacity on the coastland from 52 per cent to 90 per cent. (G8)

Over 17,000 ganja plants destroyed at Kuru Kuru

The camp being destroyed by fire

One of the camps with the dried ganja and other items

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s ranks of the Police Narcotics Branch continue their cannabis eradication exercises, a total of 17,350 ganja plants were destroyed on Wednesday at Kuru Kuru backlands, about 16 kilometres (10 miles) off the Linden- Soesdyke Highway.

approximately, 17,350 marijuana plants. The plants reportedly ranged from two feet to five feet in height.

In addition, some 27 kilograms (60 pounds) of dried marijuana along with two camps, a quantity of groceries, and several pieces of farming equipment were

One of the ganja fields

Based on information received, acting on a tip, a team of Police ranks went to the area where they found about 10 and a half acres of cultivated land containing

found.

The ganja was subsequently destroyed. At the time of the exercise, no one was found at the location.

Investigations are ongoing.

11 “Smallie” professes innocence in 2007 double murder NEWS

FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021|| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Murder accused Mark Royden Williams, called “Smallie”

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ark Royden Williams, aka ‘Smallie’, who is presently on trial for the December 16, 2007 murder of 35-year-old Rajesh Singh and 25-year-old Fazil

Hakim, professed his innocence on Thursday during an unsworn statement to the 12-member jury.

Williams, who is appearing virtually from the Mazaruni Prison, is on trial before Justice Sandil Kissoon at the High Court in Demerara.

The Police, in a statement on the killings, had said that Hakim, Singh and another man were consuming alcohol at Narendra Mukhram’s shop at Agriculture Road, Triumph, East Coast Demerara when bandits turned up. As Mukhram went to close the shop, he was confronted by three men who were dressed in camouflage attire. The men were armed with a rifle, a shotgun, and a handgun.

One of the gunmen held Mukhram at gunpoint and took him to his home next

Dead: Fazal Hakim

Dead: Rajesh Singh

door. The other two gunmen entered the shop, and one of them ordered the three patrons to lie on the ground.

When the patrons hesitated, the gunmen opened fire, killing Singh and Hakim.

Over at Mukhram’s

house, the armed men held Mukhram’s wife and children at gunpoint and demanded jewellery and cash.

According to reports, the Mukhrams handed over $500,000 in jewellery and $300,000 in cash to the gunmen.

At the time of his demise, Hakim, called “Boyee”, resided at Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara, while Singh, called “Rabbit”, lived at Martyrs Ville on the East Coast of Demerara.

In unsworn testimony, Williams said, “I am innocent of this charge. I know nothing about this charge. On June 15, 2008 I was arrested by the Police and taken to the Criminal Investigations Department Headquarters, where I was placed on the prisoner’s bench with handcuffs and shackles.”

He said that one of the

“Biggie” wanted for murder of Charlestown man

Wanted: Lenroy Michael Forde, also called “Biggie”

Murdered: Anthony Yearwood, also called “Odinga”

ours after 25-yearold Anthony Yearwood, also called “Odinga”, was shot dead at Drysdale Street, Charlestown, the Police have issued a wanted bulletin for his murderer.

Police stated that Lenroy

Michael Forde, also called “Biggie”, is being sought for the heinous crime.

Yearwood was killed on Wednesday evening during a confrontation with the now wanted man. It was reported that the incident emanated from a dispute be-

H

tween the two men over an alleged robbery committed by “Biggie” on a victim who was known to Yearwood.

Residents around the area had reported that they heard gunshots, and sometime after, an ambulance was heard rushing to the scene. Yearwood reportedly died on the spot, but was later confirmed dead when he was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital.

His body is at the hospital mortuary awaiting a post-mortem.

Meanwhile, anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of Forde is asked to contact the Police on telephone numbers 227-2603, 226-6978, 911 or at the nearest Police Station.

All information, the Police have stated, will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.

Police officers told him that for them to stop beating him, he has to sign a paper.

Williams told the court that he signed the statement only “because I could not take it anymore.”

Also testifying was Police Inspector Suraj Singh, the detective in charge of crime at the Turkeyen Police Station. He told the court that, during 2008, he held the rank of corporal and was stationed at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters and attached to the Homicide Squad.

Inspector Singh told the court that, sometime in June 2008, Williams was arrested and questioned in relation to the murders, during which he opted to give a caution statement.

The Police witness testified that Williams, who was 20 years old at the time, requested of him to write the statement.

According to Inspector Singh, Williams told him, “…that work at Agriculture Road, ah uncle plan that work. Me, Uncle, Capone (Michael Caesar) went to that place to rob them boys.

I had a cutlass; I was the lookout man. We tek the cane field… Then we went back to Buxton and hide. Me been there, but me nah had gun. Me nah know who kill them man. Me nah know how much money them get… Me nah get none.”

Under cross-examination

by Williams’s counsel, Nigel

Hughes, Inspector Singh acknowledged that there were no eyewitnesses to the killings. Hughes put to the Police witness that he and other investigating ranks had beaten and tortured his client to give the caution statement. Inspector Singh denied this.

Caesar was called as a defence witness. In 2020, Caesar, also known as Capone, 37, who is currently serving various sentences for his role in the Bartica and Lusignan Massacres, was sentenced to 13 years’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter in relation to killing Singh and Hakim.

Sitting side by side with Williams at the Mazaruni Prison, Caesar told the court that Williams was not involved in the killing of the men. He said he met Williams while being incarcerated. Caesar admitted that he was among the men who had stormed the rum shop. He said it was “Uncle Willie” and “Chung Boy” who shot Singh and Hakim to their heads. The convicted killer further said he was arrested for the murders in 2009 while hiding out in neighbouring Suriname.

Government Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh testified in the trial. He gave the cause of death of Hakim and Singh as shock and haemorrhage due to multiple gunshot wounds. This trial continues on Monday at 09:00h. (G1)

Wanted man shot while trying to evade Police

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24-year-old man who was wanted by Police for several offences was on Wednesday shot in the leg after he attempted to evade the Police at Clonbrook, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

The injured man has been identified as Conway

Higgins, also called “Ninja Man”, of Ann’s Grove, ECD. Based on information received, at about 22:00h on the day in question, the Police were carrying out a cordon-and-search operation when they received information that the wanted man was in the area.

Police say the man was wanted for robbery committed on a 50-year-old resident of Two Friends Village, Ann’s Grove, ECD and wounding and damage to property committed on a 37-year-old resident of Ann’s Grove ECD. After receiving information that the man was in the area, Police went to a location and, upon seeing them, the wanted man started to

run. The Police gave chase and, as such, Higgins was later confronted by a rank in a ball field at Clonbrook.

Upon being confronted, the man whipped out a knife and advanced towards the rank, who warned him several times to retreat, but he continued to advance towards the rank.

In retaliation, the rank discharged a round in Higgins’s direction, hitting him to the right thigh.

He was picked up and taken to the Dr. CC Nicholson Hospital, where he was admitted under guard. The knife he had in his possession has been lodged at the Cove and John Police Station, ECD.

12 NEWS Senior Police Officers slapped with more fraud charges FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Police Finance Officer Marcelene Washington

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olice Finance Officer Marcelene Washington, former Deputy Finance Officer Roxanne GriffithAdams, and former Deputy Commander of Division 4B, Lorraine Saul, have all been jointly charged by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) for conspir-

acy to commit a felony. In additional, Saul has been charged separately for the offence of falsification of account by an officer.

Griffith-Adams made her appearance in Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan’s court at the Georgetown Magistrates Courts on Thursday, and was not required to plead to the indictable charge of conspiracy to commit a felony, contrary to Section 34 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act Chapter 8:01.

She was represented

by Attorney-at-law Patrice Henry, who made a successful bail application on her behalf. The Chief Magistrate granted her bail in the sum of $150,000 and adjourned the matter to May 14, 2021.

Saul and Washington were not present in court, since they are reportedly out of the jurisdiction.

The Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) has al-

Former Deputy Finance Officer Roxanne Griffith-Adams

leged that between Monday, November 2, 2020 and Tuesday, November 24, 2020, with intent to defraud, Saul, Washington and Griffith-Adams conspired with each other and with other persons, while being officers employed by the Guyana Police Force, to falsify an account, being a

feeding account in the sum of $1,152,000.

It has been reported that, based on investigations conducted, Saul, who was stationed at the Felix Austin Police College (FAPC) Mess as the officer-in-charge, caused a feeding account to be prepared on November 2, 2020 for meals supplied to officers and inspectors who performed fixed point duties at the Tactical Service Unit during the period October 16, 2020 to October 31, 2020 to the tune of $ 1,152,000.

The account was processed at the Police Finance Office and payments were made for the amount mentioned in the account.

Washington and Adams allegedly colluded with Saul to defraud, as they authorised the payment when in fact no such duty existed and no such meals were distributed to ranks as stated on the accounts.

These charges stemmed from a massive investigation being conducted by SOCU in relation to over $300 million fraud allegedly committed at the Police Finance Office by several high-ranking officers of the Guyana Police Force.

Earlier in the month, Saul and Assistant Police Superintendent Kurt Smith were arraigned for fraud at the Georgetown Magistrates

Deputy Commander of Division 4B, Lorraine Saul

Assistant Superintendent of Police, Kurt Smith

Courts. The charges the face alleged that Saul falsified and inflated accounts for meals provided by the Brickdam Police Station’s Other Ranks Mess for reimbursement at the Police Finance Department.

It was reported that Saul prepared an account and petty contract dated December 18, 2020 for meals purportedly supplied to ranks who performed duties at ‘A’ Division Riot Unit Training between December 1 and 15, 2020 to the amount of $1,350,000 when in fact no such training was done for that period.

Further, it was found that Saul also prepared another account and petty con-

tract dated the same dates for meals purportedly supplied to ranks who performed fixed- point duties at the Georgetown Prison between December 1 and 15, 2020 to the amount of $ 648,000; however, she inflated the number of ranks and amount of meals on this account by the sum of $465,000.

SOCU has stated that Smith colluded with Saul to defraud, and authorised the payments when in fact neither such training nor the amount of feeding took place; and as Finance Officer (ag), he knowingly authorised the payments from the Government’s funds.

Berbice Assizes

Father freed on attempted murder indictment while son found guilty

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went y- s i x-ye a r - old Rohit Girdharry, also called “Natesh”, was on Tuesday found guilty of attempted murder, while his 50-year-old father Rohan Girdharry was found not guilty.

The two were jointly charged for wounding Ashton Simon, Jason Wilson and Valas Motie at Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) on August 14, 2016. The jury, however, found the younger Girdharry guilty of the heinous crimes.

After listening to the evidence, Justice Joe-Ann Barlow determined that neither Simon nor Motie had cursed any of the two accused, and, as such, they could not be held accountable.

Another brother of the convict - Rajesh Girdharry, also called “Cox,” 29 – has been charged separately for severing Simon’s hand.

State Prosecutor Tuana Hardy told the court that, while armed with a cutlass, Rajesh Girdharry had inflicted injury on the three victims.

She explained that on the day in question, the accused had an issue with Wilson, who subsequently went to the area to collect some items from Girdharry’s neighbour. It was then the

accused allegedly rushed out and inflicted the injuries on Wilson. Other relatives also joined in.

The State’s case was that the accused and Wilson lived in the said area, and after the Police had raided Girdharry’s house, he had accused Wilson of giving information to the Police, and as such had threatened him.

On the day in question, the Girdharry trio brutally attacked and chopped Simon to the neck. They severed his left arm and also chopped his right arm. Wilson was chopped on his upper back, his chest and left ear, while Motie was chopped to his right-side rib cage.

Justice Barlow has deferred sentencing.

Meanwhile, on March 11, 2021, the High Court refuse to accept Rajesh Girdharry’s guilty pleas, after he alleged that the victims had attacked his brother and he had retaliated.

The accused also claimed that one of the victims was armed with a gun, and, again, he had retaliated by chopping him.

Girdharry, also called ‘Cox’, has pleaded guilty to separate counts of attempting to murder Valas Moti, Ashton Simon and Jason Wilson. However, asked if he had anything to say before being sentenced, Girdharry

told the court that Wilson had assaulted him and he had gone home and collected a cutlass.

As he returned, Wilson and his sister were both in the upper flat of the house, “laughing and mocking me because he just beat me up.”

However, later in the afternoon, he noticed that Wilson and two friends arrived in a car and started to assault his brother. At that time, he admitted, he attacked the men with the cutlass.

“After I chop he on he hand, the gun fall on the ground, and the car man end up pick up the gun and the two a them jump in the car,” he said.

Girdharry also insisted that his brother and father had nothing to do with the matter. He claimed that he had told this to the investigators. “Me brother innocent and me father innocent! Is me wah do everything. So, a begging for mercy, if you can save me father and brother”, he pleaded.

Justice Barlow has declared that she could not accept the guilty plea, since a gun is now being brought into the picture. Prosecutor Hardy also informed the court that it was the first time she is being made aware that one of the victims was armed with a gun.

NEWS

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FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

GO-Invest CEO talks up business opportunities with Essequibians G O-Invest Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Peter Ramsaroop has held multiple discussions with the business community, youth organisations, the Regional Democratic Council, and members of the Essequibo Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ECCI), during his two-day outreach to Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), explaining business opportunities and incentives that are available.

Speaking to a small gathering at the Regional State House on Thursday, Ramsaroop said Region Two was an agriculture-based

GO-Invest Chief Executive Officer Peter Ramsaroop speaking at Anna Regina State House. Also in photo is Region Two Chairperson Vilma De Silva

region and there was much potential in the coconut in-

dustry. Another area where he foresees opportunities

Truck driver killed after log on truck hits tree, pins him to steering wheel

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truck driver was on Wednesday killed after one of the logs that he was transporting crashed through the cabin and pinned him to the steering wheel. The accident reported occurred at Wiki Creek Backdam, upper Berbice River.

The dead man has been identified was 34-yearold Andrew Jagmohan of Crabwood Creek, Corentyne Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

Police initial investigations revealed that the now dead man was transporting logs in motor vehicle GFF 7662 with his porter, 33-year-old Ivor Martin of Stanley Town, New Amsterdam.

However, on the day in question, the lorry was making its way up a hill when it encountered mechanical problems. As a result, the lorry started to descend thus causing one of the logs to hit a tree and due to the force, it

slammed through the cabin and pinned Jagmohan to the steering wheel.

After the truck came to a halt, the porter reported pulled the injured man from the wreckage and rushed him to the Kwakwani Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The body is presently at the Kwakwani Hospital Mortuary awaiting post mortem. An investigation has been launched into the fatal accident.

GTT launches new app to enhance customer service

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he Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) has recently launched its new and improved MyGTT app with the aim of making it easier for GTT customers to do business with the company.

The MyGTT app provides customers with 24-hour access to their GTT accounts from anywhere and at any time. Through the new app, GTT customers can view and download their current and previous bills with ease, manage multiple accounts with one view, and pay bills using Visa/MasterCard, among other key features.

Friday, April 23, marks two weeks since the new and improved app has been on the market, and performance has been better than expected.

GTT’s Demand Generation Manager Tiffany Moonsammy has said, “We were very excited about the launch of this new app. Our local team worked with our international parent company to help improve our old app to make our customers’

GTT’s Demand Generation Manager, Tiffany Moonsammy

lives even easier.”

She added, “In the first two weeks, we saw 4,000 users download and start to use the new MyGTT app. All (are) fully satisfied with the new improvements made. This is a 34% increase than what we originally projected.”

Some of the new features include a faster registration process, a ‘Pay All My Bills’ option, a ‘Lend Me’ feature, the tracking of data usage with a fixed LTE plan, and the ability to apply for ser-

vice or request support; all available through your device.

In addition, those payments can be made with the newly integrated MMG+ feature. MMG+ is a secure, convenient, and easy-to-use payment option. To have MMG+ now integrated with the MyGTT app is a development that brings an additional layer of ease-of-use to the customer.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the growing need for effective digital transactions, this app is well positioned to meet both needs.

GTT will be phasing out the old app on the market, and would be offering only the new MyGTT app. Customers can download the MyGTT app on App Store and Google Play Store to get the registration process underway. If They already have an account, they simply need to download the app and sign in. More information on the MyGTT app can be accessed via gtt.co.gy/ newmygtt.

is value-added production in rice farming, along with other plantation-type agriculture.

The GO-Invest CEO noted that the major factor in value-added production was energy cost.

“The ultimate goal of GO-Invest is to bring an integrated energy solution to the region to bring productivity cost down that will lead to the value-added products. At the Anna

Regina, Essequibo Coast, there is a cereal plant that is operating at a minimum pace, however, the mission is aiming to find a large investor that will be able to expand the plant to produce cereal and other value-added products such as rice bars from the crispy rice that is highly demanded in the region,” Ramsaroop told the gathering.

Some of the general incentives that businesses in the region will benefit for agriculture are VAT exemptions on electricity and building and construction materials; the reversal of the policy on used tyres along with the reversal of the older-than-eight-years ban on vehicles, and the reversal of high renewal fees for motor vehicular licences. Additionally, the 14% per cent VAT on All-Terrain Vehicles have been removed.

Entrepreneurs were also educated on investment and the business opportunities in the region for GO-Invest office to put together the

necessary policies and process investment that will ultimately benefit residents on the Essequibo Coast.

Ramsaroop said that GOInvest was mandated to assist local investors in providing incentives for them to create a friendly business environment that would be beneficial in creating employment and boosting the nation.

Meanwhile, Regional Chairperson Vilma De Silva told the gathering Guyana was deemed a hotspot for investment, which would give a boom to the economy. The major investors are taking notice and the Government is keen to ensure that investors will have opportunities to benefit and grow and as such, improve businesses and the region.

The issue of poor Internet connectivity was also raised by the business community at the meeting. In response, Ramsaroop said that engagement has commenced with service providers to enhance the service.

“Killa” compensates GPF for damaging Police vehicle

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ne week after he appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts accused of damaging a vehicle belonging to the Guyana Police Force, Rondell Bacchus, aka ‘Killa’, on Wednesday paid compensation for the damage in the sum of $32,455, as well as $2,000 in court costs.

This development has now brought an end to the case.

The 40-year-old Bacchus was arraigned before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. He had initially denied the charge, and was released on $5,000 bail. The charge detailed that on April 9, at the Brickdam Police Station in Georgetown, he unlawfully and maliciously damaged a windshield valued $24,561, and a glass worth $32,000 on a motor vehicle.

Earlier this month, Bacchus was released on $100,000 station bail after spending a few days in Police custody, where he was being questioned about the murder of Kitty, Georgetown gold dealer Ricardo Fagundes, aka Paper Shorts, who was gunned down in March in front of a Main Street, Georgetown night club.

However, it was reported that while Bacchus was being escorted from the lockups at the Brickdam Police Station following his release, he maliciously damaged a Police vehicle.

Fagundes, 42, was shot

Rondell “Killa” Bacchus

several times about his body.

While information surrounding his execution-style kill-

ing remains sketchy, Police have said that Fagundes had been in the company of a close friend partying when his mobile phone rang. He ventured outside to take the call, but was soon after riddled with bullets.

Patrons of the club, including the now dead man’s friend, rushed out to enquire, but saw Fagundes lying motionlessly in a pool of blood close to his motorcar.

Bacchus was previously charged with the 2008 murder of scrap metal dealer Akbar Alli. Following his appearance at the High Court, he had pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter and had been sentenced to 16 years, eight months’ imprisonment. (G1)

14 NEWS

FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

No cases of blood clotting from AstraZeneca vaccines – Health Minister

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mid initial concerns regarding blood clotting with the AstraZeneca vaccine, Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony has assured that the World Health Organisation (WHO) through the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation (SAGE) has deemed it safe. This is after concluding that the benefits outweigh the risks.

“We have had a number of other expert entities review the vaccine, such as the European medical regulatory authority, and they concluded similarly that the vaccine benefits outweigh the risk…The AstraZeneca vaccine is right now used in many countries and because the benefits outweigh the risks, most countries that had initially put a pause on the vaccines have now restarted,” the Health Minister said during Thursday’s COVID-19 update.

Dr Anthony noted that among from the thousands of people immunised with the AstraZeneca shots in Guyana, there were no reported cases of blood clotting.

“We are very pleased

Persons are showing up at the various sites to get immunised

with the results that we have had with these vaccines so far and we’ll continue to use them. Many of the persons who received the first dose would be due for their second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine maybe in a month’s time and we encourage them to come and take their second dose,” he urged.

Two versions of the vaccine – produced by AstraZeneca-SKBio (Republic of Korea) and the Serum Institute of India – have been listed for emergency use by the WHO. When the vaccine underwent SAGE consideration, it had undergone review by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

The EMA has thoroughly assessed the data on the quality, safety, and efficacy of the vaccine, and has recommended granting a conditional marketing authorisation for people aged 18 and above.

The WHO said this month, “The AstraZeneca vaccine is safe and effective at protecting people from the extremely serious risks of COVID-19, including death, hospitalisation and severe disease.”

Apart from the AstraZeneca vaccine, Guyana has also been using Sinopharm and Sputnik V, manufactured by China and Russia respectively. Earlier this week, a consignment of 83,000 Sputnik V vaccines landed in Guyana, as part of Government’s purchase that would immunise 200,000 persons.

The doses sent were divided into 43,000 first doses and 40,000 second doses. In recent weeks, some 55,000 first doses have already been sent to Guyana.

Two months into its vaccination campaign, the Health Ministry has successfully managed to deliver a first dose to 100,000 persons.

Health Minister Anthony said this feat was possible through continuous efforts from health teams, the Joint Services, and other stakeholders throughout the country – moving Guyana one step closer to herd immunity in 2021.

Of the 100,000 persons who received their first dose, a fraction has already returned for their second shot.

“I think the people that we need to congratulate are

those that have been actively working across the country to make sure that people get their vaccines. Those persons include the staff of the Ministry of Health. We also have members of the

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony

Joint Services who have been working tirelessly with us and along with many volunteers without whom this would not have been possible…We hope that they con-

tinue working with us as we work towards the goal of reaching herd immunity sometime during this year,” the Minister highlighted.

(G12)

GPF’s Music Director passes on – Top Cop, senior officers visit grieving family

Acting Police Commissioner Nigel Hoppie and other senior Police Officers at the home of Stuart on Thursday

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void has been left in the organisation that won’t be filled in a long, long time,” were the sentiments of acting Police Commissioner Nigel Hoppie on Thursday morning when he visited the grieving family of late Director of Music, Senior Superintendent Charmaine Stuart, who died on Wednesday evening.

Stuart, 55, was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital after she complained of chest pain, but died soon after.

During the visit, the acting Top Cop was accompanied by Welfare Officer, Deputy Superintendent Jewel Sullivan; secondin-charge (administration) Allison Moore and Quartermaster, Assistant Superintendent Donna Ferguson.

At the home, they met with Stuart’s sons Kevin and Murphy; husband, Ronald and other family members.

“Sympathies and words of comfort were offered to the grieving family by the

Director of Music, Senior Superintendent Charmaine Stuart

team as Commissioner Nigel Hoppie assured the family that he – and, by extension, the Guyana Police Force – will support them in this difficult time,” the Police stated in a release to the media.

Stuart, who accumulated more than 30 years of service in the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and more so the Band Room, made history in 2016 when she became the first-ever female officer to be named Director of Music and Culture within

the Force.

Stuart will be remembered for her disciplinarian attitude, pleasant personality, and uplifting spirit by all those who were lucky to have known her.

Since her passing, several persons have taken to social media expressing their sadness.

In addition, Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon, on behalf of the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC), has extended condolences to her family, especially her husband and two sons as well as ranks of the GPF. In 2017, she also became the first woman to win the overall Best Cop award for her stellar contributions to the Force where she served in several capacities.

“Ms Stuart will also be remembered for her contributions as the Chairman of the GPF’s Joint Services Committee, Vice President of the Guyana Association of Women Police and the Coordinator of the Force’s Literacy and Debating Society,” Harmon posited.

NEWS

15

FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Foiled Republic Bank robbery…

Magistrate sets May 18 for ruling on no-case submission

Gladston George (left) and Anfernee Blackman

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enior Magistrate Leron Daly has set May 18 to deliver her ruling on

no-case submissions made by the defence on behalf of the four men who are ac-

cused of attempting to carry out a daring robbery at Republic Bank’s Water Street, Georgetown branch on July 4, 2017.

Those charged are former Police Constables Anfernee Blackman of Laing Avenue, West Ruimveldt, Georgetown and Gladston George of Princes Street, Lodge, Georgetown; former Republic Bank employee Shawn Grimmond of Kitty, Georgetown; and Keron Saunders of Mocha, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

They were each released on $500,000 bail pending the hearing and determination of the case. Another former employee of the bank, Jamal Haynes, was also slapped with charges for attempting to commit a robbery and illegal possession of firearm and ammunition.

He was sentenced to a total of six years’ imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to the charges at his first court ap-

Keron Saunders

pearance in July 2017.

During the attempted robbery, 23-year-old Elton Wray, an agronomist, was shot dead by the Police. He had been a beneficiary of a Government of Guyana scholarship to study in China, and had graduated with a degree in agronomy.

At the time of his death, he

was serving the second of his five-year obligatory contract.

It was reported that Haynes and Grimmond knew that businesses would have deposited substantial amounts of cash into the chutes through night deposits. As such, a plan was hatched for the robbers to grab that money which would have been emptied into a canister by a female employee.

However, things went awry when their accomplices broke into the bank without knowing that they had received a text message from Grimmond who was already at work informing them to hold off, since the employee who was supposed to open the canister was not at work.

After receiving reports of the robbery, Police responded promptly. The bandits engaged the officers in a shootout, which resulted in the death of Wray. Haynes was also shot as he attempt-

Shawn Grimmond

ed to evade the lawmen.

Saunders subsequently surrendered and was taken into Police custody.

The others were all implicated in the robbery by Haynes, and were later arrested. Police said three high-powered pistols were recovered from the crime scene. (G1)

Misinformation fuelling vaccine hesitancy – PAHO Director

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an American Health Organisation Director, Dr Carissa Etienne has branded misinformation as one of the most serious threats to public health, and it was especially damaging when it fuelled vaccine hesitancy.

Speaking at a recent press briefing, she stated, “Every person in a vulnerable group that is hesitant to get the vaccine can become part of the sad statistics, one of the thousands of deaths that occur daily due to COVID-19. Vaccines are saving lives now and will contribute to control transmission in the near future when we achieve high immunisation coverage.”

According to her, reports of very rare, unexpected side effects from some COVID-19 vaccines should not make people hesitate to get immunised. Owing to the rate at which misinformation is spreading, PAHO has formed a collaboration with tech giants to provide accurate data on the pandemic.

“The vaccines delivered through COVAX have been thoroughly assessed by the WHO experts. The benefits of these vaccines in preventing infections, hospitalisations, and deaths outweigh the risks of side events…

Because unreliable information spreads quickly, PAHO is collaborating with tech companies like Twitter,

Director of PAHO, Dr Carissa Etienne

Google, and Facebook to address fake news and ensure the public can easily find accurate information,” Dr

Etienne added.

She indicated that the tragic milestone of more than three million deaths from COVID, nearly half of them in the Americas was a reminder that more must be done to protect people. The virus continues to threaten lives, as seen in the Americas where more than 1.5 million new COVID cases and nearly 40,000 deaths were reported in one week.

“COVID vaccines don’t provide instant protection.

Our bodies take time to build up immunity to the virus after we’re vaccinated, and we won’t see their full impact until more of us are protected. Let's remember that with the limited doses

available to us at this time, the priority should be to save lives. Stopping transmission of this disease requires additional measures.”

The PAHO Director added that, “in Israel, COVID-19 vaccines are already helping drive down infections, and initial data from Chile and some cities in Brazil indicate a reduction in hospitalisations among the elderly, thanks in part to COVID vaccines.”

Presently, PAHO is ramping up efforts to get as many vaccines to the Americas as quickly as possible. Thus far, over 4.2 million doses of COVID vaccines were delivered to 29 countries within the region.

Millions of additional vaccines are due in the coming weeks.

But, she noted, “We need more COVID vaccines for our region. We need countries to quickly administer the doses they have on hand. We need communities to build trust in vaccines. And when it’s your turn to get vaccinated, remember: These vaccines can save your life.”

Vaccination Week in the Americas, which starts next week, “is a perfect time to remind us all of the power of vaccines to save lives,” Dr Etienne said. “Vaccinations are a collective effort and the success of immunisation campaigns depends on all of us.”

16 NEWS

FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Illegal, unregulated fishing

10% of fishing vessels casualties of bankruptcy in 2020 – Corentyne Co-op C

o r e n t y n e Fishermen’s Cooperative Society Chairman Parmashwar Jainarine on Wednesday disclosed that some 10 per cent of fishing boats have been affected by bankruptcy since July 2020.

He made this statement during a panel discussion hosted by the United States Embassy, titled “The challenges of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing”.

Jainarine stated that this was the case owing to unregulated and illegal fishing within Guyana’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Additionally, he said that in the latter part of 2020, fisherfolk were greeted by unseasonal high winds which caused major hinderances to their trade.

Corentyne Fishermen’s Cooperative Society Chairman Parmashwar Jainarine

In relations to unregulated fishing, he explained, currently, Corentyne waters are flooded with an ex-

cessive number of fishing vessels. As a result, there is a lack of space for vessels which leads to an increase in marine incidents.

“No background checks are being made. No assessment is being done to see if that particular area you want fish in can accommodate more vessels,” he added.

Moreover, he noted that when vessels operated in congested waters, many nets become entangled. He explained that this usually resulted in high costs for fishermen and boat owners as they would have to return to shore to cut and untangle the nets, thus missing out on a day’s catch.

Meanwhile, Jainarine said there has been an increase in the number of il-

legal fishing vessels. He explained that this usually deprived licensed vessels. He added that illegal operators would often overfish, thus leaving little to no catch for legal operators.

Moreover, he highlighted, when the catch is taken back to the landing sites, illegal fishermen would sell their purchase on the same market and to the same consumers as the licensed fishers. He explained that owing to this, illegal fishers were operating within the same market space at a cheaper cost and as such, were able to garner larger profits.

Echoing similar concerns, Chief Fisheries Officer Denzil Roberts added that illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing af-

fected the local law-abiding fishermen. He further added that the illegal practices could, over time, impact the availability of fish in Guyana.

Nevertheless, Roberts posited that the Agriculture Ministry’s Fisheries Department was slowly building up its capacity to address the matter. He explained that this would be possible through the Fisheries Department monitoring vessel which is slated to commence operations within the next two months.

He said that the Fisheries Department was also working earnestly with the Coast Guard to provide as much monitoring as possible.

Meanwhile, Lieutenant Commander David

Shamsudeen stated that of Guyana’s 54,000 square nautical miles of sea space, the Coast Guard was only able to patrol some 12 nautical miles. He said this was as a result of a lack of resources.

Lieutenant Commander Shamsudeen highlighted that Coast Guard coverage of such a small portion of the maritime space provided easy access to international illegal fishers entering Guyana’s EEZ and local illegal fishers.

The discussion also included Head of the Guyana Marine Conservation Society, environmentalist Annette Arjoon-Martins and President of the Upper Corentyne Chamber of Commerce, Krishnand Jaichand among others.

Flaring among issues raised by Opposition during meeting with ExxonMobil bpd, accompanied by a flare level of no more than 15 million cubic feet of gas per day.

“These operating parameters were defined after careful consideration of safety, environmental, technical and economic factors, as well as discussions with the relevant Government agencies on the best path forward, while repairs and upgrades are ongoing,” Exxon’s Advisor Janelle Persaud said.

Meanwhile, during Thursday’s meeting, the Opposition Coalition also raised the issue of ExxonMobil’s involvement in the Government’s gas-to-

Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon (centre) with President of ExxonMobil Guyana, Alistair Routledge (left), and EEPGL’s Production Manager Mike Ryan (right)

A

fter expressing concerns over the operations offshore Guyana, the Opposition A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) on Thursday met with senior officials of United States oil giant ExxonMobil Guyana, during which they raised concerns about a host of issues, including flaring.

Last week, Exxon revealed that while conducting the final testing phase of the reinstalled flash gas compressor and other components of the system on the Liza Destiny FPSO, it encountered an additional problem with the discharge silencer. This had resulted in the oil company reducing daily production to 30,000 barrels per day (bpd) and flaring some 4 to 5 million cubic feet of gas per day, slightly above pilot levels.

Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon had expressed concern over these issues, and requested a meeting with the local executives of the country’s lone oil producer.

Harmon hailed the high-level meeting on

Thursday as “successful”.

He met with President of ExxonMobil Guyana, Alistair Routledge; Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) – Exxon’s local affiliate – Production Manager Mike Ryan, and Public and Government Affairs Advisor Janelle Persaud.

The Opposition Leader said he and his team were briefed on the significant scaling down of operations.

“This matter is of considerable concern to all of us, given the impact it would have on Guyana’s earnings from the industry. We have been bombarded with questions and concerns from the public and our supporters, and therefore took the opportunity to engage with Exxon to benefit from their direct explanations, and to inform them of our position on the issues,” Harmon said in a statement following the meeting.

However, it was noted that at the heart of the entire issue is the flaring of gas into the atmosphere and the operational efficiency of critical equipment.

“We informed

ExxonMobil that we are resolutely against flaring, except when permitted at pilot light level. We inquired whether the people of Guyana will have to bear the cost associated with the malfunctioning equipment. We are insisting that the issues be resolved as a matter of urgency, and production can be safely returned to optimum levels,” the Opposition Leader posited.

He went on to say, “While we seek to exploit our natural resources, we must maintain a strong commitment to doing so within a green framework, with minimal effect to our environment on land and at sea, and with respect for our laws.”

Excess flaring had previously averaged 16 million cubic feet of gas per day following the compressor malfunction in February. The issue had environmentalists up in arms over the harmful effects flaring can have.

Ramp up production However, the US oil major, in an update on Wednesday, said production has been returned to between 100,000 and 110,000

shore project. The APNU/ AFC has been critical of the project despite many experts, both local and foreign, saying it is viable and will help to alleviate Guyana’s electricity woes by adding some 200-250 megawatts of power to the national grid.

According to Harmon, Exxon has given a commitment to a fuller presentation on all of these matters, recognising that this is a very important project to the development of Guyana and the lives of Guyanese.

The Opposition Leader was accompanied by Coalition Members of

Parliament Khemraj Ramjattan, Amanza Walton-Desir, David Patterson, Geeta Chandan Edmond, Ronald Cox and Roysdale Forde.

“Overall, I am satisfied with the tone and content of the meeting [with] Mr Routledge, and both sides expressed a strong desire to engage on a more regular basis. This was the first in what I anticipate to be a series of ongoing meetings.

I would like to thank Mr. Routledge and his team for meeting with us, and for the information and assurances which they provided,” Harmon stated. (G8)

7 juveniles escape from Sophia Holding Centre …5 recaptured

The Juvenile Holding Centre at Sophia, Greater Georgetown

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even juveniles made a run for freedom on Thursday morning from the Sophia Holding Centre, Greater Georgetown.

Police said that the seven escaped between 02:30h and 02:40h. According to Police, an alarm was raised and a quick response by law enforcement led to the recapturing of three of the escapees.

Meanwhile, about 07:00h on Thursday, a fourth juvenile was taken back to the facility in the company of

his mother. Additionally, around 18:00h, a fifth juvenile was recaptured with the aid of relatives. Two now remain on the run.

Last year, 13 teenagers escaped from the Juvenile Holding Centre after attacking the two Police Officers, who were on guard duty at the time.

The teens, who were housed in cell two and who had matters ranging from armed robbery to rape and murder, broke out of their cells and attacked the se-

curity personnel who were guarding the entrance of the building.

During the attack, the unarmed Police Officers were relieved of the keys to some of the other cells after which the juveniles sprinted from the facility.

An alarm was raised and a search was conducted in nearby communities where five of the teens were recaptured and taken back to the facility.

The other teenagers were later recaptured. (G9)

NEWS

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FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Satyadeow Sawh will be remembered for sterling efforts in struggle for democratic freedoms – President

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resident Irfaan Ali has hailed former Minister of Agriculture Satyadeow Sawh for his sterling efforts in the struggle for democratic freedoms.

Sawh, fondly called “Sash” or “Sat”, a Minister of the then People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government, was horrifically killed on April 22, 2006 when gunmen attacked his Earl’s Court, La Bonne Intention (LBI), East Coast Demerara (ECD) home. His sister Phulmattie Persaud and brother Rajpat Rai Sawh, along with security guard Curtis Robertson, were also killed in the shooting, which sparked widespread public anger, fear and mourning by not only Guyanese here, but abroad as well.

On his 15th death anniversary on Thursday, President Ali said the former PPP/C member is being remembered with affection and appreciation of his political and public service. The Head of State said “Sash” lit up every occasion.

“His effusive and energetic presence was matched by a dedicated work ethic and a handson approach to the work of his Ministry. He was a people’s person who served his

Former Agriculture Minister Satyadeow Sawh

country unselfishly,” Ali noted.

The President went on to say that, “Mr Satyadeow Sawh will be remembered for his sterling efforts in the struggle for democratic freedoms. While he lived in Canada, he was a tireless political livewire, organising and agitating for the restoration of democracy in Guyana.”

Ali recalled that when democracy was restored on the 5th of October 1992, Sawh was asked to serve as Guyana’s Ambassador to Venezuela. In that post, he rendered distinguished service.

“His efforts were so impressive that he was invited home to assume ministerial responsibilities.

Satyadeow Sawh helped to transform the agriculture sector during his tenure.

COVID-19 forces cancellation of Grades 2, 4, 9 Assessments

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s COVID-19 continues to take a toll on the education system, the Education Ministry on Thursday evening announced that it has taken a decision to cancel the National Grades Two, Four and Nine Assessments and the placement examination in 2021.

This announcement was made by Chief Education Officer (CEO), Dr Marcel Hutson, who in a video released by the Ministry said that the decision was a result of the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the education sector.

“We recognise the hardships our students have been facing in terms of their readiness and preparedness for these examinations and we also recognise the need for us to also ensure that our students are safe,” Dr Hutson said on Thursday evening.

He noted that remigrant learners would be placed in appropriate List A and List B secondary schools close to their homes.

According to Dr Hutson, the Assistant Chief Education Officer and the Regional Education Officers will be responsible for ensuring that

His untimely and tragic death fifteen years ago robbed Guyana of a committed patriot whose service to country and to the

cause of freedom and democracy is worthy of emulation,” the President posited.

He further hailed the contributions of Sawh to the country, and saluted his memory on behalf of the Government and people of Guyana.

The attack on Sawh occurred in the wee hours, when masked gunmen in military clothing stormed the then Minister’s home.

At the time, Sawh and his wife and siblings – who were visiting from Canada – were hanging out in the verandah of the one-storey house.

The Police had reported

that the gunmen opened fire on at least two security, injuring one of them, before scaling the fence and entering the yard.

They then fatally shot Robertson along with the Minister’s dog.

The gunmen then confronted the Sawh family members, killing him and two of his siblings, and injuring another, Omprakash Sawh. The Minister’s wife was also in the house at the time, but hid in the toilet during the ordeal.

The Sawh family, in a letter last year on the anniversary of the shooting, had reiterated calls for an

inquiry into the “despicable tragedy of the Sawh killings.”

At the time, Guyana was embroiled in a political and electoral deadlock after the previous administration had attempted to derail democracy to hold on to power. The family had said, “The electoral brouhaha post-March 2, 2020 has been a sad reminder of the sorts of events Sash Sawh dedicated his life to fighting against. Once this calamity subsides, it will be high time to reckon with his murder in order to bring badly needed closure and healing to his family – and to Guyana.”

GAWU, GuySuCo in public spat over unsettled salary increases

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ven though the two parties have agreed to meet on May 4 to resolve the longstanding issue of wage and salary increases for sugar workers, the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) and the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) are currently embroiled in a public spat over the issue.

GuySuCo’s public comments regarding the state of its finances have attracted a stinging rebuke from the trade union which condemned the Sugar Company for turning to the media ahead of the upcoming meeting.

Following an outburst by GuySuCo Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sasenarine Singh on Wednesday that the Corporation would not negotiate salary increases with GAWU through the media, GAWU has lashed back at the sugar company saying that GuySuCo’s comments to the media

GAWU President Seepaul Narine

were unhelpful to good relations with workers.

GAWU condemned GuySuCo for committing to not negotiating the matter in the media while making public utterances on the issue.

Singh on Wednesday called out GAWU for what he described as irresponsible utterances in the media.

“Whoever wants to negotiate in the media, I say to them go ahead; go ahead and expose your foolishness,” the CEO said in a strongly-worded speech.

His comments come in the wake of a oneday strike and protest by workers attached to the Blairmount and Albion Estates on Monday over unsettled wage increases.

GAWU also took a swipe at Singh, who explained that the company has been experiencing financial hardship, saying that in 2020, GuySuCo spent 102 per cent of its earned revenue to pay wages and salaries. Meaning that without financial support from the shareholders, the Corporation could not have met its wages bill.

GAWU said that GuySuCo’s claim that it spent 102 per cent of its earnings on wages and salaries was perplexing.

“If what the Corporation is saying is indeed true, we are befuddled as to how it met its other current expenses,” the Union said in a release to the media on Thursday.

GAWU also pointed to an April 14, 2021 ar-

GuySuCo CEO Sasenarine Singh

ticle in the State-owned Guyana Chronicle newspaper which stated that sugar was getting sweet again and that soon the company would be able to stand on its own. But now, the Union questioned GuySuCo’s gloomy description of the affairs of the company.

Notwithstanding, GAWU said it remained willing to engage GuySuCo in frank discussions and sought to address in a respectful manner the outstanding issues at the May 4 meeting. (G4)

Banks DIH wins Coca-Cola Excellence Cup again Chief Education Officer (CEO), Dr Marcel Hutson

the process is carried out with the greatest degree of efficiency and effectiveness.

Meanwhile, the dates set for the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) remain at August 4 and August 5, 2021.

In March, Education Minister Priya Manickchand had said that some 14,300 Grade Six students would be writing the Assessment – an increase over last year, when only 14,032 candidates wrote the exam.

In addition, she had noted that if students were unable to sit the exams, the normal procedure of placing them based on the average of the Region would be in effect.

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anks DIH Limited has, for the second time, won the prestigious Coca-Cola Excellence Cup award for performance excellence for small markets within the Coca-Cola Latin Centre Business Unit (LCBU) annual competition.

The Cup was awarded at the recent LCBU annual awards ceremony in Miami, Florida, USA, a release from the company said on Thursday.

On receiving the award, Human Resources Director Andrew Carto said: “It is with a sense of pride and accomplishment that we accept on behalf of our team at Banks DIH, recognition from the Coca-Cola Company in the Excellence Award, that our effort and contribution were not in vain and were recognised.”

He added that the company wished to reiterate its total

alignment with the objectives of the Coca-Coca Company to grow the iconic brand and to uphold the attributes of quality, consistency, health, safety of employees and promoting sustainable development both globally and with the communities in which it operated.

Banks DIH Limited has been a bottling partner with Coca-Cola for more than 30 years — since the iconic beverage was officially launched in Guyana.

“We at Banks will readily attest to the fact that our relationship with Coca-Cola has been for us a rewarding experience on several fronts. We have, as a result of those mutual efforts, been able to not only grow the brand within Guyana, but also to improve the quality and efficiencies in general across our company thereby increasing value for all of our stakeholders,” Carto

Banks DIH Excellence Cup

said.

Among the competitors were a number of leading bottlers in the Caribbean and Latin America who competed in several categories including

sales, health, safety and the environment.

The local manufacturing giant was previously awarded the Cup in November 2016.

(G15)

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guyanatimesgy.com

FRIDAY APRIL 23, 2021

Regional

Drought in Mexico reaches “No Chavismo here”: Peru’s critical levels as lakes dry up socialist candidate Castillo seeks to calm jittery markets D rought conditions now cover 85 per cent of Mexico, and residents of the nation’s central region said Thursday that lakes and reservoirs are simply drying up, including the country’s second-largest body of freshwater.

The Mayor of Mexico City said the drought was the worst in 30 years, and the problem can be seen at the reservoirs that store water from other states to supply the capital.

Some of them, like the Villa Victoria reservoir west of the capital, are at onethird of their normal capacity, with a month and a half to go before any significant rain is expected.

Isais Salgado, 60, was trying to fill his water tank truck at Villa Victoria, a task that normally takes him just half an hour. On Thursday, he estimated it was taking three and a half hours to pump water into his 10,000-litre (,641-gallon) tanker.

“The reservoir is drying

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Cracked earth lines the banks of the Villa Victoria Dam, the main water supply for Mexico City residents, located on the outskirts of Toluca, Mexico [Fernando Llano/AP Photo]

up,” said Salgado. “If they keep pumping water out,

by May it will be completely dry, and the fish will die.”

Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said that as the drought worsened, more people have tended to water their lawns and gardens, which exacerbates the problem.

The capital’s nine mil-

lion inhabitants rely on reservoirs like Villa Victoria and two others – which together are at about 44 per cent capacity – for a quarter of their water. Most of the rest comes from wells within city limits. But the city’s own water table is dropping and leaky pipes waste much of what is brought into the city.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

eruvian socialist presidential front-runner Pedro Castillo assured the Andean nation on Thursday he would not nationalise companies and would honour the rule of law, a move aimed at calming jittery markets after a second opinion poll showed his lead growing against right-wing rival Keiko Fujimori.

Castillo remains in pole position to win the presidency in a second-round ballot set for June, according to a Datum International poll that showed him garnering 41 per cent against 26 per

cent for former lawmaker and three-time presidential candidate Fujimori.

Peru’s sprawling mining industry, the world’s number two copper producer, has expressed some alarm about Castillo, who has gained increasing support in Peru’s rural hinterlands and has proposed to redraft the country’s Constitution.

But Castillo blasted detractors, telling Radio Exitosa they had put words in his mouth. “I completely reject those that say that Pedro Castillo is going to nationalise,” he said.

Though the poll revealed a yawning lead for Castillo, it also showed that 18 per cent of those surveyed had yet to settle on a candidate, while 15 per cent responded that they would annul their ballot or would not vote for any of the candidates.

Peru’s sol currency PEN=PE plunged to a historic low on Thursday following the poll’s release, then recovered slightly to 3.755/3.759 to the dollar, a 1.24 per cent drop. The Lima stock exchange tumbled 2.2 per cent. (Excerpt from Reuters)

UN to assist Barbados with ash clean-up

Brazil: One of world’s biggest arms traffickers recaptured

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ne of the world’s biggest arms traffickers has been recaptured in Brazil, Police say, five months after he escaped from prison using a fake early release document.

João Filipe Barbieri was convicted for being part of a gang that smuggled hundreds of rifles from the US hidden in swimming pool equipment.

Barbieri was found at his mother’s house in a slum near Rio de Janeiro.

He is the stepson of the gang leader, who is known as the Lord of Weapons.

The gang was caught

in 2017 after a container with 60 military-style rifles it had despatched from Miami was intercepted at Rio’s international airport.

Authorities say the arms were sold to drug traffickers that operate in many of Rio’s slums, known as favelas.

Barbieri, considered one of the gang’s key members, was then convicted of charges including arms trafficking and sentenced to 27 years in jail. But in November 2020 he managed to walk out of a high-security prison in Rio after forging a court document that

appeared to order his early release.

He then spent time in three different states,but ran out of money, Police Chief Mauro César told a news conference after his arrest. Barbieri returned to Rio to claim an estimated 500,000 reais (US$90,000) in debts owed to him by drug traffickers, but he was already under Police surveillance, César added.

He was arrested in a Police operation on Wednesday in the city of Niterói, nine kilometres (six miles) from Rio. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Trinidad: 3 held in high seas drug bust

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hree men were held early Thursday morning aboard a pirogue in the Gulf of Paria near the Point Fortin area by officers of the Customs and Excise Division and a huge quantity of narcotics seized with the street value yet to be ascertained.

A senior Customs officer told Guardian Media that acting on intelligence provided a white pirogue with blue trimmings was intercepted near the Point Fortin area shortly after 04:00h.

The pirogue with the three men and a quantity of drugs were escorted to the King’s Wharf in San Fernando.

Sources say some 32 packets were counted, and 30 of them appeared to be marijuana and two packets of cocaine.

The officers were cur-

Didier Trebucq

B

arbados is getting assistance with the clean-up from the La Soufrière volcanic ash, from the United Nations.

UN Resident Coordinator Didier Trebucq said Tuesday the agency had received a request from Barbados for help in getting rid of the tonnes of ash air currents dumped across the island over several days after continuous explosive eruptions from the St Vincent and the Grenadines volcano.

Speaking at an international press conference

hosted in St Vincent by that country’s Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsalves, Trebucq indicated there was a positive response to the Barbados request and the UN would be deploying a multi-disciplinary team of experts from the UN Environment Programme to advise the island on cleaning up of the ashes and disposal, as well as on the environmental clean-up.

The press conference was attended by representatives of several UN agencies which will all be lending assistance to St Vincent

and the Grenadines, in its recovery efforts.

Meanwhile, as Barbados awaits further assistance, householders and businesses continued on the islandwide clean-up campaign mounted by Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley just over a week ago.

Businesses, the Grantley Adams International Airport and Government offices were shut down for two days at the start of what is an ongoing clean-up operation.

(Excerpt from Nation News)

3 of 7 Catholic clergy kidnapped in Haiti released — Church spokesman

T Customs officers at King’s Wharf on Thursday

rently weighing the narcotics and expect later to declare an approximate street value for the drugs.

Customs and Excise Division officers also seized two Yamaha boat engines.

Sources say the three men held are from Diego Martin, Marabella, and Williamsville respectively.

Based on preliminary information the senior

customs officer said they believe the men had left the Venezuelan town of Tucupita several hours before and made the journey to Trinidad.

Tucupita is a known drug transshipment point and drug traffickers often use the Orinoco River to smuggle drugs into Trinidad’s southwestern peninsula. (Trinidad Guardian)

hree of seven Catholic clergy who were kidnapped in Haiti earlier this month have been released, a Church spokesman told AFP on Thursday, as the island nation grapples with a rise in violence and ongoing political crisis.

A total of 10 people were abducted in Croix-desBouquets, a town northeast of the capital Portau-Prince, in mid-April, including the seven clergy – five of them Haitian, as well as two French citizens, a priest and a nun.

Father Loudger Mazile, spokesman for the Bishop’s Conference for the island

nation, said “the French were not released. There were no lay people among those released.”

“Three of the seven clergy kidnapped on April 11 were released,” he told AFP. Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas, is plagued by insecurity and natural disaster.

Kidnappings for ransom have surged in recent months in Port-au-Prince and other provinces, reflecting the growing influence of armed gangs in the Caribbean nation.

Haiti’s Government resigned and a new Prime

Minister was appointed in the wake of the clergy kidnappings, a move President Jovenel Moise said “will make it possible to address the glaring problem of insecurity and continue discussions with a view to reaching the consensus necessary for the political and institutional stability of our country.”

The kidnapped victims were “on their way to the installation of a new parish priest” when they were abducted, Mazile had previously told AFP, with the kidnappers demanding a $1 million ransom for the group. (Excerpt from AFP)

guyanatimesgy.com

FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021

19

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS Biden’s aggressive emissions target could have a major impact on US oil

U

S President Joe Biden unveiled on Thursday a new emissions-reduction target aiming to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50-52 per cent from 2005 levels in 2030 in an announcement that could have repercussions on America’s oil and gas industry.

As part of the new US Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) for the Paris Agreement, which President Biden re-joined on his first day in office, the US will now target to achieve a 5052 per cent reduction from 2005 levels in economy-wide net greenhouse gas pollution in 2030.

The Administration says that the new aggressive emissionreduction goal positions American workers and industry to tackle the climate crisis.

The United States needs to reduce its emissions by at least 57 per cent by 2030 below 2005 levels to fulfil its share of the cuts consistent with the Paris Agreement, Climate Action Tracker (CAT) said in a report last month.

The American Petroleum Institute (API) commented on the announcement, with API President and CEO Mike Sommers saying: “The new US Nationally Determined Contribution addresses only half of the dual challenge of reducing the risks of climate change while ensuring affordable, reliable energy for all Americans. With a transparent price on carbon and innovation, we can make measurable climate progress within this decade without hurting America’s middle class, jeopardising US national security, and undermining economic recovery.”

Regarding an anticipated executive order to address climate-related financial risk, API Vice President of Corporate Policy Stephen Comstock said: “As the Administration reviews the impacts of climate change on the financial sector, any future regulatory actions must be workable for all industries, support access to capital for all sectors, and avoid a one-size-fits-all, prescriptive approach that would only stifle the innovative work underway in the Private Sector to manage climate-related risks and opportunities.” (Excerpt from Oilprice.com)

US, other countries deepen climate goals at Earth Day summit T

he United States and two other countries hiked their targets for slashing greenhouse gas emissions at a global climate summit hosted by President Joe Biden, an event meant to resurrect US leadership in the fight against global warming.

Biden unveiled the goal to cut emissions by 50 per cent to 52 per cent from 2005 levels at the start of a two-day climate summit kicked off on Earth Day and attended virtually by leaders of 40 countries including big emitters China, India and Russia.

The US, the world's second-leading emitter after China, seeks to reclaim global leadership in the fight against global warming after former President Donald Trump with-

S

Bharadwaj, who is being treated in a Delhi hospital for COVID, posted a plea for help in Hindi on Twitter, saying there were just three hours of oxygen left where he was.

"A lot of people are dependent on oxygen and without oxygen, these people will die just like fish die in the absence of water," he said.

"This is a time for all to come together to work."

Delhi is known to have among the best healthcare facilities in India, but it has been brought to its knees by the latest surge in cases, says BBC India correspondent Yogita Limaye.

Families are also waiting hours to perform funeral rites, Reuters news agency reports, with at least one Delhi crematorium resorting to building pyres in its car park in order to cope with the numbers arriving.

Crematoriums are holding mass cremations, and working day and night in several cities. (Excerpt from BBC News)

drew the country from international efforts to cut emissions.

"This is the decade we must make decisions that will avoid the worst consequences of the climate crisis," Biden, a Democrat, said at the White

House.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the new US goal "game changing" as two other countries made new pledges.

Prime Minister Yoshihide

Uganda: DRC’s reparation claims “dangerously disproportionate”

Internally-displaced Congolese families near their makeshift shelters at an unofficial camp in Barriere, Ituri province, eastern DRC [File: Olivia Acland/Reuters]

Delhi hospitals run U out of oxygen supplies amid COVID-19 spike ix hospitals in the Indian capital Delhi have completely run out of oxygen and doctors say other hospitals have just a few hours' worth of supply left.

A number of people have died while waiting for oxygen, and more than 99 per cent of all intensive care beds are full.

India is in the grips of a second wave of COVID infections and on Thursday recorded the highest one-day tally of new cases anywhere in the world.

The country has recorded close to 16 million confirmed infections.

There have been 314,835 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, while deaths rose by 2104.

There have been reports of State authorities stopping oxygen tankers from travelling to other states, according to Delhi television station NDTV. Some facilities have been accused of hoarding their supplies.

Indian politician Saurabh

The US, the world's second-leading emitter after China, seeks to reclaim global leadership in the fight against global warming

Suga, who visited Biden at the White House this month, raised Japan's target for cutting emissions to 46 per cent by 2030, up from 26 per cent.

Environmentalists wanted a pledge of at least 50 per cent while Japan's powerful business lobby has pushed for national policies that favour coal.

Canada's Prime Minster Justin Trudeau, meanwhile, raised his country's goal to a cut of 40 per cent-45 per cent by 2030 below 2005 levels, up from 30 per cent.

Chinese President Xi Jinping did not announce a new emissions goal, saying that China expects its carbon emissions to peak before 2030 and the country will achieve net zero emissions by 2060.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

ganda has told the International Court of Justice (ICJ) the billions of dollars in reparations sought by the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for the former’s role in the conflict in the latter’s Ituri province could ruin its economy.

The DRC’s “claims are dan-

gerously disproportionate”, Uganda’s Attorney General, William Byaruhanga, told the UN court on Thursday, adding that granting them would have “staggering economic consequences”.

On Monday, lawyers for the DRC had told the court they were seeking US$4.3 billion in reparations payments for the

Belgian Ambassador to South Korea apologises after wife slaps shop worker

B

elgium's ambassador to South Korea has apologised for his wife's "unacceptable" reaction to a confrontation with shop staff in Seoul.

CCTV footage shows Peter Lescouhier's wife, Xiang Xueqiu, slapping a shop assistant.

Staff had wanted to check the clothes she was leaving in were her own amid concern she may have been shoplifting.

The Belgian Embassy in Seoul says Xiang, 63, is currently in hospital recovering from a stroke.

She will cooperate with a Police investigation into the incident as soon as she is able, the statement added.

The incident took place on April 9 at a clothing store in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.

Xiang was in the store, trying on clothes for about an hour

before she left, South Korean media report.

She was followed out of the shop by one of the staff who wanted to check the clothes she wore – originally from the store –- were Xiang's own.

The Ambassador's wife is then reported to have followed the employee back into the shop and, in a confrontation caught on CCTV, appeared to push and slapped another staff member who tried to intervene.

"I didn't know who the woman was when I was assaulted, but she looked confident and didn't seem to be sorry," said the second employee, who complained of a swollen check from the slap, was quoted by South Korean media as saying.

The Embassy statement said Lescouhier "sincerely regrets the incident" and "wants to apologise" on his wife's behalf.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

alleged victims of Uganda’s involvement in the 1998-2003 conflict in mineral-rich Ituri.

They also claimed a further US$2.8 billion for damages to wildlife, US$5.7 billlion for macroeconomic damages and over US$700 million for loss of natural resources – bringing total reparation demands to over US$13 billion.

The DRC’s representative before the court, Paul-Crispin Kakhozi Bin-Bulongo, told the judges that the damage done to his country by Uganda during the conflict in Ituri was of “incommensurate magnitude” and said Uganda had not negotiated in good faith during reparations talks.

The long-running dispute

over Uganda’s involvement in Ituri was first brought before the court in 1999. In 2005, the ICJ ruled that Uganda had violated international law by occupying parts of the eastern Congolese province with its own troops and supporting other armed groups in the area during the conflict.

It also ruled that the DRC had violated international law with an attack on the Ugandan Embassy in Kinshasa.

The court ordered the neighbours to negotiate mutual reparations. In 2015, however, the DRC returned to the UN court saying the talks were not progressing. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Russia to pull back troops from Ukraine border

R

ussia will today begin returning troops to permanent bases inside the country, pulling them back from near the border with Ukraine, Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency reported.

Thursday’s announcement comes after weeks of tensions between Moscow, Kyiv and the latter’s Western allies over a major Russian military buildup near its western border with Ukraine and in annexed Crimea, which reportedly involved tens of thousands of troops.

Russia has argued that the build-up was defensive, while Ukraine – backed by Germany and other Western powers – has accused Moscow of attempting to provoke hostilities.

“I believe the objectives of the snap inspection have been fully achieved. The troops have demonstrated their ability to provide a credible defence for the country,” RIA quoted Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu as saying.

“In this regard, I have decided to complete the inspections in the southern and western military districts,” he added.

The deployments took place against the backdrop of renewed clashes in Ukraine’s conflict-stricken eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, where Government forces

The Russian military has not publicly declared the number of additional troops that it has moved to Crimea and parts of southwestern Russia near Ukraine in recent weeks [File: Vladimir Lavrov/Reuters]

have battled Russian-backed separatist forces since the rebels seized a swathe of territory there in April 2014.

It was not immediately clear whether the rebasing order covered all of the forces involved in the recent military build-up.

The Russian military has not publicly declared the number of additional troops that it has moved, but the European Union’s top diplomat Josep Borrell said after that EU Foreign Ministers were briefed

by Ukraine’s Foreign Minister that the number was higher than 100,000. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

20

FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021

guyanatimesgy.com

ARCHIE

ARIES

(March 21April 19)

You'll have to make your own opportunities. Look for any opening to use your skills, knowledge and attributes to get ahead. How you conduct yourself around your peers will determine how far you get.

Take a passionate approach to whatever you do, (April 20- and you will surpass your exMay 20) pectations. Don't get upset if someone makes a change of plans; in the end, it will play out in your favor.

TAURUS

DILBERT

Stop worrying about what GEMINI others think or do and focus (May 21- on what you can do to improve June 20) your life. Look for opportunities that support continuous growth and stimulating excursions.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

Expand your interests, friendships and goals. Strive to make a difference. Look at the possibilities, and consider how to revamp old ideas to fit new trends. Put your energy where it counts.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Go over essential details before you sign up for something questionable. It's important not to act in haste or give anyone a chance to take advantage of you. Discipline and hard work will be musts.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Reach out to like-minded people and develop relationships that encourage success.

Gather information and learn as you go. A flexible attitude will encourage others to see things your way.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Pay attention to the way you present yourself, how you look and what you can do to make improvements. Don't overspend on products that promise the impossible. Avoid a "quick fix" offer you encounter.

PEANUTS

CALVIN AND HOBBES

SCORPIO

SUDOKU

(Oct. 24Nov. 22)

You'll come up with a great plan that will excite you and get you moving in a new direction. Opportunity is within reach, but it's up to you to take advantage of the situation and make things happen.

Pay close attention to what SAGITTARIUS others are doing. Someone (Nov. 23will be manipulative if you arDec. 21) en't careful. Put your energy into something that matters to you. Educate yourself before you try something new.

Set high standards and CAPRICORN goals, and don't stop un(Dec. 22til you realize your expectaJan. 19) tions. Embrace projects that will make your life easier.

Focus on peace, love, happiness and spending time with loved ones.

YESTERDAY'S WORD - QUINTUPLE

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

Be careful not to overspend or get involved in something that can jeopardize your relationship with a loved one. Look for opportunities that will encourage personal growth.

Explore possibilities. Get PISCES involved in something mean(Feb. 20ingful, and you'll connect with March 20) stimulating people. A change of plans will turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Romance is on the rise.

FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021

21

Cricket West Indies publishes Annual Report C

r i c k et West I n d i e s (CWI) has published a comprehensive, full-colour annual report for 2020. The public release of the report follows the recently concluded CWI Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on

11th April 2021.

The 36-page document reports on CWI’s progress in relation to implementing its Cricket First strategic plan in the face of unprecedented challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Annual Report features specific reports on cricket, fan engagement and commercial development, as well as finance, all

of which were presented to the shareholder members at the recent AGM. Commenting on the release of the report, re-elected CWI President Ricky Skerritt said: “The production of a holistic and analytical report to shareholders, published for general stakeholder reading, is not unprecedented. But, for various reasons, CWI has not prepared such an annu-

al report for several years.

I therefore wish to commend our Executive management team for pursuing this particular project, as part of our effort to improve communication with all of our stakeholders.”

An excerpt from the report from CWI CEO Johnny Grave reads: “2020 will always be remembered for the pandemic, COVID-19. Despite these

unprecedented challenges, I am extremely proud of what we have been able to achieve over the past year, and it is truly inspiring in the way that everyone, on and off the field, has come together and collaborated so quickly to respond to the significant changes and huge uncertainty.”

Release of the CWI Annual Report follows the

publication of the audited financial statements which, for the first time, includes the consolidated accounts with Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG).

The annual report and the audited statements can be viewed on CWI’s official website via the following link: https://www. windiescricket.com/cricket-west-indies/cwi-audited-financials-2014-2020/

project BCB launches J’s Supermarket 40-Over European Super League – says Real Madrid’s is “On Standby” president, Florentino Perez tournament for teams in NA/Canje

T

A representative of J’s Supermarket handing over sponsorship to BCB President Hilbert Foster

T

he Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) last Wednesday launched another cricket tournament as it continues to prepare for another restart of the 2021 Berbice cricket season.

The proactive board had placed a hold on its 2021 cricket season after the recent spike in COVID-19 cases in Guyana. The BCB had started the season in early February, and was able to successfully complete 19 finals within two months, before closing down again.

BCB President Hilbert Foster visited the popular J’s Supermarket, located at Strand, New Amsterdam, to formally launch the tournament, and disclosed that the tournament would start as soon as the board was satisfied that the COVID situation has improved.

The tournament would be contested by 14 teams in the New Amsterdam/Canje and East Bank sub-area. The teams

would include Rose Hall Canje, Goed Bananen Land, Young Warriors, Tucber Park, Mt Sinai, Pathfinder, Kendall’s Union Sports Club, Kendall’s Union Sports Stars, Edinburgh, East Bank Blazers and Guymine.

The tournament is one of three that the teams in the areas would be involved in, along with dozens more organised across the entire county. This tournament would be played in a knockout format, while all teams are expected to closel y f o l low the COVID-19 guidelines laid down by the BCB. These would include no spectators being in the venue, social distancing, regular cleaning of hands, and the wearing of face masks while in the pavilion.

A l l teams are also reminded

that the BCB, in 2021, would be enforcing its rule on white clothing during matches, while any team granting a walkover would be banned for the rest of the season. Players debarred from second division tournaments would not be allowed to play.

Among the players on the debarred list are Shimron Hetmyer, Nial Smith and Romario Shepherd.

BCB Public Relations Officer Simon Naidu expressed thanks to the management and staff of the supermarket for this sponsorship. Naidu disclosed that the BCB had, in 2021, committed itself to organising at least three tournaments in each of the 5 sub-associations in the county, and was on target to do so. He noted that the work of the BCB under its current leadership has enable it to attract sponsorship very easily.

Jason Sripal, owner of J’s Supermarket, expressed happiness to be associated with the BCB, and expressed satisfaction with the ongoing progress of the game in the county. J’s Supermarket, Sripal noted, strongly believes in giving back and fulfilling its corporate duties. Sripal, a former national junior player, expressed confidence that the tournament would be a success.

he European Super League is on “standby” despite nine of the 12 founding teams withdrawing, says Real Madrid’s president Florentino Perez.

After a furious backlash against the proposed tournament that was announced on Sunday, all six Premier League clubs involved withdrew on Tuesday.

Spanish club Atletico Madrid and Italian sides AC Milan and Inter Milan have also formally pulled out.

“We’re going to continue working,” said Perez. “The project is on standby.”

On Thursday night, Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan raised concerns over plans to change the Champions League by adding more matches, saying it was just the “lesser of two evils”, compared to the ESL. Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus have not withdrawn from the ESL, although Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli has said the project could not now proceed.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta echoed Perez’s comments, saying a new competition is required to ensure the financial health of the game.

“We will speak more about it when the time comes, but, for now, we understand there is a need for it, even though our members will have the final say,” Laporta told Catalan network TV3.

“Big clubs contribute a lot of resources, and it’s absolutely necessary that we have our say on the distribution of money [in European football].”

Laporta was named Barca president for a second time in March, taking the helm of a club in heavy debt.

Javier Tebas, president of Spain’s La Liga, said: “If it [the Super League] was good for football, as Perez has said, they wouldn’t have done it behind our backs.”

On whether there would be sanctions from La Liga for the Spanish clubs, he added: “We are not talking about sanctions.

Everyone wants to cut people’s heads off. We have to have a procedure, and we have to see how it looks in the end. These

The power of football supporters was clear on Tuesday, as Chelsea fans gathered outside Stamford Bridge to protest against their club signing up to play in the ESL

clubs have been sanctioned by their own fans.”

Speaking on the El Larguero show on Spanish radio station Cadena Ser, Super League Chairman Perez claimed the project was not yet dead, as all 12 clubs “have not left yet”.

“You cannot get out of the contract like this - they are binding contracts,” he added.

When asked what the penalty was for leaving the project, Perez did not answer.

Perez reiterated his view that the ESL was created “to save football”, having also previously said the move had been made because young people were “no longer interested in football” because of “a lot of poor- quality games”.

He added that he was “sad and disappointed” by the reaction to the project, which the clubs have been working on “for around three years”.

He accused Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin and the footballing authorities of various countries of “aggression” and “threats” towards the ESL. “Maybe we didn’t explain it well, but they also didn’t give us an opportunity to explain it,” said the 74-year-old. “I’ve been in football for 20 years, and I’ve never seen threats like this. It was like we killed someone. It was like we killed football. But we were trying to work out how to save football.”

A revamped 36-team Champions League, starting in 2024, was agreed on Monday, although the ESL teams had said that, in the announcement of Sunday, it did not think Uefa’s reforms went far enough.

“The Champions League

format is old and only interesting from the quarter-finals onwards,” said Perez. “This format clearly doesn’t work, so we thought we could have a format where the most important teams in Europe play against each other from the very beginning of the season.

“We worked out the numbers and felt we could make much more money, more money for all the other teams too.”

Laporta has said talks with domestic leagues and Uefa remain necessary, and has suggested the ESL would not be a closed-off competition.

“It must be an attractive competition based on sporting merits,” he said. “We also will defend national leagues and we’re open to having an open dialogue with Uefa.

“We always want to improve football and have the necessary revenues to ensure football remains a spectacle. If the big clubs don’t continue to have large revenues, then football will suffer.”

Meanwhile, Perez has claimed that one of English football’s “big six” - Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham - was reluctant about the ESL from the start.

“There was someone in the English group that didn’t have much interest. I won’t say who,” he said. “That began to infect others, who are also people of an age, and who are perhaps afraid because they did not understand anything of what was happening.

“We all signed a binding agreement, but I think one was never very convinced.” (BBC Sport)

22

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021

Padikkal’s 101*, Kohli’s 72* flatten Royals in ten -wicket win

Shivam Dube played a useful innings for RR

A

phenomenal century from Devdutt Padikkal ensured the Royal Challengers Bangalore’s fourth successive victory in IPL 2021 as

seam bowling. But it just wasn’t enough.

Power outage in the powerplay The Royals have the worst

Mohamed Siraj appeals David Miller’s lbw

they pulverised the Rajasthan Royals with 10 wickets and 21 balls to spare.

Sanju Samson’s team did well to post 177 after he and the rest of his top order came undone against some accurate

performing opening partnership in IPL 2021 (ave 14.25). And they came under serious pressure tonight.

Mohammed Siraj clean bowled Jos Buttler, and impressive as that was, his

skill and more importantly the experience he has gained travelling with the Indian team, and even being their lead bowler at times, was on better display when he introduced himself to David Miller with a scorching yorker. The batter never saw it coming and, with some help from the DRS, he was walking back lbw.

The Royal Challengers’ seamers did well to attack the stumps in the powerplay, keeping their length full, but not drivable because from there, the hints of movement and extra bounce they generated made it severely hard to score runs.

Dube and Tewatia step up Pushing on from a platform of 32 for 3 in six overs is hard in the best of times. So picture how it must have been for Shivam Dube. He is in the middle of a slump and as much as he has the reputation of a big-hitter, he has

ANSA McAL powers LGC for upcoming tournament

LGC’s Patrick Prashad

T

he Lusignan Golf Club (LGC) continues to keep the sport thriving, even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, this time with the assistance of ANSA McAL. Under ANSA McAL’s Caribe Apple Cider brand, the Club will host an 18-hole golf tournament on its vast grounds on the East Coast of Demerara, with a number of opportunities for local golfer to grab prizes.

Club Captain Patrick Prashad, sharing the format of Saturday’s tournament, said the tournament format would be an 18-hole, medal play, net score, shot on start tournament.

“What do I mean by medal play? We’re going to play 18 holes, and all the participants will be hitting as many golf shots as they can to complete that hole.”

He continued, “And then they have a handicap which is actually computed and given to them based on their

LGC Vice President Peyton George

previous on the court. That handicap will be deducted from the net score, which will determine if they will win a prize or not in the tournament.”

In a simple presentation ceremony at the company’s Beterverwagting Head Office, Beverage Divisional Head Mark Nelson opined that Caribe is the perfect fit for the game of golf.

“The brand is a premium brand that fits well with golfing. We anticipate that the golfers will enjoy this product, which has been introduced to Guyana only recently. We’re looking forward and hoping persons who play the game will be refreshed with our products,” Nelson posited.

In a bid to show gratitude, Vice President Peyton George spoke of the company’s relationship with the club, and pledged its compliance with the COVID-19 guidelines.

“We’re always very thankful to ANSA McAL,

Beverage Divisional Head Mark Nelson

they’re one of our yearly sponsors. They’ve been doing this for a number of years, and they commit every year.

The love of golf clearly resides at ANSA McAL and we’re very happy to have them on board and promote their excellent range of products, the LGC VP shared.

George added, “The Lusignan Golf Club, in partnership with ANSA McAL will give a fantastic tournament this weekend.

As far as the golfing body is concerned, we’ll have a lot of participants, but limited because of COVID.” The tournament will see the introduction of prizes for front nine and back nine players. This format, as Prashad explained, would encourage players, who may not have performed exceptionally well in the first half to continue in the second. in addition to overall prizes for those golfers with the best total scores.

never lived up to it in the IPL. Until now.

Against his former team, he showed composure and good shot selection, both of which are crucial to revive a failing innings. Take his decision to attack Yuzvendra Chahal in the

CLASSIFIED ADS NOTICE

Devdutt Padikkal

After struggling on the slow, spinning tracks of Chennai, Padikkal produced a joyous display of hitting right through the line of the ball. A cut for four off Chris Morris. A straight drive for six off Mustafizur Rahman. A slog for six off Chetan Sakariya.

RCB’s Captain Kohli reached 6000 IPL runs

ninth over. The ball was spinning into his hitting arc, and he knew he could clear Wankhede’s boundaries. He has done it so many times in domestic cricket.

So, 6, dot, 6.

Dube’s 46 off 32 sowed the seeds of resistance and Rahul Tewatia took over from there. His unorthodox strokeplay - scoops over fine leg, lashes over third man - obvious power and sheer determination produced 40 runs in 23 balls and took the Royals to 177 for 9.

RCB roll on and on and on “It’s very exciting for me as a batsman,” Kohli said at the prospect of playing in Mumbai.

It looks like his opening partner also shared his enthusiasm.

Application for money lender certificate. Pursuant to section 4 of the Money Lender Act. I Cerdric Joel Weeks of lot 8 Den Amstel, Old Rd., West Coast Demerara, Guyana, am hereby giving notice that I have applied to the Magistrate of the West Demerara Magisterial District for a Certificate under the Money Lenders Act, authorizing the grant to me for a Money Lender License to carry on the Business of a money lender under the business title, “WEEKS FAST CASH PAWN SHOP”, at Y Blankenburg, Public Road, WCD, Guyana. Notice of any objection to the application should be sent forthwith to the Clerk of the Court of Georgetown Magisterial District and a copy of such notice should be sent to the subscriber, Cedric Joel Weeks (applicant) dated at Georgetown, Demerara on this day April 21, 2021.

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Each of those shots brought jaws to the floor and the Royals to their knees.

Padikkal reached his fifty off only 27 balls and showed no signs of stopping. Towards the end, he seemed to be playing the game only against himself. “Can I clear this boundary? Oh yeah.

Easy. How bout we practice the reverse sweep now? Ooooh, look at that. It’s already gone for four”.

His hundred came in the 17th over, off his 51st delivery, which he drilled through extra cover and roared in primal delight.

Riding in Padikkal’s tremendous slipstream, Kohli eased to a fifty of his own and completed 6000 runs in the IPL. (ESPNcricinfo)

2237230-1

NOW!

SCOREBOARD RAJASTHAN ROYALS INNINGS (20 OVERS MAXIMUM) Jos Buttler b Mohammed Siraj 8 Manan Vohra c Richardson 7 b Jamieson Sanju Samson (c)†c Maxwell b Washington Sundar 21 David Miller lbw 0 b Mohammed Siraj Shivam Dube c Maxwell b Richardson 46 Riyan Parag c Chahal b Patel 25 Rahul Tewatia c Shahbaz Ahmed b Mohammed Siraj 40 Chris Morris c Chahal b Patel 10 Shreyas Gopal not out 7 Chetan Sakariya c †de Villiers b Patel 0 Mustafizur Rahman not out 0 13 Extras (b 5, w 8) TOTAL (20 Ov, RR: 8.85) 177/9 Fall of wickets: 1-14 (Jos Buttler, 2.3 ov), 2-16 (Manan Vohra, 3.5 ov), 3-18 (David Miller, 4.3 ov), 4-43 (Sanju Samson, 7.2 ov), 5-109 (Riyan Parag, 13.3 ov), 6-133 (Shivam Dube, 15.3 ov), 7-170 (Rahul Tewatia, 18.6 ov), 8-170 (Chris Morris, 19.1 ov),

9-170 (Chetan Sakariya, 19.2 ov) BOWLING Mohammed Siraj Kyle Jamieson Kane Richardson Yuzvendra Chahal Washington Sundar Harshal Patel

O-M-R-W 4-0-27-3 4-0-28-1 3-0-29-1 2-0-18-0 3-0-23-1 4-0-47-3

ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE INNINGS (TARGET: 178 RUNS FROM 20 OVERS) Virat Kohli (c) not out 72 Devdutt Padikkal not out 101 8 Extras (b 1, lb 1, w 6) TOTAL (16.3 Ov, RR: 10.96) 181 Did not bat: Glenn Maxwell, AB de Villiers †, Washington Sundar, Kyle Jamieson, Shahbaz Ahmed, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Kane Richardson, Yuzvendra Chahal O-M-R-W BOWLING Shreyas Gopal 3-0-35-0 Chetan Sakariya 4-0-35-0 Chris Morris 3-0-38-0 Mustafizur Rahman 3.3-0-34-0 Rahul Tewatia 2-0-23-0 Riyan Parag 1-0-14-0

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

23 Wong looking for answers after exclusion from Olympic Qualifiers P FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021

roud as he was of his fellow Guyanese, Miguel Wong was left with a heap of questions, after not being considered for the Latin American Table Tennis Olympic Qualifiers.

Back in 2019, Miguel Wong made the necessary sacrifices to attend a high intensity training in Germany, in order to better his Table Tennis skills.

The sacrifice was made

would make the cut to represent Guyana at the Qualifiers.

Fast forward to 2021, it was only last week that a four-member team jet off to Rosario, Argentina, where the participated in the Latin American Qualifiers.

Although the Titans Table Tennis club member is not critical of his fellow Guyanese who participated, the 20-yearold Wong is questioning his exclusion.

A glimpse at Miguel Wong’s spot on the ITTF Senior Men’s World Ranking

with the Tokyo Olympics in mind, as Wong hoped he

“Whenever there’s like a major game for table tennis

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

or any other sport, you know, there should be a trial, to identify that Guyana will be represented at the top. Not just pick from these and these or pick without any selection criteria,” the player shared while speaking exclusively with the Guyana Times Sport.

“They should have a trial, maybe three months before, so they can identify a proper team and work with the players as they go along.”

As he recounted the events leading up to the Olympic Qualifiers, Wong shared that he was never officially made aware that Guyana would be represented on the Regional stage.

“I had no knowledge about a team going to the qualification tournament, I only knew that the qualification tournament was on, because on social media the other players were already in training. So, I know it was on but I had no knowledge that Guyana was attending due to the situation,” Wong related to the Guyana Times Sport.

“And then skip forward maybe two days before, I saw on Facebook or somewhere that Guyana was on their way to Argentina. No tri-

10 WCB youth cricketers benefit from BCB/Dr Puran Singh Educational Trust Fund 2021 –BCB President emphasises importance of education

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The awardees posing with executives of the BCB after the presentation ceremony

resident of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB), Hilbert Foster, last Wednesday urged young cricketers across Berbice to complete their studies at the secondary level, as an educational career is very important in today’s modern world.

Foster was speaking at the presentation ceremony of the BCB/ Dr Puran Singh Educational Trust Fund at the board’s office in New Amsterdam.

A total of 10 under-17 youths drawn from clubs in the West Berbice SubAssociation each received $10,000 under the Fund as an investment into their educational careers. Foster recalled that when his administration was elected into office in 2018, he spoke of the need for youths to not only play the game on the field, but also to complete their educational careers.

Noting that less than five percent of players who are currently playing would go

on to be professional cricketers, the BCB President urged the players to make sure that they have an education to fall back on.

An educated mind would open doors of opportunity that would otherwise remain closed he said, and he committed to assisting as much as possible.

Over the last three years, 200 youths have benefited from educational grants, educational scholarships, bicycles to attend school, school bags and educational materials among other things.

Another ten players from the Upper Corentyne area would receive educational grants on Tuesday April 26, when the BCB holds the first presentation ceremony of the Vitality INC Educational Trust Fund.

Foster spoke at length on the need to balance sports and education, while urging the parents of the youths to be their best role models.

He pleaded with the parents to play a bigger role in their

children’s cricketing careers by encouraging them on a regular basis and following their progress on the cricket field.

Those who received the $10,000 grant were Razam Koobir, Altav Balman, Keyman Mingo, Sheniya Mangra, Christopher Webster, Tamara George, Saif Hargobin, Shivnarine Ragobeer, Arif Bacchus and Justin Doobay.

They were drawn from the Blairmont, Cotton Tree, Bath, Achievers, Paradise and Bush Lot United cricket clubs.

BCB Secretary Angela Haniff expressed thanks to Dr Singh for his continued investment in Berbice cricket, and also urged the players to remain disciplined and focused.

Dr Puran Singh is a major sponsor of Berbice cricket, and is an overseas-based Guyanese living in Barbados, where he is a very popular medical doctor.

als were kept, no other player was kept in the loop about what’s going on. They probably just made the decision in private I guess,” a saddened Wong shared.

On the other hand, Wong explained that by the time he processed what had happened, it made no use for him to reach out to the GTTA. “No I didn’t make any contact, because the situation already passed, you know. I

Though he was not able to compete at the National Seniors in 2020, owing to a training stint in Germany, Wong is the highest World ranked Guyanese male player at number 706 with 168 points. Additionally, the 20-year-old shared that he remained active throughout the initial phases of the COVID-19 pandemic while being stuck in Germany, where he featured in the

ly sent me a picture and told me I was selected for the Pan American Games in Cali, Columbia. I’m guessing my selection was based on World Ranking,” the Table Tennis player candidly shared.

“For the German camp, I took the initiative, I reached out to a few friends and with the help of Dwain Dick from my club, Mr Kumar and Mr King from Bistro, we made the trip possible. It was main-

German Open, Portugal Open and the Challengers Series in Germany.

According to Wong, he was also afforded the opportunity to train with players from Argentina, Cuba, Guatemala; many of whom were contenders for the Latin American Qualifiers.

The updated International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) rankings, which is as of Week #16 for 2021, shows Guyana’s next ranked player as Shemar Britton who sits at 876 with 117 points.

In spite of his disappointment, Wong is optimistic about his recent qualification for the Pan American Junior Games, which he is committed to working with the GTTA and GOA to attend.

“Yesterday, a friend if mine from Barbados actual-

ly funding from the private sector that gave me adequate help,” he said touching on the financial hurdles he has had to jump in order to better his game.

“For the Pan American games; it’s major sporting event, so it should be covered by the Guyana Olympic Association,” “I will reach out to them (the GOA) and I will reach out to the GTTA,” Further down the road, Wong hopes to return to Europe, after being scouted for a team there.

“I was scouted for a team for Austria,” he disclosed.

However, this particular development did not come immediately, as he had to return to Guyana, owing to the ongoing pandemic and financial constraints.

Miguel Wong in action

tried to be in touch with the President of the Association for a while but I wasn’t really getting hold of him, maybe he was a bit busy and stuff like that.”

Wong clarified, “Because we had other previous engagements in terms of the German camp and stuff like that.”

When contacted by this newscast, Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) President Godfrey Munroe shared that the team was selected based on the National Championships which were hosted in February 2020, amongst other criteria.

Following up, this publication put forward the question of Wong’s non-inclusion, to which Munroe shared that he hasn’t broken into the Senior team performance wise as yet.

Former Guyana batsman Andrew Gonsalves to sponsor ACCCC’s U-21 team

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ormer Guyana batsman Andrew Gonsalves will be sponsoring the Albion Community Centre Cricket Club’s Under 21 Team for the 2021 season.

Gonsalves, a former Albion cricketer who was known for his explosive batting, is the owner/manager of the Cell Towers Builders Inc. in the United States, where he now resides.

On Wednesday, he contacted the President of the Albion Community Centre Cricket Club (ACCCC) to express an interest in assisting the Club. It was then agreed that he would provide sponsorship for the club’s under-21 team.

Gonsalves providing assistance to the ACCCC is nothing new, since, over the years, he had made several financial contributions.

In his discussion with the club’s president, he ex-

Andrew Gonsalves

pressed delight with the continued excellent work of the club, and disclosed that giving back to his club would always be a pleasure for him.

The sponsorship will officially be launched shortly. This sponsorship is one of many that the club has attracted recently. A few weeks ago, sponsorships for the club’s team, which will participate in the upcoming Speaker’s T20 National Club Cricket tournament along

with its under 13, 15, 17 and 19 teams, were launched.

Permaul’s Trading & Distribution (PT&D) and K.P. Jagdeo General Contracting are the sponsors of the club’s team for the Speaker’s T20 National Club Cricket tournament.

The club’s under-19 team is sponsored by K.P. Jagdeo General Contracting, with Orvin Mangru’s Contracting Services and Permaul’s Trading & Distribution (PT&D) being the under-15 team’s sponsor, and the under-13 team being taken care of by Harichand’s Business Establishment.

The club’s first division team is also partly sponsored; however, it is very likely that this team would have a full sponsor within a few weeks.

Meanwhile, the club has expressed gratitude to Mr. Gonsalves for his continued support.

FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021

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

Padikkal’s 101*, Kohli’s 72* flatten Royals in ten Wong looking for -wicket answers after exclusion win from Olympic Qualifiers Pg 23

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