Guyana Times - Friday January 3, 2020

P14

GTT employee donates AC units to paediatric ward Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 4154

THE BEACON OF TRUTH FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 2020

GuySuCo produces lowest sugar tonnage – yet Plantation White in history Sugar project to start this year Page 9

AFC got what it deserved – Jagdeo

PRICE

$80 VAT INCLUDED

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Housekeeper accused of stealing from Minister Broomes not P16 guilty

P12 Illegal connections, wastage continue to affect GWI

See story on page 7

Tullow will not 2 killed in develop separate small accidents oil find

Family of dead geologist still to receive P13 compensation

Page 13

Page 3

…although announcing 3rd discovery

Black Bush rice farmer beaten to death See story on page 16

Govt reduced house lot allocations since taking office Page 11

— even though 60,000 active applications pending

Page 11

CAL protests claims of P14 ‘milking’ Guyana to make up for T&T losses

Teen charged for wounding another over P16 female ꟷ third wanted for murder

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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

Friday, January 3 – 10:30h – 12:00h and Saturday, January 4 – 12:00h – 13:30h.

Tullow will not develop small oil find …although announcing 3rd discovery

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Friday, January 3 – 09:40h – 11:10h and Saturday, January 4 – 10:50h – 12:20h.

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

WEATHER TODAY Sunshine will prevail during the day.

There will be clear skies at night.

Temperatures should range between 20 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

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

High Tide: 10:17h and 22:45h reaching maximum heights of 2.19 metres and 2.19 metres.

Low Tide: 03:45h and 16:15h reaching minimum heights of 0.99 metre and 1.04 metres.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2019

LOTTERY NUMBERS H

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 2, 2020 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

Tullow Chief Operating Officer Mark MacFarlane

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ritish-owned Tullow Oil has made its third oil discovery offshore Guyana but despite finding high-quality crude this time, the company has decided against commercialising the oil.

In a statement on Thursday, Tullow explained that its latest find at the Carapa-1 well on the Repsoloperated Kanuku licence was approximately four metres of net oil pay based on preliminary interpretation, which is below pre-drill estimates.

According to the Britishowned oil company, the Valaris EXL II jack-up rig drilled the Carapa-1 well to a total depth of 3290 metres in 68 metres of water. It added that “…the well will now be plugged and abandoned”.

Nevertheless, Tullow noted that this find has extended the prolific Cretaceous oil play into the group’s Guyana acreage.

The company pointed out that preliminary results of drilling, wireline logging, pressure testing and sampling of reservoir fluid indicate the discovery of oil in Upper Cretaceous age sandstone reservoirs.

In fact, it added that rig site testing has indicated that the oil is 27 degrees API with a sulphur content of less than one per cent.

Detailed laboratory analysis of the oil quality will follow in due course.

“The Carapa oil discovery suggests the extension of the Cretaceous oil play from the Stabroek licence southwards into the Kanuku licence. While net pay is lower than pre-drill forecasts, the 27-degree API oil supports the significant potential of the Cretaceous play on both the Kanuku and adjacent Orinduik licences,” it noted.

According to Tullow Chief Operating Officer Mark MacFarlane, the Carapa-1 result is an important exploration outcome with positive implications for both the Kanuku and Orinduik blocks.

He added “…While net

pay and reservoir development at this location are below our pre-drill estimates, we are encouraged to find good quality oil which proves the extension of the prolific Cretaceous play into our acreage. We will now integrate the results of the three exploration wells drilled in these adjacent licences into our Guyana and Suriname geological and geophysical models before deciding the future work programme”.

Repsol is the operator of the Kanuku Block with a 37.5 per cent stake. Tullow Guyana BV also holds an equal 37.5 per cent stake while Total E&P Guyana BV has the remaining 25

per cent.

This is Tullow’s third oil find offshore Guyana.

However, in November, the company revealed that samples from both discoveries at the Jethro-1 well in August and Joe-1 well in September in the Orinduik Block showed heavy crudes with high sulphur content – a variety of oil that is less economically viable than the light, sweet crudes found

by United States oil giant ExxonMobil right offshore Guyana in the neighbouring Stabroek Block.

Despite this, however, it was reported in November

that the British-owned oil company will continue drillings this year with hopes of finding better quality crude.

Tullow holds a 60 per cent stake in the Orinduik

had announced its first discovery of oil in commercial quantities, the companies’ shares had jumped by over 19 per cent on the London Stock Exchange. But its

Block, while Total E&P Guyana BV has 25 per cent and the remaining 15 per cent being held

by Eco (Atlantic) Guyana Inc. Head of the Department of Energy, Dr Mark Bynoe, had indicated at the time that such discovery is not unusual circumstances.

“Most of the finds that are often announced, are announced based on a single well that is drilled. After that, the companies go back in to do appraisal drills.

That appraisal drill may then help them to find additional types of fuel. So you can have in the first field, heavy fuel and later on, you can find lighter fuel. It’s not homogenous,” the Energy Director noted.

However, when Tullow

November announcement of the low quality and unprofitable crude caused the companies’ shares to tumble.

The British-owned oil company’s troubles continued to the end of 2019.

In fact, its shares dropped to a 20-year low of 72 per cent as the group cut its oil production forecasts for the coming years and announced the resignation of its Chief Executive Officer Paul McDade as well as its Exploration Chief Angus McCoss.

A similar drop in shares was seen on Thursday when the company announced that it will not be commercialising its latest find at the Carapa-1 well. At the open in London, Tullow’s stock fell as much as 20 per cent but narrowed later in the day to under seven per cent.

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 2020

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

Lawlessness on our roadways

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e are only three days into a new year and already two persons have lost their lives on Guyana’s roadways.

The recent unprecedented number of road fatalities has left numerous families in mourning even as concern is being expressed over the reasons for those accidents and more so the lawlessness on our roadways. In many of the cases, the Police have stated that a common theme appears to be the unnecessary taking of risk, speed and alcohol.

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

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

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

Given what has taken place over the month, one could not be faulted for concluding that the results of the accidents may not have inspired a more responsible behaviour. However, judging from sentiments expressed on social media, it appears that more cognizance has seemingly been brought to the mindsets of many.

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

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

Even if the Police were to offer an excuse, inexcusable as it may be, there is none that can be offered for not using the public CCTV cameras to take action against the errant drivers. Many of these cameras are strategically placed at some intersections where traffic lights are mounted and other areas. Very often, persons, generally using the cameras from their cell phones, would snap and post a picture of a traffic violation.

It begs another question: if members of the public can take the time and effort to highlight daily traffic violations and from which the Police sometimes intervene, why can’t the Police itself use the CCTV cameras in a sustained effort to make defaulters face the law? Millions of taxpayers’ dollars were used to procure and mount those cameras; therefore, its value must be to benefit the public.

How many more before the Police announce the sustained usage of the CCTV cameras to combat the recklessness on the roads?

That seems a fair question in the context of not only what transpired over the past few weeks but over time. In addition, the suggestion for undercover cops posing as passengers is repeated. That would help to authenticate, if nothing else is working, violations of speeding, reckless driving and overloading among others.

Importantly, the Police must holistically demonstrate that sense of commitment to genuinely collaborate with members of the public to collectively tackle the situation.

Worshippers carry a “mikoshi” or portable shrine in the sea during a festival to wish for calm waters in the ocean and good fortune in the new year in Oiso, Kanagawa prefecture, west of Tokyo, Japan, January 1, 2020 (Reuters/Kim Kyung-Hoon)

Response to Professor Kean Gibson Dear Editor, Professor Kean Gibson launched yet another attack on Hinduism in her letter titled “Not a ‘misunderstanding of caste’ but how to manage ideology” (December 22, 2019).

In this letter, Gibson argued that Hinduism promotes suicide because of reincarnation. According to Gibson, Hindus are more prone to committing suicide since they believe that they will return in another life. The Professor, however, failed to provide any support for her offensive claim.

No attempt was made

by Gibson to quote the Vedic text(s), which says that a Hindu can commit suicide because reincarnation allows him or her many other opportunities to live. In this information age, finding citation(s) is extremely easy with Google. All Professor Gibson is required to do is type ‘Reincarnation and suicide,’ and she would obtain sufficient material to advance her claim.

It is not too late for Gibson to conduct this search, which will direct her to information that will easily falsify her irresponsible claim. For instance, she will find that in the Isavasya Upanishad, it is clearly stated that ‘he who takes his self reaches, after death, the sunless region covered by impenetrable darkness”. She will also find in every Vedic text the concept of Ahimsa, which encourages Hindus to respect all living things, humans, plants, animals.

It would be paradoxical for Hinduism to promote respect for every life except

self.

As an academic, Gibson also failed to provide any empirical evidence to support her claim. There was no mention of any study that proves reincarnation is the cause of suicide. Even if there are studies that show that Hindus commit suicide, I couldn’t find any that provides conclusive evidence that the belief in reincarnation is responsible for Hindus committing suicide in Guyana or any part of the world.

Any review of the literature on suicide would reveal that suicide is not limited to any religious group and is caused by factors such as depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsion, neuroticism, pessimism, and death obsession, economic distress, social pressure, family problems, access to lethal means, substance abuse, etc.

Given this paucity of research regarding the nexus between reincarnation and suicide, Gibson can fill an important gap in the literature by conducting such a study. I am sure it would make her eligible for the Noble Prize since it would be groundbreaking.

The fact is Hinduism does not promote suicide, and reincarnation is not responsible for Hindus committing suicide. While the suicide rate may appear to be correlated with one’s religious belief is does not mean that religious belief causes suicide.

There is a major difference between correlation and causation that we teach our students in Introductory Statistics.

They are not the same.

Variables can be strong-

ly correlated but do not influence each other. In Statistics, we refer to this anomaly as a ‘spurious relationship.’

Another irrefutable fact is that reincarnation is meant to give Hindus as many opportunities to reunite with Gods since the supreme personality has infinite mercy and cannot condemn anyone to eternal

damnation. Nowhere in the Vedic is scripture reincarnation promoted as an escape from one’s current existence. If Gibson can point me to the scripture that confirms this, I will publicly apologise to her.

Sincerely, Sukrishnalall Pasha, Senior Lecturer

Shakedown at Puruni Landing Dear Editor, In a recent article published in the Kaieteur News accusing GGMC’s Mines Officers of corruption, Editor, I would like to add some evidence to support your article.

I am a shop owner at Puruni Landing and my place of business was visited recently by an official who claimed to be responsible for managing Trading Licenses.

I was in Georgetown at the time doing business. The official, who is not stationed in the area, presented a notice to my shop attendant indicating that the trading in gold with the license would be suspended from January 2020. However, if I wish to continue doing business, one ounce of raw gold must be paid to him when he visits in January.

It is my understanding that the said person had made similar proposals to other shop owners. Upon returning to the Puruni Landing two days after, I visited the GGMC’s office to enquire the basis

of the notice and was told by the Mines Officer stationed there that he had no knowledge of such notice and would have to check with his supervisor.

He did acknowledge that the official who served the notice works at the GGMC but in another department.

Sir, this act of corrupt practice must be highlighted in an effort to remove those individuals who engage in such practices from the GGMC. I have interacted on a number of occasions with officers of the Commission and found many to be hardworking and honest; however, there are a few such as the individual who gave the notice, that should be investigated and the necessary action is taken.

I firmly believe that this was a “shakedown” operation since the officer stationed at the Puruni Landing confessed that he was in no way connected to that individual.

Sincerely, Shop owner

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

GGDMA’s power-drunk election strategy

Dear Editor, In his inaugural statement, newly-elected President of the Guyana Gold & Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) at the end of November, Andron Alphonso, openly challenged miners to use their electoral clout to determine the result of the next election. “We are the swing vote,” he announced, claiming over 100,000 people are directly or indirectly involved with mining. He pledged to fight “tooth and nail” to protect the future of the industry against policies that will be detrimental to, or result in the ‘desolation’ of the industry.

Drawing attention to being the youngest GGDMA President in many years, he committed to re-

cruiting more youth into the ranks of the GGDMA, stating: “We need the next generation to step up and … have meaningful participation in the direction in which this Association is going. That is something that we’re definitely going to be working on, to bring that younger element into the Association”.

He maintained silence over the fact that the environmental ‘desolation’ generated by his industry puts him at odds with the majority of the generation he hopes to recruit.

The inter-generational narrative focuses attention on the phenomenal cost of gold-mining to both the Guyanese population and the environment. According to ancient doctrines in many cultur-

al traditions, natural resources, including rivers, fresh air, beaches, minerals and all manner of bio-diversity – known as ‘commons’ – belong to all the population communally. Not only do they belong to everyone, but the term ‘everyone’ includes future generations.

The current generation is trustees for these natural assets to which future generations have the same ownership rights.

The Constitution of Guyana recognises this principle as well the links between inheritance and the environment: “The right of inheritance is guaranteed” (Art 20) and “The state shall protect the environment for the benefit of present and future generations through reasonable legis-

lative and other measures” (Art 149 J (2)).

Over the past forty years, the current generation has transformed the perception of commons – ie publicly-shared inherited assets – into commodities to be bought and sold for private gain. The terminology we normally employ to discuss extractive assets, for example ‘windfall profits’, deflects us away from the more accurate term of ‘depletion of assets’. This encourages us to see the wealth generated from the sale of oil, gas or gold, as pure profit. We never count the losses. Nor do we ensure that the assets irrevocably lost are replaced by assets of equal value to the present and future generations.

In the Guyanese con-

Splitting contracts Dear Editor, The Auditor General’s warning to Permanent Secretaries and REOs about “contract splitting” piqued my interest; I pulled on that thread and was surprised to see how quickly a cloak of respectability unravelled into a heap of corruption.

It involves the Ministry of Public Infrastructure (MoPI), the use of the Demerara Harbour Bridge Company (DHBC), and the new asphalt plant in a scheme to bypass procurement safeguards for goods, services and construction projects. Malfeasance ranges from ‘slush fund’ dips to the more complex under-threshold contracts and emergency works contingencies.

The public is well aware of the $153 million paid for a feasibility study to Dutch consulting firm Lievense CSO; however, in December 2017, a further $62 million was spent and in 2018, an additional $74 million was budgeted and spent. Total expenditure (to date) has surpassed $300M with the MoPI making regular withdrawals for items such as vehicles for consultants.

The DHBC has paid for overseas travel for the CEO and Patterson to visit the asphalt plant manufacturer in Germany, despite the bid being done and won by open tender, and also for firstclass travel of a close family member of the Minister to Trinidad. There has been no attempt to hide the use of funds at DHBC; the line items are clearly shown in the ledgers. The use of the new asphalt plant as an engine of corruption is even more insidious.

In February 2019, the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) announced adjustments to thresholds that will allow ministries and state agencies to spend

more without going to that body. The new threshold for goods and services is now $10M, up from $3M, while the limits for contracts for construction are doubled from $10M to $20M. The MoPI does not include asphalt (very costly) in contracts that it wants to avoid open bidding and public scrutiny. Normally, a company would bid for a contract and source asphalt on its own, this would usually mean profits for the DHBC— which operates the asphalt plant. By providing companies with the asphalt component, MoPI can award multiple $20M contracts without raising alarms. There is no suggestion of corruption in the operations of the asphalt plant.

It is the same with the use of ‘emergency works’, which is the other ruse used to bypass the procurement process by MoPI. There is the well-documented example where a crack in the seawall (Dantzig) in February was allowed to become a major breach (Cottage to Belvedere) in October; to date, over $1.2 billion has been expended from the Contingency Fund to repair ($460M August and $800M October). It would seem there is profit in the misery of others.

The MoPI inexplicably renegotiated a ‘fixed-price’ contract for a new airport and an extended runway (CJIA) using claims that 90% of the funds were paid to the contractor who had only completed 20% of the work. In a fixed-price contract, you can pay 100% upfront; the work contracted must be completed for the price agreed. The result is a shoddily refurbished airport, fewer air-bridges and an additional USD 30M bill for the taxpayer.

A report from the InterAmerican Development

Bank (IDB) study, titled “Wait No More: Citizens, Red Tape, and Digital Government” was released earlier this month.

It revealed that in Guyana, “Manual Government transactions, face-to-face interactions, and the lack of standardised processes mean that transactions are vulnerable to dishonest behaviour”.

In examining the actions of the MoPI, I can concur wholeheartedly.

Editor, all of these examples of ways and means of bypassing the procurement process involve just one ministry, whose Minister, David Patterson, claims that he was exonerated by a SOCU investigation of his conduct concerning the new Bridge Feasibility Study, I would ask that the SOCU report be made public as I am reliably informed that the report did no such thing. There are clear indications that the APNU/AFC gutted SOCU after they failed to build substantive cases against PPP/C government officials and moved onto investigating at least seven Ministers

of Granger’s administration.

The request for these investigations came from the highest levels and yet was thwarted. The man who promised the ‘good life’ was rendered impotent, he now comes with talk of a ‘decade of development’; Granger could not deliver one week of a competent, honest or transparent government in five years but wants a decade; the only transformation has been depleted reserves from US$968M to less than zero; the public accounts from black to red; from a parliamentary democracy to dictatorship; from rule of law to rule by decree.

Our only hope is that the Squandermania will be curtailed by the 1/12th spending provision in the Constitution, given the innovations and brazen nature of the corruption by Granger’s cabal to date, this is a hope held on a tenuous thread; one pull and it all falls apart.

Respectfully, Robin Singh

text, gold-mining has been far and away the largest contributor to squandering the shared inheritance that mineral wealth ought to represent. According to official sources, a total of 11.1 million ounces of gold have been extracted from Guyana in the forty-year period from 1980-2019.

Based on yearly average prices over this period, the total value of gold extracted was valued at US$7.4 billion or G$1.5 trillion dollars.

Confronted with resources of this magnitude, the only morally relevant question is what tangible benefits do the current generation of Guyanese enjoys as a result of this enormous fire-sale of their assets? Is there a well-funded insurance or pension scheme for miners? Is there a well-appointed housing scheme built by the industry comparable to extra-nuclear housing scheme for sugar workers? Do children of gold-miners routinely receive bursaries to take them through college and university studies? To say nothing of what the industry has not given back to the larger society.

As for the future generation, their bequest from mining is more readily counted in terms of decimated forests and polluted rivers. Was the cost of environmental restoration factored into the above statistics, the cost to the society would double.

Would the GGDMA consider funding an institute to promote alternative technology to the use of mercury or to finance a restoration programme? The “truth and nail” pledge would suggest not.

The President of the

GGDMA’s reference to the ‘100,000 people associated with the industry’ also disguises accumulation of vast areas under mining licences by a mere handful of very large but misleadingly termed ‘medium-scale’ local miners, who hold thousands of acres under mining licences, land lorded out to others.

The policies the GGDMA are committed to protecting are neither capitalist nor socialist economics, but more akin to looting. On one hand, there is a constant clamour for subsidies and privileges from the Government to insulate this privileged group from the real costs of extraction, and on the other, they denounce reasonable regulation of the industry that protect the assets of those same citizens. All the while engaging in widespread tax avoidance.

The posture adopted by the GGDMA with respect to the upcoming elections viewed through the lens of the biblical parable of the prodigal son would have the son return home after squandering the assets bequeathed by his father, not to humbly beg forgiveness, but to bully the father into giving him the assets that belong to his brothers.

Were the younger generation indeed ‘to step up’ and assert the “meaningful participation” that Mr Alphonso is looking for, the upsurge of climate-concerned youth we have witnessed this year suggest the GGDMA might be in for a surprise.

Respectfully, Mike McCormack Policy Forum Guyana

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Learn new things y daughter wants to learn how to sing.

She is so smart and has accomplished so much in her short six years. – Michele Martinez Five-year-old Grace wants to learn to read more “star words” (sight words). Learning to read in kindergarten has been so much fun. Two-yearold Ben wants to run and climb more! – Renee Ballerine Improve education My four-year-old daughter is still having a tough time holding her pencil/crayon correctly, so we’re set on mastering that. – Joanna Good My four-year-old wants to master addition. —Alisha AlmostKerr Scalf Stop eating junk food My girls decided on no more fast food “minus a pizza every now and then”, and we

Foundation W

e reached out to our readers and social-media followers asking what skills the (typically developing) kid should have under their belt by the age of 12. Don’t despair if your child hasn’t mastered every item yet –just make the remaining milestones their #BigKidGoals. * Display basic good manners. Even in the computer age, it’s vital to be able to look someone in the eye when meeting them and offer a firm yet friendly handshake.

Start exercising My nine-year-old son has resolved to run with me three days a week. My 7-year-old son wants to play more with his brothers. – Melissa Newell Help mom quit smoking My son is nine. He decided to make it his goal to help me quit smoking. Kids – gotta love them! – Lorena Kerrigan Adopt a “green” lifestyle I have five kids, and they decided to use less energy, so they are cutting out 90 per cent of TV usage, unplugging everything we don’t use daily, and walking to school! – Millie Radona Master milestones My son just turned two years old; his resolution is to learn to use the big-boy potty.

My second child is in the womb and “says” his/her resolution is to sleep through the night

“Mommy.” – Lucy Herrera

figured if we can cut that out, it would be a good lifestyle change. We already limit junk food that comes in the house.

—Katie Fitch

as fast as possible. – Ronella Collins My three-month-old daughter told me she wants to learn how to walk and say

Donate hair to locks of love My girls did theirs this summer; they donated 10 inches of their hair to Locks of Love, in honour of my cousin, who died of cancer and in honour of my best friend, who is 29 and fighting stage four breast cancer. – Meredith Stasio My daughter is also going to donate to Locks of Love!

Her hair is already long, but it’s curly, so she’s going to let it grow two to three more inches.

– Esther Gruber Continue good behaviour My seven-year-old daughter, who has ADHD and

Asperger’s syndrome, said her goals are to be good and listen to her parents. – Dolores Sheesley Always have fun My son wants to build a teleporter to Legoland. – Lisa Decker Last year we held a New Year’s Eve playdate and we counted down at noon for the kids. That night, at bedtime, I was telling my son (then four years old) about resolutions, and without pausing he told me, “I want to have parties where we throw confetti and make lots of noise once a week.”

– Katie Dugan (parenting.com)

* Maintain a calendar. Keep track of their own social engagements, field trips, assignments, and loved ones’ birthdays, thank you very much. *Show compassion for others – human and animal.

That means putting themselves in a friend’s or stranger’s shoes and standing up in safe and effective ways for the bullied or abused. *Take responsibility for basic household chores. Kids without significant physical challenges at this age can take out garbage and recycling, and wash dishes – properly – for starters! *Develop a relat i o n -

ship with the natural world. Start with classic scouting skills like making a campfire and identifying a few local birds, animals, and plants – especially poison ivy! Graduate to skills like telling the time by the position of the sun in the sky and using a compass. *Use the phone. Not to text. To speak. It’ll make Grandma’s day! * Use public transport. Practise with your parent to get to know some basic routes and understand how it works, before going solo. Brainstorm what to do if you accidentally miss your stop or get on the wrong bus. Sit as close to the driver as possible and ask for help if you feel unsafe. * Get to and from school on their own. * Have non-electronic fun. * Watch over a younger child for brief stints (With or without an adult in the room). (Excerpt from todaysparent.com)

NEWS

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

AFC got what it deserve – Jagdeo

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Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

pposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo said that the Alliance for Change (AFC) – the smaller party of the incumbent coalition – is now being dealt the same card by President David Granger as was done to the Opposition People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) with the selection of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairman back in 2017.

“We heard now that Granger will decide which ministries AFC gets and we [had] heard from the Stabroek News report that the candidate for PM (Prime Minister) must not be unacceptable to Granger. And you know, in a way, I’m so happy that this happened to the AFC. It’s not bad mindedness but they were cheering on Granger when, of the 18 names that we submitted to him to choose the Chairman of GECOM, he claimed that they’re all unacceptable and then chose

someone that he wanted and that was ruled subsequently unconstitutional by the CCJ (Caribbean Court of Justice).

And they were cheering him on so much…,” Jagdeo stated at the Opposition’s endof-year press conference on Monday.

The Opposition Leader went on to point out that in the initial Accord, the coalition had an independent person as the head of its list so as to ensure that both partners, particularly the minority AFC, get what is agreed to. “…They’re a coalition, so the head of the list should not be a member of either party because they’re a coalition, just to make sure that the Accord was met.

Granger seems to be the head of the list now so [the AFC] don’t have any guarantees there…,” Jagdeo posited.

However, during negotiation stages to revise the Cummingsburg Accord, the

coalition partners had been at loggerheads over several issues. The agreement will expire next month and as such, the APNU and AFC spent weeks last year renegotiating a new deal.

Reports had circulated during those talks that the minority party may not receive the same portions it once enjoyed, having lost its advantage.

The APNU/AFC coalition was toppled by a No-Confidence Motion (NCM) in December 2018 when AFC parliamentarian, Charrandass Persaud, crossed over and voted in favour of the Oppositiontabled motion. This, coupled with the AFC’s poor performance at the November 2018 Local Government Elections (LGE), did not give the party much to take to the negotiations table.

One area the coalition partners were battling over was the selection of a Prime Ministerial candidate.

The 2015 Cummingsburg Accord saw the APNU getting the Presidential post while the PM candidacy went to the AFC. As such, the AFC went ahead and selected its leader, Khemraj Ramjattan, at its National Executive Conference (NEC) back in June to be Granger’s running mate at this year’s March 2 General and Regional Elections.

However, despite teams from both side negotiating terms for revised Accord, APNU’s leader, David Granger, had declared in November that he will be deciding on a PM candidate

who can deliver the best results at the upcoming polls.

Nevertheless, a final high-level meeting late November saw the parties coming to a final agreement, which resulted in AFC retaining the PM candidacy but left with a smaller share of the pie than it went in with.

The 2015 Accord had catered for the APNU to get 60 per cent while the AFC gets 40 per cent of the allotments of the Ministerial, Parliamentary and Regional Democratic Council (RDC) posts. However, it was reported that AFC was handed only 30 per cent of the allocations, which leaves its majority partner with 70 per cent.

This means that should the coalition win the upcoming elections in March 2020, the AFC’s seats will be slashed by 25 per cent when compared to its allotments agreed upon in the original Accord.

Last week, the APNU and the AFC went ahead and secretly signed a revised Cummingsburg Accord on Christmas Eve but it was not with the same fanfare as 2015 since the media was not invited.

Details of the revised Accord were not released to the public. In fact, when

APNU leader David Granger and AFC leader Khemraj Ramjattan at the signing of the revised Cummingsburg Accord on Christmas Eve day at State House

this publication contacted Ramjattan on the matter, he disconnected the call.

However, when contacted, Director General of the Ministry of Presidency, Joseph Harmon, who led the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) negotiating team during the initial stages of the Accord’s review, did confirm that as per the revised Accord, the AFC’s nominee will be the PM candidate.

But it was previously reported that while

Ramjattan’s candidateship was accepted by the APNU, he will not be assuming the presidential post should it become available.

Asked if the party was happy with the Accord that was signed, Harmon noted that as they signed, it was indicative of them being satisfied with the terms.

According to the APNU General Secretary, the Accord itself embraces principles of constitutionalism and the experiences shared over the past few years.

8 NEWS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Man gets 9 years for attempted murder

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hirty-two-year-old Mohan Dharbali, also called “Rakish”, of Cumberland, East Canje, Berbice, was jailed for nine years

by Justice Brassington Reynolds on Monday last after he pleaded guilty to an attempted murder charge.

The Police stated that the accused dealt one blow to Fazal Hussain with a piece of wood to the head on February 7, 2017.

According to Hussain, he was at a wake house when Dharbali came and asked him what he was doing there. He then proceeded to punch and lash him to the head with a piece of wood. Hussain lost consciousness and was taken to the New Amsterdam Hospital. Currently, he cannot hear from his left ear.

In a probation report, Probation and Welfare Officer attached to the Social Protection Ministry, Leesa-Ann Tucker said

Mohan Dharbali

Dharbali was raised by a stepfather after his biological father died.

At the age of 14 years, he worked as a porter

with an uncle at Calabash Creek in the Canje River.

In 2012, he was jailed for breaking and enter. As a child, he was often left

unsupervised.

The accused said he was sorry, but claimed that Hussain attacked him and he acted in self-defence.

Hussein said he wanted justice.

Dharbali said, “I am sorry about what happened and it will never happen back.”

Before passing sentence, Justice Reynolds said the offence carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. He then referred to a United Nations report on life expectancy for Guyanese males which is 63 years. Hence, he premised Dharbali had 31 years remaining, and deducted 15 and a further five for the guilty plea.

Another year was removed for the mitigating probation report.

However, Justice Reynolds noted that Dharbali was not a first-time offender. He also said he noted the desires of the victim who said he wanted justice.

New wine…

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…in old wineskins ranger continually virtue-signals with well-publicised pics of him kneeling in church but he’d know that Christ himself warned: “Not everyone who says ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven”! Today, he (Granger, not the Christ!) will kick off the PNC’s– let’s not even detain ourselves with the “APNU/AFC fig leaf! – election campaign at D’Urban “Jubilee” Park. But don’t hold your breath that he’ll explain how the $1.5 BILLION was spent on the termite-infested structures!! Campaign contributors have to be rewarded!!

But even though your Eyewitness doesn’t wear it on his sleeves, he knows his Bible – after those compulsory church attendances!! So, when he thinks about Granger’s presentation this evening, what came to his mind is this passage: “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the wine would burst the wineskins”. And trust me, Dear Reader, Granger is one old wineskin!!

Let’s face it: this isn’t just even only a new year, or a new decade; with the advent of oil revenues, this is a whole NEW BEGINNING for this country. And the kind of new ideas that are necessary to deal with this new reality just cannot be assimilated by the old, fixed mindset that Granger has congealed over the seven decades since he was in short pants at Whim with Moses Nagamootoo! For all we know, Granger may even want to take in these new ideas – but he simply just can’t!! You can’t put new wine in an old wineskin – it’ll pop!!

Just look at the how he’s dealt with the oil bonanza that fell like manna from Heaven into his hands – just as he took office in 2015. He couldn’t even acknowledge the strategic vision of Janet Jagan to invite in Exxon in 1999 – as a bulwark against the same Venezuelans who, he claimed, made him accept the token US$18M sixteen years later!! He is still consumed by “the hurricane of protests” from the sixties, which the PNC propaganda team threw at her feet. Old wineskin!

That congealed, old mindset also made him let that world-class advisor on the oil sector, Jan Mangal, leave after the latter disagreed with some of his decisions. Why have an advisor if you won’t even listen to his advice?? They say the abused child becomes an abusive parent: Desmond Hoyte’s blanking of him – after making him “security advisor” in 1990 – has obviously damaged that wineskin!!

Why else would he immediately appoint an ENVIRONMENTAL economist to head the Energy Agency that’ll oversee all our energy policies!!

So what to expect this evening? The same old banal, homilies delivered with that simpering smile he cultivates to hide his vacuity!!

It’s a shad, shad, shituation!! …at UN? Granger reacted strongly to a report that his handpicked man at the UN – Michael Ten-Pow – had resigned after the intrigues for his appointment were revealed during the massive shakeup of the Foreign Ministry that followed. And what was all the hullaballoo about? Granger’s old wineskin of a mind!!

Stuck in the past, it’s truly said that “old men remember; they don’t think!” – Granger had insisted Guyana campaign to Chair of G77 and China at the UN, which Jamaica had declined, because of cost (almost US$1Million)! And what exactly is “G77 and China”? As was revealed before, it’s a relic from the 1970s when it was launched to take on the “imperialist West” and further a “New International Economic Order”!!

As we know, it all came to nought but at the time it allowed Burnham to hobnob with the “progressive” Third World leaders who huddled together for some ontological validation!! Membership will simply give Granger the opportunity for a photo-op on Jan 15, when Guyana assumes G77’s Chair!!

The vanity of old men!!

…and light oil Poor Tullow finally struck light oil but in limited quantity – unlike Exxon’s finds.

“For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him, that hath not, shall be taken away”!

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

NEWS

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

GuySuCo produces lowest sugar tonnage in history – yet Plantation White Sugar project to start this year

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elayed capital investments and industrial unrests coupled with mechanical failures and adverse weather were contributing factors that led the cash-strapped Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) to record a shortfall of 17,000 tonnes (sis) of sugar in its production target for 2019.

In a statement on Thursday, the sugar company reflected on its operations and performance over the past year. It was noted that a total of 92,246 tonnes (sis) of sugar was sold in the local, regional and international markets.

During last year, Albion, Blairmont and Uitvlugt Estates produced 46,651, 23,325 and 20,270 tonnes of sugar respectively. This, according to GuySuCo, represents an underachievement of 17,000 tonnes from the estimated Second Crop production objective.

“The shortfall has been the consequence of major mechanical failures in the Albion and Uitvlugt factories and from the latter half of October 2019, increasing industrial unrest in which Blairmont was most affected.

The advent of adverse weather from the last week of November also influenced the progress of harvesting,” GuySuCo noted.

It went on to outline that the Second Crop production was closed on December 21, 2019, with 1981 hectares that could not be harvested and will be carried over to the First Crop of 2020. As a result of this, a further shortfall was recorded with in excess of 80,000 tonnes of cane from Albion; 60,000 tonnes of cane from Blairmont and 11,000 tonnes of cane from Uitvlugt were not harvested.

“The industry will continue to face challenges to achieving reliability in the factories if operation capital investments continue to be delayed,” the sugar company warned.

On a positive note, however, GuySuCo said the productivity of cane fields continued to improve as reflected by cane fields that exceeded the crop estimate on all estates.

“The Corporation thanks all employees for their efforts throughout the year and encourages greater dedication, improved attendance and performance in the year 2020,” it noted.

According to GuySuCo, it was successful, with assistance from the Foreign Affairs Minister, last year in paving the way for the protection of white sugar produced in the Caribbean Community (Caricom) by securing the commitment of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) for the application of the Common External Tariff to all non-regional sugars.

To this end, the Corporation noted that the feasibility study for the Plantation White

SPU Head Colvin Heath-London

Sugar Project was completed and the project was found to be feasible. As such, it has commenced preparations to embark on this new venture in 2020.

“The addition of Plantation White Sugar and ‘A’ grade molasses for the production of genuine Demerara Rum to the Corporation’s line of value-added products will see an increase in revenues both regionally and internationally for the Corporation and all of Guyana,” it said.

However, the Plantation White Plant is supposed to Produce more than 50,000 tons of that form of White sugar beyond the present production level, which cannot even meet present market demand. As such, the question from analysts is whether “GUYSUCO will be able to increase overall production from the present anemic levels after the unilateral closure of four of seven estates and throwing 7000 workers into the unemployment lines.”

Going forward, GuySuCo anticipates the expansion of its operations this year with planned improvements in the fields and factories, as well as the commencement of preparatory works for the installation of a co-generation plant at Albion Estate. This is anticipated to support the supply of power to the East Berbice region.

The Sugar Corporation thanked its employees for their commitment in the year 2019 and anticipates improvements and deepened co-operation for a successful and more productive 2020.

GuySuCo has repeatedly cried out about lack of financing for its operations.

However, the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) has stated that with the $30 billion bond it received in 2018, it should have been utilised to safeguard sugar production in Guyana and the jobs of the remaining thousands of sugar workers.

In the last four years, the coalition government, insisting that the sugar industry was bleeding the treasury, has closed four sugar estates, sending home over 7000 workers.

While the future of the country’s sugar industry remains uncertain, GAWU last month contended that any turnaround plan must

include the reopening of those four closed estates.

The National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) has set up a Special Purpose Unit (SPU) to divest GuySuCo’s assets from the closed Wales, Enmore, Rose Hall and Skeldon Estates. But the Sugar Corporation and the SPU have been at loggerheads.

In fact, SPU Head Colvin Heath-London had accused GuySuCo of not being forthcoming with information on how the $7.420 billion disbursement from the bond was used— something which he said is proving problematic for bondholders.

However, the Sugar Corporation subsequently denied this, showing proof of documents provided. GuySuCo went on to call out the SPU over its unprofessionalism and criticised its approach to divestment.

10 NEWS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Police to request phone records of murdered ex-cop A s investigations continue into the gruesome murder of Collin Rodney, called “Glock”, whose badly burnt remains were found in a car trunk, Police are combing through

the dead man’s phone records which may lead them to the perpetrator(s).

According to a reliable Police source, investigators are said to be going through Rodney’s last call records to

determine who made contact with him before his unfortunate demise.

Based on reports received, investigators have deduced that Rodney was proceeding up the East

Coast of Demerara after receiving a call. It was ruled out that he was abducted from home.

It was related that the Guyana Forensic Science Laboratory (GFSL) is carrying out DNA tests on the remains to confirm their identity.

Less than five months ago, the GFSL had announced that almost five years after being officially opened, it was now able to conduct critical tests that would aid in the fight against crime.

Director of the $1.049 billion facility, Delon France, during the commissioning ceremony for the new services this year, had listed the newly-added features, stating that DNA tests which could be conducted there would use samples from the human cheek, semen and vagina, hair, blood and most importantly, fingerprints or skin.

However, no mention was made about the testing of bones that could pos-

Collin Rodney

sibly be discovered at crime scenes.

Rodney, also known as “Troy” and “Cutty”, was last seen on October 25, 2019, about 08:00h when he left his home to attend court to give evidence in the murder trial of his cousin, Marlon Rodney. He was a witness to his cousin’s murder.

However, he was a no-show in court.

He had left his residence in his car – a silver-grey

Toyota Allion, PRR 1076, which is believed to be the car that was torched on November 1, 2019, with human remains in the trunk.

Thirty-nine-yearold Osafa Grundell, called “Safo”, of Freeman Street, East La Penitence, Georgetown, and James Fraser, 21, called “Dab”, of Garnett Street, Georgetown, were charged for the murder of Rodney, called “George”.

It is alleged that between April 25 and April 30 last, at Norton Street, Lodge, Georgetown, the 35-year-old taxi driver of Lot 71 Norton Street, Lodge, was involved in a heated argument with Grundell, Fraser and another man called “Curl Up”.

The accused reportedly whipped out firearms after the row escalated and discharged several rounds at Rodney, who was hit in the left leg.

A passer-by was also shot in the process.

The injured men were rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where Rodney later succumbed.

GPF donates to Lance Corporal after fire guts home

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wo days after a fire destroyed her home, Police Lance Corporal Khemwantie Persaud is trying to pick up the pieces and rebuild with her family, as she contemplates their next move.

The Lance Corporal was not at home when a fire of unknown origin ripped through her one-storey concrete building located at Lot 33 Anna Catherina South, West Coast Demerara (WCD) on Sunday.

The flames, which threatened neighbouring buildings, was brought under control by firefighters, but nothing was salvaged from the burning building.

However, ranks in Persaud’s Division were not planning to let their colleague face the aftermath alone. According to Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) Police Commander Simon McBean, ranks of the Division are doing their best to offer more than moral support.

He added that together with others within the Guyana Police Force (GPF), they will be pooling funds

and necessary supplies, to assist Lance Corporal Persaud in starting afresh.

“We from the divisional level are working to see how we can and will assist the Police rank whose home went up in flames. We from my division will see what we can do to help her get back on her feet. Also, we are talking with authorities of the GPF to see how the Force itself will be able to help her outside of providing moral support,” Commander McBean noted.

The Commander posited that Persaud would receive the Force’s full support; she is the second member of the GPF whose home was gutted by fire in 2019.

Back in April, the home of G Division (Essequibo Coast-Essequibo Islands) Commander, Crystal Robinson was destroyed by an early-morning fire.

The Lot 154 Back Street, Stewartville, WCD home was engulfed by intense flames which prevented firefighters from saving household items and three vehicles that belonged to the Commander.

NEWS

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Govt reduced house lot allocations since taking office – even though 60,000 active applications pending

CH&PA Operations Director Denise King-Tudor

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ince taking office in 2015, the A Partnership for National Union/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) Government has significantly reduced the number of house lots being distributed, despite the increasing demand by citizens.

At a press brief on Monday, Operations Director of the CH&PA, Denise King-Tudor, stated that the agency has seen a significant increase in interest shown by persons for house lots.

“In fact, what has happened, the interest that has been shown by the public in terms of acquiring lands from Government, we would have achieved, in terms of new applicants coming in the system 6412 new applicants and we would have interviewed 6784,” she said.

This figure has brought the total number of active applications for house lots to over 60,000. King-Tudor admitted that the agency has a

far way to go in terms of delivering its mandate to the public.

“Some of the challenges that we have, there are some new areas that we have already…the designs are out and we are expecting to proceed to the point where we would allocate some of those lots to persons who have been waiting. And the thing about it, it will always be a demand and supply issue. The demand is always greater than the supply. We at the agency have been using the number of applications to say that is the demand. But we are aware that we need to do some further work because it’s not a case because you apply that is to say you really need it right now.

And so that is why I was saying that we are planning to review…to do some further assessments in order for us to be able to decide if we’re going to be allocating 2000 on an annual basis or 3000 and that sort of thing,” she explained.

She further stated that despite the increasing demand for house lots, the CH&PA lowered the target figure for house lot allocations for 2019 compared to the previous year. The target for 2019 was set at a mere 1000 with 1298 house lots being allocated.

“In fact, last year we had a higher target and we reduced it. But this year, we’re grateful that we’ve been able to achieve what was set out,” King-Tudor stated.

A comparison of previous years shows that there has been a vast reduction in

Clothes vendor jailed, accomplice remanded for robbing Cubans

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clothes vendor who admitted to robbing two Cuban nationals was on Thursday sentenced to 18 months in prison while his accomplice was remanded.

The duo – Akeem Morris, 27, of Laing Avenue, Georgetown, and Samuel Shepard, 24, a labourer of B Field Sophia, Georgetown – appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

The first charge stated that on December 29, 2019 at Georgetown, while being armed with cutlasses, they robbed Jose Sequuea of a phone valued $40,000 and $4000 cash.

The second charge detailed that on the same day and at the same location while being armed with cutlasses, they robbed Diego Bettencourt of a phone valued $25,000.

Morris pleaded guilty to robbing Sequuea, but denied robbing Bettencourt while Shepard pleaded not guilty to both charges.

Police Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield told the court that on the day in question, about 08:00h, both victims were at the Stabroek Market purchasing fruits when Morris and Shepard confronted Sequuea, placed a cutlass to his neck, and relieved him of his phone and cash.

The court further heard that the men attempted to escape, but were intercepted by Police on bicycle patrol.

The two suspects were positively identified during an identification parade.

The Magistrate sentenced Morris to 18 months behind bars while Shepard was remanded and ordered to reappear in court on January 8, 2020.

the number of house lots distributed annually since the APNU Government took office in 2015.

In 2016, 2020 house lots were allocated with the target being a mere 1100 for that year. In 2017, the Annual Report of the CH&PA showed that a total of only 1131 house lots were allocated for qualified applicants.

The report stated that the original target of allocations for that year was just a mere 1000. This represented a major decrease in house lot allocations as well as reduced target figures from the previous years.

Thus, these figures are pale in comparison to the number of house lots distributed in previous years under the former People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration. In the CH&PA’s 2013 Annual Report, its programme performance assessment had indicated that 4417 house

Turn-key homes which were constructed under the PPP Administration

lots were allocated, just shy of the target of 5900.

The backlog of applicants waiting for house lots has been a consistent problem that the CH&PA has been unable to get under control. In 2018, the agency had announced that nine new housing areas would be developed the following year.

However, the house lots being distributed are in stark contrast to times when in excess of 4000 house lots were once distributed by

the authority when former Housing Minister Irfaan Ali was at the helm.

Under the previous PPP/C Administration, over 100,000 house lots were distributed and over 200 core houses were made available to underprivileged families, while a programme for professional groups provided 200 teachers, nurses and policemen with fast track access to loans for home construction.

There is also the 1000

Homes Project that was launched in June of 2013 by the CH&PA to expand the Housing Ministry’s TurnKey Houses programme that recommenced in 2011.

Construction began in May of 2014 and by December of 2014, 100 Buttercup Cottages were completed.

Apart from the houses themselves, this project provided employment opportunities for over 300 skilled and semi-skilled workers in the construction industry.

12 NEWS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

GPL announces 8.5% salary Illegal connections, wastage continue increase for workers

...as blackouts increased in 2019

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he Guyana Power and Light Incorporated (GPL) on Tuesday announced an 8.5% increase in wages and salaries for its workers retroactive from January 2019.

A Memorandum of Agreement for revised wages and salaries for junior and senior employees of GPL was signed between GPL and National Association of Agricultural, Commercial & Industrial Employees (NAACIE) at NAACIE’s Head Office in Kingston, Georgetown.

In a statement, the company said the percentage was agreed to following negotiations with NAACIE, which commenced in early December.

The signing, GPL said, was witnessed by the Chief Labour Officer, Charles Ogle; Department of Labour; Ministry of Social Protection

GPL Divisional Director-Human Resources Bal Persaud and Chief Labour Officer-Department of Labour Charles Ogle (GPL photo)

and other GPL-NAACIE representatives; Dawchan Nagasar, the General Secretary of NAACIE. Nagasar expressed his appreciation for the manner in which negotiations were conducted in 2019.

He further commended the Union’s commitment to advancing improved relations with GPL. GPL Divisional DirectorHuman Resources Bal Persaud noted that GPL remains committed to main-

to affect GWI

taining cordial negotiations with NAACIE to further improve working conditions and benefits for employees through collective bargaining.

In the last year, there has been a significant increase in power failure and load shedding as a result of the shutdown of interconnecting systems and maintenance.

In fact, although the Government had promised that blackouts would be a thing of the past, from all indications, it was clear that Guyanese will have to wait much longer to see this promise becoming reality.

Over the past few months, the complaints coming from various sections of the population, including private citizens and business about constant power outages, have increased dramatically.

GWI Managing Director, Dr Richard Van West Charles

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t its performance review for 2019, the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) has insisted that it continues to battle with acts of illegal consumption and water wastage, which affect the overall operations.

Managing Director of GWI, Dr Richard Van West Charles indicated that there are a number of factors which influence the agency’s output. While wastage is a major issue, there is the recurring act of untimely payment of bills and an inefficient billing system. Illegal connections, he noted, have also been prevalent throughout 2019.

In the past, he claimed that the company has taken a number of people before the courts and will continue to do so in 2020.

“We have a number of illegal connections, not necessarily by small people— by big people…We will try to address the illegal connections. It is against the law.

The law is very clear. When you tamper with GWI’s infrastructure, it is a criminal offence. And you cannot sublet water,” he cautioned.

On the aspect of operational services, the archaic network in Georgetown has affected water delivery.

Meanwhile, unreliable electricity supply coupled with procurement constraints also adds to their challenges. In some cases, suppliers were inconsistent in meeting the stipulated guidelines of the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS).

“The vandalism of our infrastructure, we have to deal with the poor quality of supplies and we are going to be looking at that going forward in 2020 and try to ensure that we also address

some of the procurement constraints. We have a challenge in terms of our local suppliers; the pipes are not necessarily sitting together and we are hoping to meet with these suppliers and the Bureau of Standards.”

He encouraged persons to report or fix leakages in their homes since it is a wastage of potable water.

Adding to that, homeowners are charged with increased rates for the volume of water wasted.

For the year 2020, GWI will be focusing on a number of measures to curb the issues faced in the past. They will seek to replace the customer information and billing system, move to implement smart meters and the introduction of electronic meter reading.

“The automatic meter reading is going to make a difference and we’re hoping that the financing will be achieved. We’ve commenced discussions this year and we’re hoping that that will be achieved. We think that we’ll have the support with the purchase of these electronic meters. We know that some of the meters do have problems…We’re very sensitive to those issues,” Van West Charles ascertained.

Meanwhile, services will be improved by introducing a bill payment via an app, the introduction of e-billing through email and regional bill production.

He added, “We want to include a new billing payment module where customers can understand the bill even better and also move to e-billing as far as possible. At our offices, we’re asking customers to indicate to opt if they want to receive an e-bill. If they want to receive an e-bill, that will be introduced”.

NEWS

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Motorcyclist killed after Better Hope painter dies after slamming into signboard losing control of motorcycle

Dead: Bhojram Hemraj

The motorcycle that Hemraj was driving at the time of his demise

n unlicensed motorcyclist was the first road fatality recorded in Berbice for the year. Bhojram Hemraj, 24, of Number 67 Village, Corentyne, was killed on Wednesday evening after he lost control of the motorcycle he was driving and slammed into a metal signboard.

Regional Commander Calvin Brutus told this publication that even though he is dead, a blood test will be conducted to determine his alcohol level.

“We were told that he was unlicensed and was using a trade plate on the mo-

torcycle. He had no licence to use the cycle and he was travelling at a fast rate of speed. The only other part we need to check now and confirm is whether there was alcohol in the blood,” the Commander stated.

There were 17 deaths as a result of road accidents last year in the Region, which was the same number for the previous year. Of that figure, seven were motorcyclists.

According to the Commander, as road users, persons need to pay attention to the rules of the road.

“There are established speed

A

limits for different zones and this is done based on analysis; my engineers that had the speed limits fixed at that rate because of the general circumstances surrounding the quality of the road, the housing and communities close to the road and the width of the road”.

Those factors, he added, were all taken into consideration in coming up with the speed limit for a particular area.

“Some areas have a certain speed limit while others have a different speed limit on the same road,” Brutus explained.

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Donald Mootoo with his wife, Sumintra Shadeo, in happier times

he family of a Better Hope, East Coast Demerara (ECD) painter did not get to start the New Year as they quite expected.

They were rather thrown into a state of grief after learning that 59-year-old Donald Mootoo met his gruesome demise in a motorcycle accident on the Montrose Public Road, ECD. Police reports have revealed that about 01:50h on January 1, 2020, motorcycle CH 7540 driven by Mootoo

Family of dead geologist still to receive compensation

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he family of the late Ryan Taylor, a geologist attached to the Australian-owned mining company – Troy Resources— is still awaiting compensation from the company and more so, the findings of the investigation as it relates to his death.

Taylor’s mother, June Taylor, in a telephone interview, told Guyana Times that since the passing of her son, it has been difficult for the family to cope.

Moreover, she added that the bills are making her frustrated as the family was not prepared for the unfortunate incident.

“None of us were prepared for this emotionally nor financially. I’m now frustrated as the bills and other responsibilities are overwhelming and I’m finding it extremely difficult to cope,” the grieving mother added.

According to the grieving mother, she met with the Chief Executive Officer on November 8, 2019, who assured her that he would intervene but she is still waiting on a word.

“I met with the CEO of the company Ken Nelson on November 8, 2019, and he has promised to intervene and come to a settlement but to date, I’ve heard nothing from him. Whenever I call the company, I’m being told by the human resources manager that she cannot give any answers since she has not received any word from Mr Nelson,” the frustrated mother stated.

The mother added that

Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter but so far, no report was submitted about the investigation.

At least eighteen persons have lost their lives as a result of workplace accidents across the country for 2018 and 2019. Based on reports, out of the 18 work-re-

Dead: Ryan Taylor

she had reached out to the company on several occasions but never received any response. In fact, she related that she had even written a letter to the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Ken Nelson, but to date, she has not received a word.

“I have reached out to them (Troy Resources) on several occasions for answers into my son’s death and also for them to discuss how they plan to assist us through compensation and to this date, I have not been given a word as to when and what they plan to do”.

Taylor died on October 8, 2019, while working on the construction of a “bench” in a mining pit operated

by Troy’s Karouni, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

It was reported that slippage occurred which led to him falling and being covered by the rubble.

However, in light of the incident, Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman has since instructed the

lated deaths, nine were from the mining sector, which recorded the highest number. Six of the deaths in the mining sector occurred for this year as opposed to five in 2018.

However, the results of all these investigations remain unknown as the Department of Labour has not been forthcoming.

(Shemar Alleyne)

When this publication visited the home of the deceased on Thursday, his wife, 63-year-old Sumintra Shadeo, who barely managed to speak, recounted that on December 31, 2019, Mootoo left their Lot 13 Bissoon Street, South Better Hope, ECD residence shortly after dropping her home from the market.

She recalled that he visited a friend to do some painting and was returning home at the time of his demise.

“He carry me to the market and he bring me home back. When he bring me home back he said he going

Wife of the dead man, Sumintra Shadeo, speaking to this publication

was proceeding along the roadway when he reportedly lost control and crashed into the median.

As a result of the impact, his body was flung into a lamp pole in the centre of the road and sustained severe injuries, including severed lower limbs.

He was picked up in an unconscious state by public-spirited citizens and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

by a friend to collect something…so he go and help them to paint and he was coming home when he get the accident and I didn’t know nothing,” she said.

The grieving woman, between tears, shared that family members later accompanied her to the GPHC mortuary to identify the body of her dead husband. He was described as a good person who lived happily with his family. (Leah Hernandez)

14 NEWS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 2020| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

CAL protests claims of ‘milking’ Guyana to make up for T&T losses

C

aribbean Airlines Limited (CAL) has refuted claims that it has been “milking” Guyana to make up for losses on flights on the domestic air bridge.

This comes in light of a study done by the Competition and Consumer Affairs Division which suggested that a Statesponsored airline be commissioned to end the monopoly Caribbean Airlines has over the Georgetown to JFK route.

However, in a response to the article on Wednesday, CAL described the article as “inaccurate”, adding that it has done major damage to the airline and Guyanese citizens who frequently fly with them.

CAL said it has “loyally served” Guyana “for many decades”, even when competitors pulled out when times got hard.

“Caribbean Airlines

and its predecessor BWIA International Airways have faithfully served Guyana since 1947. While other providers have come and gone, Caribbean Airlines has maintained its commitment to Guyana regardless of whether times are good or bad,” the Company stated.

Some of the competitors that pulled out of the Guyana market are Dynamic Airways after a shaky start in 2014 suspended its operations for four months. It returned and started to offer as many as five flights per week and that frequency climbed in the peak seasons. In July 2017, Dynamic Airways announced that it had filed a voluntary Chapter 11 petition with the United States which was likely the result of an unrelated lawsuit.

Fly Jamaica started operations in Guyana in 2013.

In November 2018, the airline’s fortunes made a sud-

den change following the emergency landing and crash of its 757 aircraft at Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA). Mechanical problems forced the pilots to head back to Guyana and make the emergency landing. Several passengers were injured during the emergency landing. The airline has exited the market following this incident.

Addressing the claims of imbalanced ticket pricing, CAL said the statistics quoted in the article bear no relation to the airline’s data or the truths.

Further, it said it carefully manages ticket prices in the Guyana market to remain competitive and appealing to its customers.

“Caribbean Airlines has and continues to carefully manage ticket prices for the Guyana market. The airline’s pricing policies are done in line with its operational costs and not with a

view to exploiting any given market, so the claim of artificially high prices, based on a monopoly is respectfully wrong,” CAL added.

The airline said nothing could be further from the truth as after returning to a profit-making business, it is currently looking to reinvest with a new fleet, new routes, and improved services and not subsidising existing routes, which will also benefit Guyana.

“This includes for Guyana, where we launched the new service to Havana, Cuba, added additional flights on existing routes including New York, and have

further expansions planned over the next few months and years”.

“Guyana is the only market outside of Trinidad and Tobago which offers “Caribbean Layaway” which allows customers to use a payment plan to purchase tickets”.

CAL warned against using skewed figures and anticipated a major change that would allow the airline to decrease its ticket prices.

“May we suggest that in the future, rather than using selective and inaccurate sensationalism, you look, instead, at the wider angle of a major success story

that brings enormous benefits to the Guyanese economy, Guyanese employment and connectivity for Guyana across the Caribbean and beyond,” CAL remarked.

CAL said pricing can be adjusted but these changes can only be made by officials in Guyana. The airline ended by promising to continue to serve Guyana and the region as a whole.

Guyana tourism statistical digest for 2016 indicated that for the years 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 the number of visitors to Guyana was 200,060; 205,824; 206,819 and 235, 312 respectively.

GTT employee donates AC units to paediatric ward

Businessman arrested for discharging loaded firearm

A

businessman is now in Police custody after he unsystematically discharged a loaded firearm on New Year’s Day along Broad Street, Georgetown.

According to reports received, the Police ranks were patrolling the La Penitence area when they heard two loud explosions that appeared to be gunshots.

They proceeded to the area and upon arrival, they observed the intoxicated businessman holding a firearm in his hands.

The unidentified man was asked to produce his licence and did so without hesitation. Guyana Times understands that the man was arrested after being told of the allegation.

Nevertheless, his firearm, a .32 Taurus pistol, was seized and lodged. Two spent shells were discovered in the area.

Meanwhile, according to a Police source, the businessman is refusing to have his hands swabbed and is still in custody assisting with the investigation.

Tiffany Greene hands over the AC units to Shivani Ramdehol

C

hristmas 2019 would be no different for a young mother and daughter as their tradi-

tion every year is to spread Christmas cheer to indigent children and families in their community.

Just days before Christmas, GTT’s Tiffany Greene and her seven-yearold daughter donated two air-conditioninging (AC) units to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) Paediatric Ward as means to bring ease and comfort to patients.

Greene explained that it was during GTT’s Social Activities Committee (SAC) annual Pinktober visit to the ward in October that she observed one section without AC units. It was then she had the nudge to invest in her 2019 Christmas giveback. “The heat was stifling and knew I had to do something to make these children and their parents more comfortable,” Tiffany said.

“Children aged 28 days to 13 years would be kept in this unit with their parents during hospital stays for days or months; as a mother, I felt compelled to do more for these children,” she added.

Receiving the units on behalf of the GPHC’s Paediatric Unit was Junior Supervisor, Shivani Ramdehol, who expressed gratitude for the donation while stating that she was

happy Greene displayed “such kindness”.

Ramdehol noted that the donation was even more impactful since the Unit had requested donations of an air conditioning unit from several businesses and organisations and did not receive any response.

Greene, who is a Sales Representative in GTT’s Sales and Distribution Department and a member of the GTT’s Social Activities Committee, said that this is not the first time she has made donations during the Christmas season.

“Every year, me and my daughter would distribute presents and this year was no different. We also distributed toys to the children at my church on Christmas morning before opening our own presents. This is what Christmas is about and I hope gestures like this encourage others to give back in whatever way they can,” Greene said.

Commending the Sales Representative was GTT’s PR Manager, Jasmin Harris who said, “GTT is happy to have employees who are able to go above and beyond to touch lives, not only at GTT through the excellent work done, but also those who make positive impacts in their communities”.

NEWS

15

FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

The trading bell only rings on Monday

Guyana’s sleepy stock exchange braces for change

By Kejal Vyas

E

very Monday, at 10:00h, George Edwards rings the opening bell at the Guyana stock market. It’s the only day of action each week, behind a glass door that barely keeps out the thumping bass of reggae music and burning incense from street hawkers outside.

The bell is the cue for four young women in pink and violet uniforms—representatives of the only brokerages in this tiny former British colony—to punch, buy and sell orders into computers mounted on a dining table.

On a typical week, they’ll pull off about 15 transactions and a few thousand shares will swap hands, in all worth about $47,000.

“People walk by here all the time and say ‘I never knew Guyana had a stock exchange,’ ” Edwards, General Manager since 2005, said after a recent trading session that lasted 29 minutes.

Sometimes people knock on the door holding US dollars trying to convert them to Guyanese ones. “I have to tell them we’re not that kind of an exchange”.

But change is coming to both the local stock market and Guyana, a mostly farming and mining-dependent South American nation of fewer than 800,000 people.

A massive oil boom is slated

to kick off in 2020, thanks to the discovery of nearly 7 billion barrels of offshore crude by an Exxon-led consortium.

It’s expected to send unprecedented revenue into the $4 billion economy, which the International Monetary Fund estimates could grow by a walloping 86% in 2020.

That has operators of the sleepy exchange here thinking big. They’re hoping it

draws more local and foreign investors into their market to tap what they say will be a boon for local companies thanks to more disposable income for average Guyanese.

There is also the arrival of oil industry executives and workers from the Caribbean, the US and Europe in a country that has seen its population little changed since Independence from the

British crown in 1966.

“It means our companies should avail themselves of the increased market, and hence, more products, more money, more profits for shareholders,” said Mr Edwards, who personally answers the door at the exchange and is one of two fulltime employees. The entire operation runs on a budget of about $70,000 a year.

Nikkita Mangal, 33, has been trading stocks at the exchange for 10 years and said she almost never saw foreign buyers until recently. Now, she said, she often gets orders from Guyanese ex-pats in the US, Canada and the UK. Edwards says he is working on plans to digitise a paper-based stock certificate system, the kind that has been mostly phased out in the developed world.

Pomeroon Trading, a start-up company that is backed by a UK oil financier and wants to cash in on demand for coconut water

and oils, is preparing the first initial public offering here in more than a decade.

The last company to do so, a Trinidadian cement company, pulled out in 2016, nine years after listing.

Steven Grin, the managing partner at New York venture fund Lateral Capital, is mostly focused on frontier tech opportunities in Africa. But because of a four-year stint in the past working on energy initiatives for Guyana’s government, Mr Grin says he now gets weekly calls from large institutional investors looking for ways to get into the mostly jungle-covered country, which has seldom made international headlines since the American cult leader Jim Jones led a mass suicide 41 years ago.

There are only 15 local companies with publicly listed shares, including commercial banks, rum distillers and packaging companies.

TURN TO PAGE 16

16 NEWS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Black Bush Polder rice farmer beaten to death

A

rice farmer was beaten to death after complaining of damages to his crop by animals in his Black Bush Polder (BBP) farm, Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) Dead is 36-year-old Chanderpaul Dhoman, called “Jack”, of Lot 28 Johanna North, Black Bush Polder. He was allegedly beaten on December 30, 2019, but succumbed to his injuries on January 1, 2020.

Reports are that on Monday, at about 20:00h, Dhoman was riding his bicycle along First Street, Johanna on his way home from his rice field when he saw three men imbibing in a yard.

He complained to two of the men about their animals grazing in his rice fields ultimately damaging his crop.

However, an argu-

Dead: Chanderpaul Dhoman

ment ensued between them during which the two men collected metal objects and dealt Dhoman one blow to the head. After collapsing, the two men continued their attack on the injured man.

Dhoman was eventually picked up and taken to the

Mibicuri Public Hospital in a semi-conscious condition but was transferred to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital and then the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.

He took his last breath on New Year's Day whilst receiving medical attention in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the medical facility.

The dead man’s motherin-law Bibi Yakub explained that they were at home when they received a message that Dhoman was lying on the road. They rushed to the scene where they picked him up and reported the matter to the Police before taking him to the hospital.

“When we were going, I asking who knock him and he say ‘Davo’ and ‘Corn Curls’. We carry he to the Station and tell the Police that he can’t walk, so the

5 arrested for Number 63 Beach resort double murder

F

ive persons have been arrested as Police in Berbice continue to investigate the Number 63 Beach resort double murder.

That is according to Regional Commander Calvin Brutus, who stated that investigators are looking at several angles.

Last Friday, the badly decomposed bodies of 59-year-old Harry Persaud Prashad, of Number 65 Village, Corentyne, and 68-year old Vivekanand Narpatty were discovered in the balcony of Sun Splash Beach Resort located on the Number 63 Beach.

Narpatty was found lying on the back with two toes were severed – one was next to his body and the other was not located.

Prashad was found about fifteen feet away with both hands tied to a post on the balcony, one foot was also tied to the post and was severed at the ankle. Both bodies were in an advanced

Regional Commander Calvin Brutus

state of decomposition with maggots feasting.

However, Brutus told Guyana Times that the Police have since questioned several persons.

“There was a high level of violence with the dismembering of some parts of the body. Limbs and portions of limbs were dismembered.

We are not the ruling out any leads. Right now, they are five persons in custody.

This is based on interviews from persons around the general area who have provided the Police with some information. So, we apprehended those persons …I’m there being questioned them to see what progress we can make in the investigation.”

“When investigators went to the resort, they found several pieces of documents scattered within the balcony. Parts of the building was also ransacked.”

He added that the Police are aware that there is an ongoing dispute for the property between the deceased and other family members. This, he noted, is one area that the investigators are paying keen attention to. On the other hand, he noted that it might have been a robbery.

“It is a lonely area and persons could be of the view that they are valuables in the building and seized the opportunity to commit the act,” the Commander explained.

Guyana’s sleepy stock exchange...

FROM PAGE 15

The exchange can be hard to find. A security guard at a neighbouring building shrugged her shoulders when asked where the entrance was. It sits at the corner of a busy intersection amid street vendors selling everything from pirated DVDs to kitchen wares, between insurance buildings and Georgetown’s mouldering 19th-century gothic-style city hall.

On a recent Monday morning, 44-year-old Nikhil Ramkarran popped in for his first-ever visit during a trading session at the very exchange of which he has served as chairman on a pro bono basis since 2005. “So that’s what it looks like,” he said.

Mondays are a busy day at the law practice he runs a few blocks away. And trading volumes are so low, Ramkarran said, that being there never had much of a point.

“I took the job because nobody else really wanted it,” he said.

Lately, Edwards says he gets locals stopping by to ask him how to invest in oil stocks, and they leave dismayed when he tells them there are no oil companies listed on the Guyanese exchange.

Edwards said he enjoys a lifestyle markedly less hectic than investment bankers abroad. After each workday, he said he goes home and places his cell phone in the

cupboard, leaving any calls and emails until the following morning.

While stock trading happens only on Mondays, Edwards spends the rest of the week filling out paperwork for Guyana’s securities regulator, registering that week’s trades, an all-manual process. He and Ramkarran said their hope is that the Government uses its oil proceeds to invest in education and the financial savviness of their compatriots.

“I don’t care how much money you have,” Edwards said. “If you don’t know how to use it, you’re not going to get very far, and other people are going to take advantage of you”. (Wall Street Journal)

Police give me a medical and tell me that he gon come to the Hospital and talk to

him,” she related.

His body is currently at the Georgetown

Public Hospital Mortuary awaiting a Post-Mortem Examination.

Ministry mourns death of employee

Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Minister Sydney Allicock and other staff offer a moment of silence for the late Gavin North

I

ndigenous Peoples’ Affairs Minister Sydney Allicock and Permanent Secretary Sherie Samantha Fedee joined staff at the Ministry on Tuesday to offer a moment of silence following the passing of 47-yearold Gavin North.

North, a driver attached to the Ministry’s Administrative Department, collapsed and died moments after arriving at his apartment which was completely destroyed by fire on Monday

last.

Minister Allicock described North as a “very good friend and colleague”, adding that his passing brought 2019 to a sad ending for both his family and the Ministry.

In offering words of encouragement, Allicock urged staff to “reflect on our own situation and offer words of encouragement to each other and to strengthen our relations with our colleagues as a team”.

It was reported that the

Dead: Gavin North

now dead man arrived at the fire scene and began salvaging household items from the apartment he occupied before he suddenly fainted.

He was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital in an unconscious state, and died while receiving medical attention.

Reports are that the fire originated in the upper flat of the building, gutting everything in its path.

The Minister expressed condolences to North’s family, on behalf of the Ministry.

Housekeeper accused of stealing from Minister Broomes not guilty

A

33-year-old housekeeper who was accused of stealing $195,000 from Minister Simona Broomes was on Thursday freed of the charge when she appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Donetta Rajkumar of La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara (WBD), had initially denied the charge which stated that between March 6 and March 7, 2019 at Lodge, Georgetown, she stole $195,000 from Minister Broomes.

When the matter was called before Principal

Donetta Rajkumar

Magistrate Annette Singh, she informed the court that

insufficient evidence was found. Hence, she handed down a not-guilty verdict.

The defendant was represented by Attorney-atLaw Everton Lammy-Singh, who contended throughout the trial that his client did not remove the cash.

According to the Prosecutor’s case, the defendant was alone in the house carrying out her duties when the money went missing. She was said to be the only one apart from the Minister with access to the drawer, in which the money was kept, at that time.

Teen charged for wounding another over female – third wanted for murder

C

hief Magistrate Ann McLennan on Thursday remanded a teenager for allegedly stabbing another in the face with a broken glass bottle during an argument over a female.

When the teen appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, he denied the charge which stated that on December 24, 2019 at Four Miles, Port Kaituma, North West District, Region One (Barima-Waini), he unlawfully and maliciously wounded Keion Hutson with intent to maim, disfigure, disable, or cause grievous bodily harm.

According to reports re-

ceived, on the day in question, about 22:00h, the 16-year-old was walking with a teenage girl when the now injured man and his friends confronted them.

This led to the victim allegedly arming himself with a piece of wood and dealing the 16-year-old several lashes about the body.

The court heard that the defendant ran to a nearby shop and got a friend and they in turn armed themselves with cutlasses and returned to where the incident took place.

A confrontation then ensued between the teens which led to a scuffle. The defendant allegedly broke a glass bottle and stabbed the

victim to the face while his accomplice stabbed the victim’s friend.

The teen and his accomplice made good their escape while the injured juveniles were rushed to the Port Kaituma Hospital.

Hutson was admitted for his injuries while his friend was pronounced dead on arrival.

The matter was then reported and the 16-year-old was arrested and charged; however, his friend was still at large and yet to be arrested and charged for murder.

The Magistrate, after listening to the facts remanded the teen to the Sophia Juvenile Holding Centre.

guyanatimesgy.com

FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 2020

17

Around the World

US election 2020: Julian Castro 16 inmates killed in Mexico prison fight ends White House campaign

D

emocratic presidential hopeful Julian Castro has announced he is ending his campaign for the White House.

Barack Obama's ex-housing secretary, who was the only Latino in the race, said in a tweet: "I've determined that it simply isn't our time".

"I'm not done fighting," the 45-year-old added. His exit leaves 14 Democrats campaigning for this year's presidential election.

The White House race begins in earnest next month

with the Iowa caucuses.

The remaining Democrats will battle it out in a series of state-by-state votes nationwide before the eventual winner is crowned at the party convention in July. He or she is expected to face President Donald Trump, a Republican, in November's presidential election.

The grandson of a Mexican immigrant, Castro had struggled to raise money for what was seen as a long-shot bid.

He ran as a proud and

Julian Castro

passionate liberal, advocating for the decriminalisation of border crossings by un-

documented migrants into the United States.

In September, he was accused of tossing an ageist gibe at Democratic front-runner Joe Biden during a televised debate in Texas when he accused the 77-year-old former US VicePresident of being forgetful.

Castro's former Democratic rivals tweeted magnanimous messages for him on Thursday, including Biden. He praised the "grace and heart" of his onetime antagonist's campaign.

(BBC News)

Australia fires: Navy rescues stranded from ravaged Mallacoota

H

undreds of people trapped in the fire-ravaged Australian town of Mallacoota are due to be evacuated by sea.

Naval ship the HMAS Choules is expected to take about 800 people.

Some 4000 residents and tourists have been stranded on the beach since Monday night when fires cut roads and engulfed the town, in the state of Victoria.

Thousands are fleeing parts of neighbouring New South Wales. Since September fires have killed 18 people in the two states.

More than 1200 homes have been burnt. At least 17 people remain missing after fires this week alone.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has come under attack for his response to the fires.

He was heckled by angry locals in Cobargo, New South Wales, and had to cut short his visit to the fire-hit town.

Morrison has also faced criticism for his climate change policies, but he insists that Australia is meeting the challenge "better than most countries" and fulfilling international targets.

Opposition Labour leader Anthony Albanese says the government is not doing enough.

Mr Morrison had earlier been criticised for going on

holiday to Hawaii as the bushfire crisis worsened. The rising public anger at his absence eventually forced him to cut that trip short. (Excerpt from BBC News)

to escape what he called a “rigged” justice system in Japan, where he faces charges relating to alleged financial crimes.

Sources close to Ghosn said a delay to a trial and a strict ban on communicating with his wife motivated him to go ahead with a plan to use a private security company to smuggle him out of Japan via private

jet. The Interpol red notice, which calls on authorities to arrest a wanted person, was received by Lebanon’s internal security forces and has yet to be referred to the judiciary, a Lebanese judicial source told Reuters.

A senior Lebanese security official said it was not yet clear if Ghosn would be summoned for questioning over the warrant but said

Lebanon does not extradite its citizens to foreign states.

In past cases in which Lebanon has received red notices for Lebanese citizens resident in the country, the suspects have not been detained but their passports have been confiscated and bail has been set, the judicial source said.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Tourists and residents have been stranded on Mallacoota beach since Monday

Soldiers patrol outside Cieneguillas State Prison in Zacatecas, Mexico in 2009 [Photo by: Oscar Baez]

S

ixteen inmates were killed and five were wounded in a prison fight in the northern Mexican state of Zacatecas, authorities said on Wednesday, in one of the worst outbreaks of violence in the country's troubled penal system since President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador took power.

The fight broke out on Tuesday afternoon at the Regional Center for Social Reintegration in the town of Cieneguillas, located on the western flank of state capital Zacatecas, the state government said in a statement issued on Tuesday evening.

An inmate was arrested with a firearm and three more guns were found in the prison, as well as various knives.

The Government has launched an investigation

to determine those responsible for the fight and how the weapons entered the prison, according to the statement.

Security will be boosted at prisons in the state after the fight, the Government said.

The incident marks the latest blow to the security track record of Lopez Obrador, who took power in December 2018 pledging to reduce record levels of violence. Instead, Mexico was in 2019 on track to surpass the previous year’s total of homicides, according to the latest data.

Mexican prisons have long been plagued by violence. In 2017, at least 28 inmates were killed when a brutal fight broke out in a prison in the Mexican Pacific resort of Acapulco.

(Al Jazeera)

Lebanon receives Interpol arrest Haiti President calls for peace warrant for ex-Nissan boss Ghosn

L

ebanon received an Interpol arrest warrant on Thursday for former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn, while Turkey launched an investigation into his daring escape from Japan via Istanbul.

Ghosn has become an international fugitive after he revealed on Tuesday he had fled to Lebanon

Bangladesh blocks news website accusing Minister of corruption

B

angladesh authorities have blocked access to a Sweden-based investigative journalism website after it published a report alleging corruption by an influential Bangladeshi minister.

Netra News was blocked in Bangladesh within 72 hours of publishing the story about Obaidul Quader, Bangladesh’s Minister of Road Transport and Bridges.

The story, which was based on a tip from a whistle-blower and photos from Quader’s verified Facebook page, raises questions about his collection of luxury watches from brands including Rolex, Louis Vuitton, and Ulysse Nardin.

Readers in Bangladesh contacted Netra News to

complain that they could not access the website without using a VPN, an editor of the online publication told Al Jazeera.

Jahurul Haque, chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) – the government agency that controls the web access of the country, told Al Jazeera that he did not receive “any official order from the government” to block the website.

However, he indicated that Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) – the intelligence agency of the Bangladesh armed forces - also has the capacity to block a website.

DGFI declined to comment on the issue.

Netra News was set up to tackle the challenge of media censorship in Bangladesh [Netra News screenshot]

Netra News told Al Jazeera in a statement that they had been able to independently verify that their website is blocked by the defence agency.

A source close to

the Department of Telecommunications (DOT) in Dhaka told a Netra News editor that “the agency was behind the block”. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

P

President Jovenel Moise

resident Jovenel Moise called for peace in the Frenchspeaking Caribbean Community (Caricom) country on Wednesday, which is also celebrating its 216th anniversary of independence.

In a News Year’s message, Moise, who has come under increasing pressure from opposition parties to step down amid allegations of corruption, said that 2019 was a year “lost because of our mistakes and our struggles without grandeur”.

Moise, who came to power in 2017, said that like the previous year, 2019 has ended leaving the country facing the same challenges.

“Only the will to live together can break the instability and create an era of

peace and prosperity beneficial to all.

In 2020, let us pledge to break this cycle of uncertainty, to restore peace in the streets and in homes, to protect our children on the way to school and in their daily lives, to fight armed gangs and to initiate this inter-Haitian dialogue so necessary and so urgent,” Moise said.

He said he was extending his hand “to all socio-political actors so that together we can offer a better country to the millions of fellow citizens who expect from us a big overshoot”.

In recent weeks, Moise has been holding talks with some opposition political parties in a bid to establish a government of national unity. (CMC)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 2020

ARCHIE

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

DILBERT

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

CANCER (June 21July 22)

PEANUTS

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

CALVIN AND HOBBES

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SUDOKU

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

You’ll tend to overdo it and act too quickly. Think twice before you make a purchase, take on a responsibility or judge a situation without all the facts.

Work hard to accomplish all the little unfinished things before you move on to more engaging activities.

Putting matters behind you will help improve your state of mind.

You’ll be eager to spend time with someone who makes you feel alive. Plan an eventful evening that will encourage discussions regarding plans for the future. Romance is encouraged.

Refuse to let your emotions take the reins. You can make the most of your day, or you can make a fuss. Do what will benefit everyone the most with a smile on your face.

Extend an invitation to someone you have something in common with and see what transpires. A unique situation will take you in a new direction. Romance and personal gain are apparent.

Take it easy. If you agree to something too quickly, you’ll have second thoughts.

Develop an idea or proposition with precision and an eye for detail if you want to avoid setbacks.

You are best off taking your time and not rushing into anything, even if you desire a lifestyle change.

Emotions will run high.

Focus on love, not on discord.

Start putting your ideas into play. One step at a time will bring you that much closer to what you want to achieve. Personal growth is favored.

tick to the truth, be pracSAGITTARIUS tical and make things hap(Nov. 23pen. Get together with someDec. 21) one who brings out the best in you and celebrate your relationship. Romance is in the stars.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

LAST PUBLISHED

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

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

If you feel uncertain about something, take a rain check. Talk to someone you can rely on to offer sound advice. Stick close to home and avoid events you feel unsure about attending.

Accept only what makes sense to you. Don’t feel that you must follow someone who is heading in a different direction than you.

Concentrate on physical and emotional progress.

It’s out with the old and in with the new. Get up to date and prepare to switch into high gear when it comes to pursuing your goals.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 2020

19

Lakers jump all over Suns, then hang on for win L

eBron James recorded his eighth triple-double of the season with 31 points, 12 assists and 13 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers held off the visiting Phoenix Suns 117-107 on Wednesday night after blowing much of a 36-point lead.

Anthony Davis scored 26 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as the Lakers won their third consecutive contest and handed the Suns their ninth loss in 11 games. Kyle Kuzma added 19 points and Avery Bradley finished with 18 for Los Angeles.

Devin Booker led the Suns with 32 points and Kelly Oubre Jr. had 26. Deandre Ayton finished with 16 points and 14 rebounds off the bench.

Phoenix used an 18-4 run to open the fourth quarter to close within 105-97 after a dunk by Ayton with 4:36 remaining.

Another slam and a bucket inside by Oubre sliced the lead to seven with 2:13 left.

However, James’ layup pushed the lead to 112-103 with 1:19 remaining. The Suns got no closer than seven the rest of the way as James clinched the win with free throws.

The Suns outscored the Lakers 66-43 in the second half.

The Lakers took command from the start before their poor performance in the fourth.

They hit their first 11 shots from the floor en route to a 29-point lead in the first period. The Lakers finished the quarter ahead 43-17, their highest output in a quarter this season.

For the game, the Suns outshot the Lakers 48.8 percent to 47.8 percent.

Los Angeles held a 74-41 lead at the break.

With a second-quarter steal, Lakers center Dwight Howard became the sixth NBA player with 13,000 rebounds, 2,000 blocks and 1,000 steals, joining Kareem AbdulJabbar, Robert Parish, Hakeem Olajuwon, Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan.

Lakers reserve guard Alex Caruso left the contest with right calf tightness.

Bucks hold of Wolves

Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded 32 points and 17 rebounds to lead the host Milwaukee Bucks to a 106-104 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night.

son-high five straight.

Robinson finished with 22 points while tying the Knicks’ record for the most fieldgoal makes without a miss. Bernard King (Jan. 19, 1984) and Johnny Newman (Jan. 6, 1988) were also 11-of-11 from the field.

Julius Randle (22 points, 13 rebounds) posted a double-double for the Knicks, while Marcus Morris Sr. (18 points), Bobby Portis (17 points) and Reggie Bullock (11 points) also scored in double digits. Frank Ntilikina had nine points and 10 assists.

Anthony, playing at Madison Square Garden for just the second time since he was traded by the Knicks to the Oklahoma City Thunder in September 2017, led the Trail Blazers with 26 points — his most since he scored 28 for the Houston Rockets against the Brooklyn Nets on Nov. 2, 2018.

Hassan Whiteside (17 points, 12 rebounds) and Damian Lillard (11 points, 10 rebounds) each had a double-double for the Trail Blazers. CJ McCollum scored 17 points.

Magic cruises past Wizards

Orlando Magic guard Evan Fournier (10) dribbles past Washington Wizards guard Troy Brown Jr (USA Today Sports)

The triumph gives the Bucks (31-5) the best 36-game start in franchise history. The 1971-72 squad led by legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar dropped game No. 36 for a 30-6 mark.

Khris Middleton added 13 points for Milwaukee, which scored 100 or more points for the 60th straight game. The only team with a longer streak over the past 30 years is the Houston Rockets, who reached the century mark 61 times in a row during the 2016-17 campaign.

Shabazz Napier scored 22 points to lead Minnesota, which lost for the 13th time in the past 15 contests. Gorgui Dieng recorded 15 points, but his 20-foot, potential tying attempt bounced off the rim with less than three seconds left.

Jaylen Nowell and Josh Okogie tallied 12 points apiece for the Timberwolves, who were without Karl-Anthony Towns (knee) for the eighth straight game and Andrew

Wiggins (illness) for the third consecutive contest.

Knicks down Blazers

Mitchell Robinson was a perfect 11-of-11 from the field in a historic shooting performance Wednesday night, as he helped ruin the return of Carmelo Anthony to Madison Square Garden and lead the New York Knicks to a 117-93 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Knicks outscored the Trail Blazers 3416 in the fourth quarter to turn a close game into a rout and win their season-high third straight — their longest winning streak since a three-game streak in November 2018. New York has won six of 10 and is 6-6 under interim head coach Mike Miller.

The Trail Blazers, who began a fivegame road trip Wednesday, have lost a sea-

D.J. Augustin scored a season-high 25 points off the bench and added nine assists as the visiting Orlando Magic recorded a 122-101 victory over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday.

Augustin’s point total eclipsed the 24 he scored in Orlando’s 127-120 victory at Washington on Dec. 3.

Nikola Vucevic collected 20 points and 12 rebounds for his 14th double-double of the season for the Magic, who defeated the Wizards for the third time in as many contests in 2019-20. Orlando also recorded a 125-121 home victory over Washington on Nov. 17.

Orlando’s Evan Fournier scored 18 points, and Maryland native Markelle Fultz added 16 and eight assists while playing with his mom and sister in attendance.

Washington shooting guard Bradley Beal scored 20 of his 27 points in the first half in his return from a two-game absence caused by soreness in his lower right leg. Jordan McRae added 15 points off the bench for the Wizards, who have lost 13 of their past 17 games. (Reuters)

Chambers out for up to 9 months with ruptured ACL A

rsenal have confirmed defender Calum Chambers ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament of his left knee in Sunday's defeat by Chelsea.

Chambers, 24, had successful surgery on Thursday and is expected to be out for action for six to nine months.

The centre-back, who has made 18 appearances in all competitions this season, suffered the injury in the first half at Emirates Stadium.

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta previously said the injury was "significant".

Meanwhile, Arsenal hope left-back Kieran Tierney will return to training in March after undergoing surgery on the dislocated shoulder he sustained in the 3-1 win over West Ham on 9 December.

Arteta, who took charge last month, hopes former captain Granit Xhaka will stay with the club, having been linked with a move to Hertha Berlin this month.

Swiss international Xhaka, who joined Arsenal from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2016, impressed in Wednesday's 2-0 Premier League win over Manchester United.

Two months earlier, he had lost the captaincy after reacting Calum Chambers

angrily to boos from the Arsenal crowd following his substitution against Crystal Palace at the Emirates.

"I wanted his team-mates to get his back and help him to change his mind because we need him," Arteta said.

"I believe that if we were able to do that the fans would respond in a positive way.

"I've seen him act every day, how he trains, how he lives his profession and the quality of the player. He could be a really important player for the club."

Pogba to have ankle injury fixed

Manchester United's Paul Pogba needs an operation on an ankle injury and is set to be out for "three or four weeks", says manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Pogba was not in the United squad for the New Year's Day defeat at Arsenal.

Paul Pogba

The France midfielder, 26, only made his comeback last month from an ankle problem that had kept him out since the end of September.

"We've had scans and it's nothing major, but it's something that has to be dealt with," said Solskjaer.

"He's been advised to do it [the operation] as soon as and we will probably do it as soon as, so he will be out for three or four weeks.

"It's a big blow because Paul is out now and Scott [McTominay] is also injured - he is out for a few months.

"We just hope that Paul can come back in a month-ish. But if Fred and Nemanja [Matic] played like they did today I will be happy."

Pogba has played only eight times this season after having surgery in the autumn to correct another ankle injury.

His comeback was then delayed by illness, meaning he did not resume training until mid-December.

The former Juventus midfielder made substitute appearances against Watford and Newcastle before being rested for Saturday's Premier League win at Burnley.

Solskjaer said last month that Pogba would not be sold in January. (BBC Sport)

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GUYANATIMESGY.COM

FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 2020

UDFA Year-End Christmas Championship…

Topp XX frustrate Coomacka’s title dreams

T

opp XX walked away with a dramatic 3-1 shootout win over early giant killers Coomacka when the final of the Upper Demerara Football Association’s (UDFA’s) yearend championship tournament, notable for its upsetting outcomes, was played on New Year’s Night at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground in Linden.

In front of a sold-out crowd which seemingly favoured another unlikely win for Coomacka, the team from the Mines area could not realise their dreams because of the heroics of Gregory Hinds, the Topp XX man between the uprights.

Both teams had battled with the hope of a win in regulation play, but even after extra time had expired, the situation remained unchanged, thus the resort was to penalty kicks.

In the end, the legion of supporters of the underdog side Coomacka, a side which had created upsets by beating the tournament’s two top teams in Net Rockers and Botafago, ended up having their hearts broken because of the steely resolve of the Topp XX between the uprights.

Topp XX, which had won similar tournaments before, although none of the recent UDFApromoted championships, got their first taste of victory in this particular tournament by inflicting a bitter defeat on the Coomacka side.

Playing for the first time in a New Year’s game, Coomacka looked to assert themselves early.

After Topp XX had initiated the first offensive foray, Coomacka responded with the assistance of their goalkeeper Kellon Major, who looked good in keeping out the early chances taken by Topp XX. In one of the best buildups, which featured a great switch from inside right to the left flank, Coomacka ended the play with a deft left-foot drive by Wheatland Thom, which beat Topp XX goalkeeper Gregory Hinds all ends up for a 1-0 advantage four minutes before the first half ended.

Businessman Nigel Hinds presenting the Trophy Stall Championship Trophy to Topp XX Coach Troy Nelson

That 1-goal disadvantage was a heavy tag for Topp XX to bear coming into the second half of play, so they resolutely put together their formation, as Coomacka did not miss a step in countering their more known rivals. However, in the 60th minute, Topp XX gained the equaliser from their forward Shawn Daniels in what was a fine effort for a 1-1 score.

That 1-1 score was what caused the game to be truly on, with an expectant crowd watching.

Both teams maintained their offensive mode, leaving their men in goal to thwart attempts at scoring.

By the end of regulation and extra time, the unseeded Coomacka still had an even chance to capture the championship title in the penalty shootout that followed. However, their first shot at goal was a miss, whereas the Topp XX side scored. This broke the rhythm of Coomacka, and they never recovered from that opening

miss; and were always out of contention, as the indomitable Gregory Hinds would, against and again, make saves that ultimately gave his side the championship win by a 3-1 score.

Hinds, deservedly named the Most Valuable Player, collected the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 worth $250,000 from businessman Nigel Hinds, who also handed over the Trophy Stall winners’ trophy and the Nigel Hinds Financial Services’ $700,000 first place cash prize to the Topp XX coach, Troy “Boy Blue” Nelson, at the end of the tournament, during the presentation.

In remarks, Nelson said his side was confident going into the penalty shootout. He opined: “I had no fear going into the penalty shootout. I had all the confidence in my man between the uprights, Gregory Hinds. It was for Coomacka to ensure they can score from the spot.”

Nelson declared: “This is Top XX’s time after a long wait, and now that the era of the 2020s is here, it links with my team’s name of Topp XX.” Topp XX captain Ryan Noel said, “I was very confident going into the penalty kicks, as we had the momentum going into that aspect of the final.

We fought for this for a long time, and been up and down losing. This bunch of players said, ‘We are going to war’, and after coming close with seconds and thirds, we are now able to win a big championship like this.”

After being down 1-0 in the third-place playoff game, Botafago, in the second minute of play, rebounded to inflict a 5-2 drubbing on Haynes and Lewis Winners Connection to grab third place win in the competition.A Jamal Haynes-double, scored respectively in the 44th and 89th minutes, and single strikes from Floyd Headley in the 67th, Gary Velloza in the 73rd, and Jashawn Moore in the 74th minutes, accounted for Botafago’s goals; while, for the Winners Connection, the goals were scored by Joel Bollers in the 2nd minute and Marmalaque Davidson in the 80th minute.

Inaugural 592 Inter-Village Football tournament…

Friendship are the champions!

F

riendship Village football team have been crowned champions of the inaugural 592 Inter-Village Football tour-

nament after a compelling match with their Golden Grove counterparts on Wednesday, January 1st 2020 was eventually decided

by a moment of individual brilliance that brought them a 1-0 victory.

This signal triumph of the sister village of the more famous Buxton was greeted by a cascade of fireworks that littered the New Year’s Night sky and complemented the raucous celebrations of ecstatic fans that reverberated from the Golden Grove Community Centre ground.

The man of the hour was the diminutive Dillon Wright, who decided this eventual outcome in front of a mammoth crowd numbering in the thousands and representing people from villages throughout the East Coast Demerara corridor.

Following the formalities of greeting the respective combatants before the commencement of the battle, Wright evoked a maelstrom of emotions from the ocean of spectators when he found the back of the net in the 21st minute. Given his stature, it was the unlikeliest of conversions, as Wright escaped his marker and directed his powerful header past the goalkeeper following a cross into the box, sending the Friendship faithful into a frenzy of celebrations.

That conversion sealed for Friendship the package of $500,000 cash prize and championship trophy afforded to the eventual winner. As runners-up, team Golden Grove pocketed $200,000 and a trophy.

Commenting after the match, tournament coordinator Eon Havercome said, “We could not have envisioned or asked for a better finale for the inaugural edition of the tournament. The competition has exceeded all expectations, and has solidified itself as a platform and staple for the future within the East Coast Demerara realm. Once again, I have to thank the fans and the

teams for their unwavering support of the event.”

Havercome declared, “Who would have expected that, in the inaugural edition and as a relative newcomer in this realm, the turnout and support would be so monumental? It simply shows that football in the East Coast region, especially among the villages, is truly alive. Without the fans and the players and the corporate support, this would not have been a reality and an eventual success. The 592 Inter-Village Football Festival is here to stay!”

He further revealed that the official presentation of team and individual prizes will occur in the following week, and added that individual prizes will be awarded for the Most Valuable Player [MVP] of the tournament, the MVP of the finale, the Best Goalkeeper of the tournament, and the Best Goalkeeper of the final.

Meanwhile, in the third-place playoff, Beterverwagting (BV) edged Paradise 2-1, Omari Glasgow and Akin Curry scoring in the 14th and 71st minutes respectively. For Paradise, Emmanuel Evans netted in the 69th minute.

Due to the outcome, BV pocketed $150,000 and a trophy, while Paradise walked away with $100,000 and the respective trophy.

Among the major sponsors of this tournament were Bakewell Guyana Incorporated, ExxonMobil, the NSC, Flavours Boss, and the Colin Talbot Construction Services.

Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams and WPA executive member Dr David Hinds were among the dignitaries who made the trek to the venue to witness the grand finale of this tournament.

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 2020

Guyana Jaguars 2-Day Practice match…

21

Foo hits 60; good outings for Sinclair, Reifer, Hemraj

Story

J

and

Photos

by

Brandon Corlette

onathan Foo extended his Regional Super50 form with a responsible 60, as he continued his quest for a maiden 4-Day call-up. Foo's knock helped Anthony Adams' XI scored 244 all out in 74.5 overs on the opening day of the second and final practice match at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence.

In reply, Leon Johnson XI ended the day on 85-1, facing a deficit of 159 runs.

Chandrapaul Hemraj was unbeaten on an attacking 46, while captain Johnson was unbeaten on 23 at stumps.

Earlier, Adams' XI had a solid start, with Trevon Griffith and Raymon Perez adding 55 runs together. Griffith was removed by the Barbadian Raymon Reifer for a 41-ball 24 which included four boundaries and one six. His opening partner Perez looked in fine touch once again, but failed to register a significant score. Perez made 46 from 79 balls, stroking four boundaries and two sixes in the process.

After Perez was bowled

by Christopher Barnwell with the score on 852, left-handed duo of Akshaya Persaud and Kemol Savory took the score past 100. Savory was dismissed for four when veteran Chandrapaul Hemraj left-arm spinner played some Veerasammy Permaul scintillating rocked back his stumps shots in his at 107-3. unbeaten 40

All smiles for Sinclair who was on a hat trick

Jonathan Foo partnered Persaud, and the duo took the score to 1133 at lunch after 33 overs. Persaud was unbeaten on 27, while Foo was yet to get off the mark.

The West Demerara lad Persaud looked in decent knick, but after the

Raymon Reifer returned with three wickets

lunch interval he played an awful swipe to Devendra Bishoo and was bowled for 32.

Having occupied the crease for 111 minutes, Persaud had stroked five fours in his promising innings.

With the score on 156-5, Ricardo Adams fell for three, playing across the line to a straight-Permaul delivery.

Foo, who was dropped on 38 by Singh at short cover, reached his fifty in 112 balls after 116 minutes. He and Renaldo Ali Mohamed added 57 runs together for the sixth wicket

partnership, the former West Indies Under-19 all-rounder slamming four fours, including three in one Permaul over, and two sixes in his 44-ball 39. His breezy innings concluded when he was caught at leg-gully by Singh off the bowling of Kevin Sinclair.

At the tea interval, Adams' XI had reached 219-6, with Foo unbeaten on 52 and Quintin Sampson on one. At the resumption of the final session of the day, Sinclair found himself on a hat trick. He bowled Sampson all ends up for 15 with the score at 235-7, and followed that up with the wicket of Gudakesh Motie, who went for a first ball duck, caught at the wicket.

After all the drama, Foo then edged Reifer behind to end his innings on 60 from 137 balls in 155 minutes, including six boundaries and with the score at 242-9.

Reifer then wrapped up the innings with a stunning return catch to dismiss Nial Smith, as Anthony Adams (02) standing at the nonstrikers end watched his XI end their innings on 244 all out in 74.5 overs.

Reifer ended with 3-18 in 9.5 overs, while Sinclair had 3-53 in 12 overs, and Permaul bagged 2-72 in 25 overs, including seven maidens.

In the Johnson XI first innings, Chandrapaul Hemraj began in style, driving Smith to the cover boundary. Ali Mohamed took the new ball from the Player's Pavilion end and got inward movement, so much so that he trapped Imlach in front for one with the team's score on six.

An unbroken 69-run partnership between Hemraj and Johnson ensured no further hiccups, and the day closed on 85-1. Hemraj looked in full flow, scoring his 40 from 60 balls.

This was decorated with four boundaries and two sixes, and was achieved in 80 minutes.

The second and final day at Providence will commence from 9:00h, as Jaguars look to wrap up their preparations for the Regional 4-Day tournament slated for January 9.

West Indies men dominate ESPN T20 team of the decade G

iven the two T20 World Cups under the belt of the West Indies, it may be no surprise that the Caribbean side has dominated ESPN’s best XI in the format over the last decade.

ESPN had come up with a list of its best XI in Test, One-Day and T20 Internationals and while there were no West Indians in the two longer formats of the game, they may have made up for it in the shortest.

At the top of the order comes Chris Gayle, T20’s all-time leading run-scorer.

Interestingly, the opening

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spots have been covered by the West Indies with Sunil Narine earning a pick for his innovative pinch-hitting at the top of the order.

India’s Virat Kohli comes at number three in the batting line-up, with South Africa’s AB de Villiers locking down number four.

At five, ESPN has gone with another Indian in veteran Mahendra Singh Doni before turning again to the Caribbean where West Indies white-ball captain Kieron Pollard and Andre Russell can decide who bats six and seven.

At number eight, the best in the world this decade, according to the writers at ESPN, comes Dwayne Bravo before the leg-spin option of Rashid Khan. Narine, is, of course, the other spinner in the side.

Sri Lankan great, Lasith Malinga makes the best team of the decade next, while Jasprith Bumrah finds his way into the side as the second seamer. The two are seen as the best death bowlers in the world because of their ability to bowl Yorkers.

Taylor, Dottin, Mohammed

make ESPN team of the decade

Despite having a torrid time of international cricket over the last year and a half, three women from the West Indies side have still been picked as part of this decade’s best XI, according to ESPN. Stafanie Taylor, who scored the most One-Day International runs and is one of the three highest run-scorers in the World in T20 Internationals over the course of the decade, was a shoo-in, while all-rounding legend from the region, Deandra Dottin, also had no equal.

As a bowler, Anisa Mohammed has been the standout spinner this decade and so has also taken her place in the XI. Taylor, according to ESPN, is joined at the top of the order by New Zealand’s Suzie Bates, while at number three, Australia’s Meg Lanning was a sure pick. At four in the batting line-up comes Indian great, Mithali Raj, who averaged 55.31 in ODIs this decade and 37.18 in T20Is. England wicketkeeper Sarah Taylor is set to walk at five in the team of the

decade, while Australia’s Ellyse Perry and Dottin prop up the rest of the middle order.

The specialist bowlers in the side are made up of Shagnim Ismail, England veteran Anya Shrubsole, Mohammed and South

28-year-old West Indies captain managed 2639 runs at an average of 35.66 including 14 half-centuries.

Dottin’s all-round cricket has been impressive. She scored 2349 runs in ODIs this decade while taking 64 wickets. In T20Is the

wickets in ODIs over the period. In 2011, for instance, the offspinner managed to remove 37 scalps from just 13 games. She has taken five or more wickets on three occasions since 2010.

In T20Is, where batters reign supreme, Mohammed

Anisa Mohammed, Stafanie Taylor and Deandra Dottin celebrate Windies’ T20 World Cup triumph

Africa’s Dane van Niekerk.

This decade, Taylor scored 3993 runs at an average of 45.89, which included four centuries and 32 half-centuries. In T20Is, the

all-rounder was just as impressive, scoring 2175 runs while taking 58 wickets.

Mohammed has been the standout bowler this decade, taking an incredible 142

was also brilliant, bagging 102 wickets with best figures of 5/12. She took five or more wickets twice in the period and had four for nine in 2010 and 2011.

22

FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 2020

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

A game worth organising: Petra moving to higher heights in 2020

By Jemima Holmes

W

ere it not for the Petra organization, the playing of football in the school system would be in limbo.

While other football member associations are responsible for football at the club level, Petra prides itself on coordinating tournaments for those young players who are now coming through the ranks.

Nevertheless, the body also caters to the playing of football at the senior level.

Over the past year, the Petra organization has coordinated the Courts Pee Wee 11-and-Under Boys, Smalta Pee Wee 11-and-Under Girls’, ExxonMobil Boys and Girls Under-14, Milo Boys Under-18, Guyoil Under-18 League, KFC Goodwill Tournament, Limacol Senior Tournament, Turbo Knockout and Corona Futsal tournaments.

Often, when a tournament is launched, kicked off or concluded, the face many would see is that of Troy Mendonca, a co-director of the Petra organisation. Notwithstanding, when asked about the year 2019, Mendonca showered praise on those who worked behind the scenes to get the job done.

“I just want to set the record straight: While I’m the one doing most of the talking, I want to give credit to our team who is out there, headed by Jackie, Clifford, Desi, Mark, Mr. Daly, and all these other guys who’re out there putting their best foot forward day in day out,” he declared.

“In 2019, we were able to execute our programmes, be it challenging or not, because we believe in what we’re doing; we believe in our contribution towards the development of the sport of football,” Mendonca elaborated.

Things had gone smoothly at the organizational front, but Mendonca had encountered a personal roadblock in the latter part of the year when his business, the Guinness Bar, went up in flames. In addressing this hurdle and others he had encountered along

Petra Co-Director Troy Mendonca

the way, the football stalwart explained that it has motivated him to keep pressing on.

“First of all, I want to give a lot of praise to my dad. I grew up understanding that nothing comes easy in this life, and there’s no straight path. Like I said, we’ve tried to encourage our personnel on the floor to understand that nothing comes easy. So, I think the challenges in (themselves) act as a motivation in bringing out the best from us.”

On the tournament management front, Mendonca cited the lack of sporting facilities in general as a hindrance to the fraternity.

“One of the biggest challenges that football in itself is faced with is the unavailability of facilities. A lot of times I hear people say all kinds of things about reimbursing players and so on, and I always ask the question, ‘Where is the revenue coming from, if we don’t have a proper facility?” he explained.

To this end, the Petra co-director took the opportunity to extend gratitude to those

who have played a part in the continuance of their tournaments, even when inclement weather had rendered their regular venue (the Ministry of Education Ground) unusable.

“We are thankful to Minister Nicolette Henry for allowing a partnership that allows us to use the facility in the Ministry of Education ground. That in itself is a boost for our programmes; and secondly, I’d like to thank Mr. Wayne Forde for allowing us to use the GFF training facility,” Mendonca expressed.

He has offered a solution to the longstanding problem.

“On the real challenge of facilities, it’s something Government, corporate Guyana and all stakeholders need to come together to address, because if we want to see our sport develop; if we want to see our athletes excel, which automatically highlights our country, we have to invest in facilities,” Mendonca explained.

One highlight of Petra’s 2019 tournaments was the ascension of two under-20 teams, Santos FC and Fruta Conquerors, to the final of the Limacol Football Competition. While Mendonca was proud at the level of football displayed by the youngsters, the fact that most of them have moved through the Petra tournaments over the years came as an extra incentive.

“The thing about it is that most of them came through the ranks of our tournaments over the years, starting as early as under-11, and I think the future of Guyanese football lies in them. Even in the KFC tournament, we had those two teams from the interior regions, and we have some good youths out there,” he explained.

Another area that the organization has worked on is the tardy start to most tournaments, especially in the futsal world.

When this aspect of football culture was encountered, the Petra organization took several steps to ensure that players would show up and games would begin on time.

Probed about the organization’s bold step, Mendonca detailed that the problem has been allowed to grow wild for too long.

“As administrators and organizers, we just allowed that situation to get out of hand, and I think there’s this perception of a particular part of the community doesn’t respond in a certain way; and we proved them wrong. We proved that, in organizing, you set your policies -- what you want to achieve, and you act on it.

So, definitely, yes, we want to ensure that whatever timing we set out in our engagement, we stick to it,” he explained.

In their plans for 2020, Mendonca disclosed that the organization is most focused on executing all their current tournaments in the New Year. However, more specifically, he revealed plans to continue working on expanding the KFC Goodwill Tournament.

“Our ambition is to have several of the top Caribbean countries being represented by a school at this tournament. So, it’s like a football festival, we might eventually have to play four games a day or at two different venues. I think that’s where we want to head, and I think that enhances the attitude and the performance level,” he revealed.

Another area of concern for the Petra organization is the playing of senior-level football in Georgetown. To this end, intention to work along with the newly-elected Georgetown Football Club (GFA) body in order to pull off a Georgetown league is one of their priorities.

“We understand the impact that a league would have on the sport, and that’s one of the areas we want to see come up. We want to see the GFA, now they have an elected body, we would like to see a league in place.

“Over the years, we’ve been trying to get that done, and now I think we can sit down with the GFA and (discuss) whatever assistance we can give them to have a league for the senior teams in Georgetown,” he disclosed.

Campbell looking forward to productive 2020 T

o achieve greatness, one must learn from one’s mistakes, pick up the pieces and press on.

The year 2019 has been a bitter-sweet one for national body-builder Emmerson Campbell. Overall, he was able to achieve his personal best, but as the saying goes, ‘You win some and you lose some’.

Campbell was extremely proud at being able to achieve his fourth National Men’s Physique title, and further went on to represent Guyana in the CAC Championship in the Dominican Republic, where he placed 7th in the under 174 cm.

That placement had left Campbell befuddled, since he believed he was in better form than the form he had in 2018. In an interview with Guyana Times Sport Campbell said, “For me, the high point of 2019 was winning my fourth National Men’s Physique title and representing Guyana at my fourth CAC Championships in the Dominican Republic.

“Although I lost by one point in 2018, and placed 7th in 2019, it was still an honour to represent the Golden Arrowhead, despite not placing on the podium.

“It was my worst placing ever at the event, since I placed fourth at my first outing in the Bahamas in 2015. Nevertheless, it was my best package to date, in my opinion. My low point was placing out of the first call out at CAC. That has never happened before. I was shocked and disappointed.

But it’s a subjective sport, and that’s how it goes sometimes. Sometimes the judges are not seeing on stage what you are seeing in the mirror. To turn the low into the high has to do with me just being a better athlete; better in all areas: size, conditioning and stage presentation.”

Campbell has said he would not allow this result to discourage him, since he has attained both silver and bronze in the CAC Championships, and his hunger for gold has increased even more. He explained that he would be aiming to attain gold in Colombia this year.

Campbell’s closing remarks were, “Many thanks to Jamie McDonald of Fitness Express; National Sports Commission; Guyana Olympic Association; Bounty Farm Ltd; Abdool and Abdool, Insurance Company; and Space Gym, for their continued support in enabling me to represent Guyana at the highest Regional level.”

Emmerson Campbell (right) and Yannick Grimes have both represented Guyana at the 2019 CAC Body Building Championships

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 2020

23

GFF Super 16 Cup…

GDF take $2M and bragging rights ꟷ after taking Fruta to school

Story and Photos Jemima Holmes

by

T

he Guyana Defence Force (GDF) football club now have ‘ammunition’ enough to brag for the remainder of the year 2020, following their championship victory in the GFF Super 16 Cup in the wee hours of Sunday morning.

The crowd at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) Ground at Bourda looked similar in size to what had obtained in years gone by, when scores of supporters turned up to witness the final clash in the Guyana Football Federation Super 16 Cup between the GDF FC and Fruta Conquerors FC. The hyped-up battle between these two teams, who are arguably among the best in Guyana, got off to a promising start, as teams and officials were greeted

by Director General in the Ministry of the Presidency Joseph Harmon, Minister of Sport Dr. George Norton and GFF President Wayne Forde.

It is safe to say that Fruta Conquerors could have won the matchup by a mile had it not been for their lack of accuracy during the entire 90 minutes. The first segment of play saw the Tucville-based team coming within inches of the goal, but walking away with no fruit for their labour.

For Fruta Conquerors, coming up short looked like déjà vu, after struggling to find the back of the net in the semifinal, in spite of their victory there.

On the other hand, the army men also came close on a few free-kick occasions, but their attempts were scooped up by the capable Akel Clarke. As such, the first half passed quietly, with both teams still hunting their first goal.

Fruta Conquerors’ marksmanship did not improve in the second half, and their players were visibly overcome by frustration. In contrast, GDF literally looked more fixated on their goal; and their breakthrough came in the 59th minute when Delroy Fraser took possession of the ball. Fruta’s goalkeeper Akel Clarke had readied himself to take on Fraser’s shot, but what he was not prepared for was a pass instead. Picking up the pass was Benjamin Opara, who shot the ball high into the corner of the net for the lone goal of the game.

MVP Benjamin Opara, posing with his Honda 125cc motorcycle

Speaking with this newscast following their victory, GDF’s Benjamin Opara praised his team’s efforts, and noted that they deserved the victory.

“Before the game start we know that it was going to be a tough game. So our coach talked to us, and before the tournament start, we’ve always been working hard; going places working hard. GDF deserves it! We deserve it!” Opara declared.

The forward went on to share a little of GDF’s strategy going into the final, highlighting that composure was key.

“We know that Fruta, they have a nice game, we know that they are going to be tough, and we were prepared for it. Our coach coached most of their players, so he already told us about them, and told us any opportunity we have, we should make sure we score.

With that, we made sure we are very, very composed about the game,” he went on to explain.

Prior to the final showdown, Santos FC bounced back to their winning ways to take third place ahead of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) FC. In a comedy of errors, the Police let a 2-0 lead slip away in the dying moments of the game. Trayon Bobb netted first in the 5th, and William Europe scored in the 71st, to seemingly put a win far out of the Santos reach.

However, the tide turned in the 73rd minute when an own goal came off the boots of Police player Trevon Lythcott to push the score to 2-1. Later on, Orin Yarde netted Santos’ second in the 90+1.

In extra time, Yarde repeated the feat in the 114th for Santos’ victory.

GDF’s Enoch Carmichael

was adjudged the best goalkeeper, while Benjamin Opara rode away with a Honda 125cc motorcycle compliments of Marics and Company as the tournament’s MVP. While GDF walked away

A glimpse of the intense action during the final battle

with a whopping 2-million-dollar cheque, Fruta Conquerors had to settle for a million.

The tournament’s sponsors included MACORP,

NAMILCO, Tourism & Hospitality Association of Guyana, EC Vieira Investments, BACIF, Pegasus Hotel, BK International, Bakewell,

Marics Honda, Impressions, China Harbour, 94.1 Boom FM, MVP Sports, Xtra Beer, Radar Security Service and Supplies, and SleepIn International Hotel.

Better Way Entertainment Presidential Cup…

Storm Bird extends dominance with crushing win S

By Brandon Corlette

print queen Storm Bird again displayed her dominance of the local race horses when she easily disposed of the competition in the Better Way Entertainment Presidential Cup horse meet on New Year's Day at the Rising Sun Turf Club on the West Coast of Berbice.

In the feature event of the meet, the one-mile race for horses classified ‘C and Lower’,

from the get-go to clinch the $700,000 first prize that went along with a trophy.

The crowd had been buzzing for favourite horse Don't Overlook, but Storm Bird’s blistering pace consigned Don't Overlook to second position, while TNT rode in third and Lucky Star came in fourth.

Racing fans had come out in their numbers to witness some spectacular horses compete in this Presidential Cup horse meet, and the event

Jockey Razack (in white) piloted Storm Bird to a comfortable win in the feature event

Uprising won the first event of the day (Brandon Corlette photos)

this top horse of the Habibulla Stables, being piloted by Jockey Razack, lit up the Rising Sun racing turf with blistering speed

was blessed with scorching sunshine.

Nobody could justifiably claim disappointment at the action, except in the

event that their favoured horse had disappointed.

Commencing the day's events, Uprising took the top spot in the K Class/J Class nonwinners’ race for 2018-2019, bagging the $175,000 first prize as he finished ahead of Sunday Silencer, Touch My Cash, and Secret Flyer in that order.

In the second race of the day, 2019 champion jockey Colin Ross piloted Perfect Pleasure to a comfortable victory in the 2-Year-Old event.

Perfect Drift came in second position while Symbol and Holy Night completed the top four finishers in that race.

In the third event of the meet, Chameli won the G Class and Lower Race by the closest of margins, clinching the $350,000 cash prize and trophy.

A bit of controversy ensued

between the handlers of Chameli and Santa Cruz Lady, but the former was declared the winner, while TNT came in third position, inches behind the second-positioned Santa Cruz Lady.

In the ‘I Class and Lower’ event, which was the fourth race of the day, Not this Time, piloted by jockey Colin Ross, cruised to victory over 1600 metres, bagged for its handlers the $300,000 cash prize and trophy.

Miss Olympic came in second position, while Valentina rode in third and Sunday Silencer finished in fourth.

Meanwhile, Cherish Me sealed the first position in the ‘L Class Open’ race and uplifted the first price purse of $150,000.

Song Bird rode in second, while First Prince and Touch D Cash followed in that order.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 2020

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

guyanatimesgy.com

GFF Super 16 Cup…

GDF take $2M and bragging rights

Page 23

ꟷ after taking Fruta to school Guyana Jaguars 2-Day Practice match...

Better Way Entertainment Presidential Cup...

Storm Bird extends dominance with Foo hits 60: crushing win Page 21

Page 23

good outings for Sinclair, Reifer, Hemraj

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