Guyana Times - Friday, March 28, 2025

“It would be a very bad day for Venezuela” if they attack Guyana – US Secretary

of State

…vows not to allow illegitimate claims to hinder Guyana’s development

Guyana, US ink pact to deepen security cooperation

Teen, toddler drown in separate tragedies at Mahaica, Kwakwani

Mother, son charged with attempting to bribe cops

$52M seized as Chinese national slapped with money laundering charges …“United States is our trusted partner” – Pres Ali

"It’s

into local market

Govt promises to rectify narrow concrete roads in Berbice Pensioner dies after being struck by motorcycle

Pomeroon boat builder jailed for narco trafficking

The

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Friday, March 28 –03:30h-05:00h and Saturday, March 29 – 04:15h-05:45h.

The Berbice Bridge will

to vehicular

on: Friday, March 28 –15:50h-17:20h and Saturday, March 29 – 16:35h-18:05h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

Winds:

Border controversy

“It would be a very bad day for

Venezuela”

if they attack

Guyana

– US Secretary of State …vows not to allow illegitimate claims to hinder Guyana’s development

In yet another stern warning to Venezuela, United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has cautioned the Nicolás Maduro regime that consequences would follow should there be an attack on Guyana and/or US oil major ExxonMobil, which is operating in Guyana’s waters.

Secretary Rubio made these remarks during a joint press conference with President Dr Irfaan Ali at State House in Georgetown on Thursday. The US Secretary of State, whose one-day visit to Guyana is part of a three-nation Caribbean tour, was at the time responding to a question from the local media about the US’ support for Guyana in the event of an attack by Venezuela.

“It will be a very bad day for the Venezuelan regime if they were to attack Guyana or attack ExxonMobil or anything like. It would be a very bad day, a very bad week for them. And it would not end well for them,” Rubio declared.

He went on to say, “I’m not going to get into details of what we’ll do; we’re not big on those kinds of threats. I think everybody understands, and I want it to be clear – we’ve made this clear repeatedly – I think the US Navy today is making it clear and demonstrating our ability …we have a big navy and it can get anywhere in the world. And we have commitments that exist today with Guyana. We want to build on those and expand on those. And we’ll leave it for the appropriate time, but suffice it to say that if that regime were to do something such as that, it would be a very bad move. It would be a big mistake for them.”

Military exercises

Earlier on Thursday, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) announced that it would be conducting military exercises with the US Navy this week, in international waters as well as in Guyana’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

The joint maritime exercises, which include the GDF’s Patrol Vessel SHAHOUD and the US Navy’s cruiser USS NORMANDY, underscore the deepening defence partnership between the two nations. It focuses on strengthening communications protocols, interoperability, and coordinated manoeuvres, providing both militaries with valuable opportunities to refine operational readiness and share best practices.

According to the GDF, these exercises align with the GDF’s commitment to

safeguarding Guyana’s maritime sovereignty and enhancing regional security through collaborative training. This engagement also reflects the strong and growing military-to-military relationship between Guyana and the United States.

These joint maritime exercises come on the heels of a Venezuelan naval vessel enter Guyana’s waters earlier this month and threatening an ExxonMobil-operator oil tanker offshore.

At approximately 07:00h on Saturday, March 1, 2025, a Venezuelan Coast Guard vessel, identified as ABV Guaiquerí PO-11 (IMO

4695542), entered Guyana’s waters and approached a tanker near the Prosperity floating, production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel that is operating in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana.

Located within Guyana’s EEZ, to which the Maduro regime is laying claim, the oil-rich Stabroek Block is being operated by ExxonMobil, which has discovered over 11 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe) and is currently conducting production and other exploration activities.

During its incursion, the Venezuelan naval vessel communicated threatening-

ly via radio that Prosperity was operating in Venezuela’s EEZ, before continuing in a southwestern direction towards other FPSOs in Guyana’s waters, to which it delivered the same message.

Consequences

Secretary Rubio, during his remarks at Thursday’s press conference in Georgetown, recognised the challenge that Venezuela’s threats pose to Guyana’s economic development. In recommitting the US’ support, he warned of consequences for these aggressions.

President Dr Irfaan Ali with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in front of a map of Guyana at State House in Georgetown on Thursday

Editor: Tusika Martin

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Bridging divide between potential & opportunity

In an era where skill development is the foundation of sustainable economic growth, the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) has launched an initiative that stands to transform the future of Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).

This new training programme is not only a response to the region’s longstanding skills gap but a powerful statement on the commitment to bridging the divide between potential and opportunity.

With over 100 residents already enrolled, the BIT programme is delivering hands-on, vocational training in a range of critical sectors, including welding and fabrication, solar panel installation and repairs, heavy-duty equipment operation, electrical installation, and commercial food preparation. But perhaps most notably, it marks the first-ever introduction of a cosmetology programme in Lethem, broadening the scope of opportunities for local residents to pursue careers in diverse fields.

The significance of this move cannot be overstated. For decades, Region Nine has lagged behind in terms of access to technical training, with many of its residents struggling to gain the skills needed to secure stable employment or start businesses.

The Government, through this initiative, is taking meaningful steps to rectify this imbalance—offering residents not just a path to employment, but a chance to actively contribute to the region’s self-sufficiency and long-term prosperity.

In unveiling the programme at the Business Incubation Center in Lethem, Labour Minister Joseph Hamilton highlighted the urgent need for such initiatives. “Creating opportunities like this will play a crucial role in closing the skills gap,” Hamilton noted, stressing that this is more than a temporary fix – it is a long-term strategy aimed at empowering the local population. Indeed, this programme’s impact will be felt not only in the immediate generation of skilled workers but in the creation of a self-sustaining cycle of training and employment.

In his remarks, Minister Hamilton also made a noteworthy point about the increasing participation of women in these programmes, which marks a significant shift in the region’s social dynamics. For too long, vocational training in many parts of the world – Region Nine included – has been perceived as a male-dominated field. Yet, over the past four years, women in Region Nine have stepped forward in record numbers, taking part in vocational courses across a variety of sectors. “Over the last four years, from 2020 to 2024, we executed 38 programmes in Region Nine, training 716 persons – 236 males and 480 females,” Hamilton revealed, underscoring the role of women as active agents of change in their communities. This shift is both encouraging and necessary, as empowering women with marketable skills can have profound ripple effects on entire communities.

The initiative’s long-term sustainability is also a key point of emphasis. Hamilton highlighted a critical challenge faced by the region – the lack of qualified trainers. It is no secret that regions like Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo often face barriers in sourcing skilled trainers, but Hamilton is optimistic that the very participants who benefit from this programme will eventually become the next generation of trainers, ensuring the cycle of education and empowerment continues. This vision is key to achieving true self-sufficiency in the region and is a model that could be replicated in other parts of the country.

The enthusiasm for this initiative is not confined to Government officials. Local leaders such as Lethem Mayor John Macedo and Regional Chairman Brian Allicock have expressed their unwavering support for the programme, recognising its transformative potential.

There is little doubt that BIT’s initiative is a game-changer for Region Nine. By providing free, high-quality vocational training and fostering local capacity building, the programme is laying the groundwork for a more prosperous and self-reliant future. It is a model of inclusive development that other regions of Guyana –and even other nations – would do well to emulate.

As the first cohort of graduates emerges in a few months, there is hope that these newly-skilled individuals will not only fill the current gaps in the workforce, but will also be able to pass on their knowledge to others, ensuring that the cycle of education and empowerment continues for generations to come.

Donald Trump is moving fast and breaking things, but that may result in a better US

By Simon JenkinS

"Move fast and break things" was Mark Zuckerberg’s motto in launching Facebook 20 years ago. It seemed the antithesis of management-school custom and practice. But it worked, to be imitated after a fashion by Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and other digital tycoons with similar success. Donald Trump is now seeing if it works in government.

The smart money in Washington was that after the fiasco of Trump’s first term, his second would see a more emollient president, one careful of his reputation. He would reach out, consult, become a peacemaker, in his desperation to become a Nobel president like Barack Obama.

How wrong that has proved. Trump is doing what few leaders dare do. He is being a cultural revolutionary, a Mao Zedong, a grandiloquent system smasher. He wants to reorder Washington’s role in the US and the US’s role in the world. He knows that he may have just two years before “the system” – the electoral cycle, the judiciary and state governments – blocks his path. If he truly wants revolution he must break things, and fast.

The historian Arthur Schlesinger said the US needed occasional shocks to wipe away the cobwebs, the bureaucracy and the dirt of an ever more cumbersome union. Should it get out of hand and disaster threaten, the constitution was designed to pull the country back from

the brink. Thus it rid itself of Richard Nixon, but not before his radicalism towards China achieved the US’s exit from Vietnam. Might this apply to Trump?

Already a dose of the socalled new realism has torn through Nato’s cobwebs. Trump simply does not regard Russia as a threat to the US and western Europe. It is merely obsessed, as it has been throughout history, with its frontier states, with the Baltics, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia and the “stans”, nations that Trump has little interest in defending. Yet ever since the end of the cold war –and during most of it – Nato’s rationale has relied on a thesis, a conventional wisdom, that Russia is set on the conquest of western Europe. If Keir Starmer really thinks, as he appears to, that Russia’s assault on Ukraine threatens Britain, Trump’s message is that Britain should pare down its welfare state and rearm quickly. American taxpayers are not going to be taken for that ride.

It was indeed a Republican, Dwight Eisenhower, who warned against exaggerating the Russian threat to sustain Nato, which was already the biggest and richest military establishment the world had ever seen. The defence lobby demanded deterrence to be infinite. Trump has called that bluff. To him the US’s defence is just that: to guard its own borders. So should be Europe’s. It is hardly an outrageous view. No one was screaming for war when Russia invaded Georgia or Ukraine in 2014. It is one thing to disagree with this ar-

gument, another to dismiss it as 1939-style appeasement, as western defence lobbyists have done.

Meanwhile, on the subject of borders Trump is hardly out on a limb. The US gains about 150,000 Mexican immigrants a year, to join the 11 million already there. Mexico and Canada bombard the US with imports, as does China. To Trump, Americans should pay for their goods what it costs Americans to make them. If they want Chinese cars they can donate 25% of the price to the government as a tariff. As for fentanyl, the way to get countries such as China to stem the flow and the deaths that follow is again with tariffs, massive tariffs. Sometimes in diplomacy only force talks – force backed up with uncertainty.

Almost every president comes to Washington promising to cut the bureaucracy. Thus did Warren Harding, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George W Bush. The reality is that an activist president breeds bureaucrats. The power of the centre in a democracy attracts more power. Trump knows he has no time for a long fight. It is Musk and the chainsaw or it is nothing. Education is not a federal function but a job for the states. So shut the US Department of Education. Ditto USAID. Also slash the state department. Raid the Treasury. Sure, things will get broken, but it is no worse than doing nothing. That is what cultural revolution means.

Trump and his administration’s actions have been in many respects appalling.

To renege on Joe Biden’s aid to Ukraine in mid-battle, to call Volodymyr Zelenskyy a dictator, to insult Canada, to threaten Greenland, to stop famine relief to Africa, to propose a Gaza beach resort, to bully lawyers, to leak security meetings, all beggar belief. Trump and his team are like playground thugs in their crudity and rudeness.

But this is the sound of things breaking. It illustrates why Washington develops a defensive “swamp”, to guard against inexperienced presidents. As it is, the chance of Trump succeeding in his radicalism is small. You cannot stage much of a revolution in two years. There will be a counter-revolution. Greenland is unlikely to be an American Ukraine. Tariffs will come back down. The Democrats will recover their nerve. Many of Trump’s “broken things” will be patched together. But in among the chaos are challenges to convention that were overdue. Nato could become realistic. A forever war in Ukraine – or wider – could be avoided and Russia readmitted to the community of nations, as China was after Nixon. This is at least possible. More to the point, the US may review its role in the world, a role that has meant a quarter of a century of moral belligerence, with appalling cost and slaughter. It should revert to being what it is, another nation among nations. That may even be the result of someone moving fast and breaking things. (The Guardian) (Simon Jenkins is a Guardian columnist)

On the Ataro River, a boat travels through Guyana's rainforest as it makes its way to the village of Phillipai, Upper Mazaruni, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) (National Geographic photo)

GOGEC welcomes Guyana-US security cooperation agreement

The Guyana Oil and Gas Energy Chamber (GOGEC) has welcomed the visit of United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the signing of an enhanced Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Governments of Guyana and the United States.

According to GOGEC President Manniram Prashad, the agreement reinforces the strong and enduring partnership between the two nations, emphasising shared values, mutual trust, and a commitment to regional peace and security.

GOGEC said on Thursday that it also supports President Irfaan Ali’s

stance on providing different and preferential treatment to close allies who have consistently backed Guyana’s territorial integrity. With the country’s oil and gas sector continuing to expand, the Chamber sees the MOU as a timely and critical step in ensuring stability and safeguarding Guyana’s sovereignty.

The organization applauded the U.S. Government's reaffirmed commitment to addressing security concerns, including transnational crime, human trafficking, and money laundering. It also recognized ExxonMobil as a responsible corporate entity contributing to Guyana’s economic growth through its investments and local

content initiatives.

GOGEC reiterated its commitment to collaborating with the Government

and industry stakeholders to advance Guyana’s sustainable energy future and economic resilience.

Govt promises to rectify narrow concrete roads in Berbice

Many persons have complained about the width of the concrete roads being built by the Public Works Ministry in several communities across Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne).

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday explained that, in many of those areas, the space is not available for the roads to be wider, but the Government continues to build every road that requires upgrading.

His comment came following complaints from residents of Berbice during a recent outreach.

“Some of the roads are like eight feet, so you had to put the water main in the middle of the road because there is no parapet, and then cover it over with the concrete strip so people will get something to walk on,” he explained.

In other areas, he agreed that the Ministry should have built roads measuring twelve feet in width. But to solve this problem, he said, “We explained to them that we’re going to dig out the shoulders, two feet on each side, and have a compacted surface with sand and crushand-run, so even if you come

off the road, you can widen it.”

This will be done between utility poles, which are also planted on the community roads.

The Vice President has said that, unlike other political parties, his government provides solutions and look at ways to address people’s issues.

“We don’t go up there and skin our teeth and take a

few pictures all the time. We don’t do that, we talk about substance,” he noted. He added that, in other areas of investment, the Government has provided each Local Government Body which contested the last Local Government Elections with an excavator to improve drainage and irrigation in their communities, while garbage compactors have been provided for the towns.

President Dr Irfaan Ali and United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday

GOGEC President Manniram Prashad

File photos: Recently-completed roads in Berbice

Page Foundation

1. If the fraction of sweets sold at a shop is 1/5, then the percentage of sweets sold is (A) 20%

(B) 13%

(C) 48%

(D) 52%

2. What is the value of 2 (4 + 11)?

(A) 19

(B) 17

(C) 30

(D) 48

3. 10/40 expressed as a fraction is

(A) 2/4

(B) 1/4

(C) 1/5

(D) 5/20

4. If X = {even numbers less than 10} and Y = {multiples of 2 less than 16}, then X n Y is the set

(A) {2, 4, 6}

(B) {2, 4, 6, 8}

(C) {2, 4, 6, 8, 10}

(D) {14, 12, 10, 8}

5. 18 is not a multiple of (A) 3

(B) 8

(C) 6 (D) 9

6. Twenty thousand eight hundred rounded off to the nearest thousand is

(A) 20,900

(B) 20,800

(C) 20,700 (D) 21,000

7. A dress sells for $360 after a discount of 50%. What was the original price?

(A) $600

(B) $720

(C) $180

(D) $500

8. In the figure below, Angle a and 92° equal 180°

a) What is the size of the unknown angle?

(b) Angle a and the unknown angle form what kind of angle?

(c) What is the total degrees of the figure?

(d) Which angles are complementary?

By Sara Coleridge

January brings the snow, makes our feet and fingers glow.

February brings the rain, Thaws the frozen lake again.

March brings breezes loud and shrill, stirs the dancing daffodil.

April brings the primrose sweet, Scatters daises at our feet.

May brings flocks of pretty lambs, Skipping by their fleecy damns.

June brings tulips, lilies, roses, Fills the children’s hand with posies.

Hot July brings cooling showers, Apricots and gillyflowers.

August brings the sheaves of corn, Then the harvest home is borne.

Warm September brings the fruit, Sportsmen then begin to shoot.

Fresh October brings the pheasants, Then to gather nuts is pleasant.

Dull November brings the blast, Then the leaves are whirling fast.

Chill December brings the sleet, Blazing fire, and Christmas treat.

WORD

Guyana, US ink pact to deepen security cooperation

…“United States is our trusted partner” – President Ali

Security cooperation between Guyana and the United States will be further strengthened with the signing of a new agreement that also focuses on countering narcotics trafficking and transnational organised crime in the region.

This Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Hugh Todd and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday at State House in Georgetown.

As part of a three-nation Caribbean tour that lasted for two days, Secretary Rubio travelled to Guyana on Thursday for brief engagements with the Guyana Government. During his visit, the US Secretary of State held a one-on-one meeting with President Dr Irfaan Ali at State House.

Following this, the Guyanese Head of State led bilateral discussions between Government officials and the

visiting high-level US delegation, which included US Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot. Those talks focused on consolidating the agendas of both countries in several areas, including regional security, trade, energy, investments, and human capital development.

Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, and several Cabinet Ministers were also at the meeting, which was followed by the MoU signing.

Strengthen

Under this newly-inked security cooperation mechanism, Guyana and the United States will strengthen information sharing, synthetic drug detection, transnational organised crime investigations and prosecutions, and military-to-military cooperation.

In brief remarks at a joint press conference after the signing, President Ali affirmed that the United States

stands as Guyana’s trusted partner – a relationship he said that is rooted in shared values, mutual trust, and an

here. This visit has allowed us to consolidate our bilateral agenda; defining policies and outlining clear intentions in areas of security, trade, energy, investments, infrastructure, democracy, region-

unwavering commitment to the rule of law and the principles of international order.

“The United States is our trusted partner as we continue to build a stable, secure and democratic society

al peace and stability, human capital deployment and development,” he stated.

President Ali further underscored that the joint commitment between the two countries to enhance collaboration in combatting trans-

national crime also includes tackling narco- and human trafficking, money laundering, and all forms of smuggling.

Address existing gaps

Guyana, the President noted, has also “reassured our partner that we will continue to ensure all international and local labour laws are adhered to in the hiring of regional and international labour. Furthermore, with our expanding healthcare system and critical shortage of human capital, we will explore areas of collaboration to address existing gaps.”

Additionally, through bilateral discussions with President Ali and Rubio, key regional infrastructure projects for development have been identified as potential areas for investment. Guyana and the United States have also committed to working closely on the deployment of Guyana’s energy potential to ensure greater integration, value creation, and regional energy security.

Food security and enhanced trade through joint

initiatives to remove obstacles and expand existing areas of interest were also discussed.

“I am confident that the outcome of this visit has further aligned our policy agendas, shared commitment, and collaboration, which will bring enormous benefits to our two countries and the region,” the Guyanese Leader posited.

Remarking on the MoU signing, Secretary Rubio noted that the basic element of progress, transformation and prosperity is always security. Hence, he added, the US is committed to working with regional leaders to tackle issues such as transnational crime, specifically organised gangs and narcotraffickers that destabilise societies.

“We want to make sure that never reaches here. And that’s why today’s MOU and the work we’ll do together is designed not to stop it, but to prevent it from ever taking root, from ever finding its way here. Because unfortunately, sometimes crime is attracted by prosperity and targets prosperity,” the US Secretary of State noted.

President Dr Irfaan Ali in conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Georgetown on Thursday

US Secretary of State Rubio and his delegation engaged in bilateral talks with the Guyana Government led by President Ali on Thursday at State House in Georgetown

Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Hugh Todd and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio signing the MoU on security cooperation on Thursday at State House

2 Essequibo Coast women charged for unlawful wounding

Two female residents of Queenstown village on the Essequibo Coast in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) have been arraigned before Suddie Magistrate Tamieka Clarke on charges of unlaw-

ful wounding in connection with separate but related incidents.

Brenda Frederick, a 30-year-old housewife of Line Dam in Queenstown, has been charged with unlawfully wounding Runda Emmanuel, a 35-year-old resident of the same community, in an incident that took place at Queenstown village on the Essequibo Coast on Tuesday, March 25.

The charge has been laid under Section 50 of the Criminal Law Offences Act, Chapter 8:01, and when the charge was read to her on Tuesday, Frederick was initially not required to enter a plea.

The prosecutor subsequently applied for the

charge to be dealt with under the Administration of Justice Act (AJA), and the court granted the request. Following the rereading of the charge, Frederick pleaded not guilty as charged. Despite objections from

the prosecutor, Frederick has been placed on $200,000 bail, and the matter has been adjourned to April 15.

Runda Emmanuel has also been charged with unlawful wounding, committed on Brenda Frederick in an incident that allegedly occurred on Anna Regina Market Road, Essequibo Coast, on the same date: Tuesday, March 25.

Emmanuel appeared before Magistrate Clarke on March 25, charged under Section 30(b) of the Summary Jurisdiction Offences Act, Chapter 8:02; and when the charge was read to her, she pleaded guilty. As a result, she has been sentenced to three months' imprisonment.

Mother, son charged with attempting to bribe cops …son jailed for 1 year

Amother and her son had jointly been charged with attempting to obstruct the course of justice in an incident in which they allegedly attempted to halt an investigation into multiple robberies by offering a bribe to investigating officers.

The police have said that charges against Mahindra Girnandan, a 25-year-old labourer of Adventure Back Street, Essequibo Coast, and his mother Savita Anauge, a 51-year-old domestic worker of Herstelling, East Bank Demerara, have been laid on Thursday, March 27, under

Section 330 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act, Chapter 8:01.

The prosecutor detailed that while Girnandan was in custody on Sunday as part of an ongoing investigation into several robberies, his mother visited the police station and allegedly attempted to bribe two officers with $1.7 million in exchange for aborting the investigation.

Both defendants appeared on Thursday before Suddie Magistrate Tamieka Clarke and initially were not required to plead to the charges. But when the prosecutor applied to have the

matter heard under the Administration of Justice Act (AJA) and the request was granted, upon the rereading of the charges, Girnandan pleaded guilty and was sen-

tenced to one year in prison. Anauge, meanwhile, pleaded not guilty and was placed on $300,000 bail.

Her case will continue on April 17.

“It would be a very bad day for Venezuela...FROM

“There will be consequences for adventurism. There will be consequences for aggressive actions. And that’s why our partnership in that regard will be important. That is not what we want to be a feature of our relationship, but it is a necessity of our relationship, because you have a very difficult challenge on your hands with a dictator that’s making illegitimate territorial claims.”

“And so you have our full commitment and support –today we’re demonstrating it – both in tangible ways, and we’re going to look for ways to make it long-term and sustainable…to make abundantly clear that we are invested both as a nation and from our people in being your part-

ner in transformation and in prosperity. And we will not allow illegitimate territorial claims to be an impediment to your dreams and to your right to develop this country,” the US Secretary of State declared.

In addition to Guyana’s EEZ, Venezuela is also laying claims to two-thirds of Guyana’s landmass – the entire Essequibo region. In fact, the Venezuelan Government plans to hold elections in Guyana’s Essequibo region on May 25, 2025.

The Guyana Government has already written the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to block these illegal elections. The World Court, which is currently hearing a case to settle the de-

cades-long border controversy between the two South American neighbours, has already asked Venezuela to explain its actions, which violates a December 2023 order issued by the ICJ to refrain the Spanish-speaking nation from threatening Guyana.

Moreover, Guyana has also updated regional leaders about Venezuela’s latest aggressive tactic.

Nevertheless, President Ali, during the joint press conference with Secretary Rubio on Thursday, welcomed the US’s renewed committed in the face of Venezuela’s heightened aggression.

“I'm very pleased at the reassurance of the US in ensuring the safeguard of our territorial integrity and sov-

Dealing…

…with

the Gringo

Since it was decided we should be learning Spanish, we might as well learn about this word “Gringo” –which older folks would’ve learnt about from the old Clint Eastwood spaghetti westerns!! It’s Spanish and means “foreigner”. Rubio’s parents fled Cuba following the rise of Fidel Castro after the Cuban Revolution!! Though he was born in Florida, he speaks fluent Spanish. Well, it seems that good sense prevailed on Trump’s claim that Cuba was trafficking its medical personnel, and that visas would be pulled!! At Wednesday’s meeting in Jamaica, there was no grandstanding, like with Ralph Gonsalves, Keith Rowley and Mia Mottley: “Ah doan mind if dey tek away me visa, but dey’ll send away our Cuban doctors over my dead body!!” As your Eyewitness had advised Prezzie here, all we should do was explain the rules under which Cuba’s medical programme operates.

Jamaica’s Holness did just that, to show there’s no trafficking and Cuba ain’t receive no money for the programme. Marco Rubio, who takes a hard line against the Communists in Cuba – backed off from Trump’s sanction threat against officials engaged in the Cuban doctors’ programme!! Said he after the meeting with Holness: “They (Cuban medical personnel) basically operate as forced labour in many places. Now, there are places that have better labour standards; perhaps Jamaica is one of those, and that’s fine. Because of our relationship with Jamaica, we’re going to engage with them on that and…have a better understanding. Perhaps none of this applies in the way it’s handled here.”

See…whether the US insists on maintaining sanctions on Cuba, that’s THEIR business. Cuba also helps to sustain Venezuela’s oil industry – in addition to their medical system; that’s their business!! Every country would act in its own interest – AS THEY DEFINE SUCH INTEREST!!

Right now, for us, since 1962, Venezuela have defined us as an enemy because they insist that we OCCUPY Essequibo, which is theirs. It’s therefore in our interest to seek allies against the Venezuelan military juggernaut that Mad Maduro rolls out with alarming frequency!! And this is where the US and its Secty of State Rubio come in. They’ve said they would support us against Venezuela.

It doesn’t matter what are their reasons for doing this; the enemy of our enemy is our friend, and more power to them!!

…with poverty

PAGE 3

ereignty. Our partnership and joint commitment to the safeguard of this region from every disruptive force is key to the maintenance of democracy and an adherence to the rule of law. The threats from Venezuela were specifically discussed – their blatant violation of the ICJ Order and Argyle Declaration were noted,” the Guyanese Leader stated.

The Argle Declaration is a December 14, 2023 peace pact that Presidents Ali and Maduro signed to maintain peace in the Latin America and Caribbean region. This signing was done during the historic CARICOM/CELAC/ Brazil-brokered meeting in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG).

Now, everybody and their uncle – especially those uncles now living in the US – know that we’s po’. Even our Government, which boasts about us being the FASTEST GROWIN’ ECONOMY IN THE WORLD, knows that the wealth hasn’t percolated to all individuals – so that many of us still po’. But there’s no question that, overall, we been movin’ on up!! Take how the World Bank evaluates us. When the PNC was finally ousted by the PPP in 1992, we were a Highly Indebted Poor Country. We had a 43% poverty rate that many folks earning less than US$1.25 daily was po’. Then we improved and were classified as a “Middle Income Country” – where being poor was now below US$1.90.

Then, recently, we continued moving up to becoming an Upper Middle Income Country, where below $5.50 daily was po’!! So, you see where your Eyewitness is going with this?? It doesn’t matter how rich we get, the “poor” will always be with us, since the goalposts will always be movin’!!

…with the Opposition

Looks like tempers are becoming frayed in some areas over the political mobilisation for the end-of-year elections. Your Eyewitness been seein’ local political activists berating politicians entering their villages. Hey – that’s not democracy…just don’t show up!!

Jailed: Runda Emmanuel

Charged: Brenda Frederick

Jailed: Mahindra Girnandan

The cash that was seized after an attempt had been made to bribe the Police

Charged: Savita Anauge

"It’s illegal” – Jagdeo slams M&CC’s move to waive interest on unpaid taxes

Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has issued a scathing condemnation of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council’s (GM&CC) attempt to waive interest on outstanding property taxes, calling the move illegal and a blatant scheme for corruption.

Speaking during his weekly press conference on Thursday, Dr Jagdeo exposed what he described as a “corrupt” plot orchestrated by the People’s National

Congress-led A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)led municipality to waive interest on unpaid property taxes without Government approval.

“It’s illegal what they’re trying to do; it’s not in accordance with the financial regulations. They have to seek approval, because we believe this is a scheme to collect money from people as part of the so-called waiver. You know how it works: you owe $10 million, you can pay $5 million and

share $1 million with the party and $1 million with us,” the Vice President said.

Earlier this week, Local Government and Regional Development Minister Sonia Parag issued a firm warning to the GM&CC regarding its attempt to implement what she called an “unlawful and unauthorized” financial policy.

In a letter dated March 26 to Mayor Alfred Mentore, Parag demanded that the proposed waiver scheme be immediately ceased and de-

sisted, stressing that the Council lacks the legal authority to make such decisions independently.

The move to implement the waiver was supported by the APNU+AFC-aligned Councillors of the Mayor and City Council.

In the letter, the Minister noted that the Council is not authorised to make such decisions.

“Section 146(1) of the Act is unambiguous,” the Minister stated. “That power lies with the Minister,

not with you.” She further emphasized that all financial regulations, including matters related to accounting, borrowing, tendering, and revenue collection, must be approved by the Government and published in the Official Gazette.

Citing a precedent set by the High Court ruling in the case of The Mayor and Councillors of

the City of Georgetown vs The Attorney General and the Local Government Commission (2022-1HCDEM-CIV-FDA-294), Minister Parag reminded the Council that local democratic organs do not have unlimited autonomy, and must operate within the statutory framework established by national legislation.

If the GM&CC proceeds with the scheme, Minister Parag made it clear, legal action would be taken.

In February, the Council advocated for businesspersons to contact the City Mayor to settle outstanding debts. However, Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo had warned against such practices, noting that it is a recipe for corruption.

“We are not supportive of this, and we’ll expose it. This is the PNC’s way of raising funds and supporting corruption at City Council,” he said.

The PPP General Secretary said while it is commendable that the Mayor and City Council wants to collect taxes, they should start with the People’s National Congress (PNC) headquarters, which owes over $6B.

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

Georgetown Mayor Alfred Mentore

Local Government and Regional Development Minister Sonia Parag

Teen, toddler drown in separate tragedies at Mahaica, Kwakwani

Two separate drowning incidents on Wednesday have resulted in the deaths of 14-yearold Emmanuel Downer of Lot 50 Haslington Village, East Coast Demerara and twoyear-old Tauren McLeanon of Kwakwani Waterfront, an Upper Berbice riverine community in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

Reports are that after school had been over for the day, Emmanuel Downer had gone swimming with three

other students of Lancaster Secondary School in the Atlantic Ocean at Unity Beach in Mahaica, at around 16:00h.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the students had been using an old freezer as a makeshift raft, and while they were floating offshore, the freezer capsized and Downer disappeared beneath the water.

Police have said that one of the students immediately contacted Downer’s mother,

Elisha Dailey, and informed her of what had happened. The incident was subsequently reported at the Cove and John Police Station, and a search operation was started.

Downer’s body was found lying face-up on a sandbank approximately 500 metres from shore, entangled in a fishing seine. His body has been taken to the Memorial Gardens Funeral Home to await a post-mortem examination.

In the other incident, 39-year-old Tamika Joaquin, the mother of two-year-old Tauren McLeanon, told investigators that Tauren had gone to the river shortly after 15:00h to bathe, but subsequently disappeared.

Upon realising that the child was missing, residents conducted a search and discovered Tauren’s lifeless body in the river.

Transported to the Kwakwani Hospital, the toddler was pronounced dead on arrival. His body is currently at the hospital’s morgue, awaiting a post-mortem examination.

Investigations into both incidents are ongoing.

Pomeroon boat-builder jailed for narco-trafficking

Hafeez Butters, a 29-year-old boat-builder of Jacklow, Upper Pomeroon River, Region Two, has been sentenced to two years’ imprisonment and fined $863,550 after pleading guilty to a charge of possession of narcotics for the purpose of traffick -

ing when he appeared virtually before Magistrate Tamieka Clarke at the Suddie Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.

Butters had been intercepted with 959.5 grams of cannabis on Monday, March 24, in an incident that occurred on the Lima Public Road on the Essequibo Coast, and had

been charged under Section 5 (1) (a) (i) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act, Chapter 10:10. When the charge was read to him in court, Butters pleaded guilty as charged and the sentence of two years’ imprisonment and $863,550 fine was imposed on him.

Dead: 14-year-old Emmanuel Downer Dead: Two-year-old Tauren McLeanon

Jailed: Hafeez Butters

The drug that Police found on Butters

Foreign currency shortage

Central Bank pumps US$35M into local market

In a move designed to stabilise the local currency market, the Bank of Guyana injected a substantial US$35 million into the banking system on Thursday.

Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo confirmed this intervention during his weekly press conference, as the country grapples with an ongoing shortage of foreign currency that has been affecting businesses and trade.

“We study the market, monitor the balance in all the banks, and assess any imbalances that may arise between the flow of currency and the demand for it,” Jagdeo explained. “Today, the Central Bank intervened by releasing US$35 million into the market. This intervention is precisely timed to

smooth out any mismatches between currency supply and legitimate demand,” he added.

The US$35 million injection is part of a broader strategy to ensure that businesses and consumers have access to the foreign exchange they need to conduct international transactions. However, Jagdeo emphasised that Government’s actions are not arbitrary, but are calculated with caution to avoid potentially destabilizing effects on the economy.

“While we have the capability to release as much foreign currency as necessary, we must be careful about how much we inject into the system. Excessive foreign currency can lead to an appreciation of the local currency, and that is something we

must avoid,” Jagdeo warned.

An appreciation of the Guyana dollar could have serious consequences, particularly for the country's key export sectors. Jagdeo explained that a strengthened currency could lead to what is known as “Dutch disease,” where an overvalued currency harms non-oil sectors like agriculture and manufacturing, which rely on a competitive exchange rate to thrive.

“If we flood the market with too much foreign currency at once, it can lead to the appreciation of the currency. This is something we’ve seen happen in other countries, and it’s bad for agriculture, bad for manufacturing, and ultimately harmful to the broader economy,” he stated.

This latest intervention

comes amid growing complaints from local business owners who have been grappling to access foreign currency for international purchases, with many citing long delays in obtaining the necessary funds.

Jagdeo acknowledged the difficulties faced by business owners, but reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to balancing the need for foreign currency with the long-term stability of the economy.

Jagdeo also reiterated the importance of prudent economic management, noting that while the country’s foreign exchange reserves remain strong, Government must be strategic in managing currency flows to ensure sustainable economic growth.

“We have the ability to put as much currency into the system as needed, but we must do so responsibly and with a long-term view of Guyana’s economic health,” he concluded.

The Central Bank has intervened several times in the past to stem the shortage of foreign currency. This follows consistent monitoring of the banking sector.

At the end of 2024, President Dr. Irfaan Ali had noted that the availability of foreign currency in the local banking sector has been fluctuating throughout that year, as the demand for imported products continued to rise.

Ali disclosed that the importation of consumer goods, which include food and motor cars, grew by 106 per-

cent from 2019 to 2024; while fuel, chemicals and other intermediate goods grew by 160%. Meanwhile, he said there has been a 317 percent increase in credit and debit card usages.

According to the Head of State, the sale of foreign currency to the commercial banks between 2019 and 2024 grew by 1744 percent to help support the growth and expansion of the economy.

Also in December 2024, President Ali had noted that a probe was ongoing into the possible exploitation of foreign currency availability in the local banking sector.

“We have to see whether there are other markets that are buying through our system for their markets, and that is something that we are looking at,” he had said.

“Call the Police” – VP Jagdeo urges public as Ponzi Scheme mastermind returns

…public urged to report fraudster; wanted bulletin issued

ice President Bharrat

VJagdeo has sounded the alarm about the return of notorious Ponzi scheme mastermind Yuri Garcia-Dominguez, and is urging the public to immediately report to the police any encounters with the fraudster as he emphasised the gravity of the ongoing financial scam.

The Guyana Police Force on Wednesday issued a wanted bulletin for Dominguez, a Cuban national accused of orchestrating one of the largest Ponzi schemes in Guyana’s history. Dominguez is wanted in connection with 58 new fraud charges, adding to the staggering 150 charges he and his wife Ateeka Ishmael already face.

Between August 27, 2020 and September 10, 2021, Dominguez and Ishmael allegedly swindled hundreds of Guyanese persons out of billions of dollars by operating under false pretences and without proper financial registration.

Speaking at his weekly press conference on Thursday, Dr. Jagdeo expressed outrage that Dominguez, despite being wanted by the police, has somehow managed to re-enter the country, and is actively seeking out new victims.

“This crook, this fraudster, rip people off…several

elderly people and others. He told them if they invest more money with him, they can get back the money that they lost; that he has this money in some crypto scheme; and all sorts of fraudulent talk. You were warned about it. Why would you put your money with fraudsters?” Dr Jagdeo warned.

With Dominguez reportedly reactivating his fraudulent schemes, Jagdeo is urging the public to stay vigilant and immediately report to law enforcement any encounters with him or his associates.

According to the Vice President, Dominguez has been misleading people with promises of obtaining a financial licence if the PNCled APNU (A Partnership for National Unity) returns to office. He has called on APNU to publicly distance itself from Dominguez.

“Anybody associated with him comes to you, call the police! Go to the police now, and let’s get them locked up… He’s been telling people that when APNU comes back into office, he is going to get a licence. Well, two things will happen: APNU will not come back into office, and he’ll go to jail. I hope they catch him and jail him.

“For the sake of the people of this country - this is

Pensioner dies after being struck by motorcycle

Meenawattie Harrilall, called ‘Auntie Dhora’, an 81-year-old pensioner of New Area in Chesney Village, Corentyne, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), is now dead, having been struck by a motorcycle moments after she had just finished praying.

The accident occurred on Wednesday at about 8:30h, and video footage thereof shows Harrilall crossing the road and a motorcycle passing in front of her. Moments later, a second motorcycle that comes into view crashes into her, knocking her to the ground.

The police have said that motorcycle CG 979 was being ridden by a 22-year-old cane harvester of Number One Village Corentyne, and an unknown pillion rider was seated thereon.

Family members say

Harrilall had just finished praying using fresh flowers, and was on her way to a canal only a few metres away, wherein she was going to dispose of the flowers, when the incident occurred.

Her son, cane harvester Rooplall Harrilall, has said he was at Rose Hall Town when he got the news; and when he arrived on scene, his mother was already in the ambulance.

“Me come deh! Me see mi mudda and the motorbike boy! The motorbike boy help she and they go to Port Mourant [Hospital]. De boy not wilfully knock she down,” he said.

Rooplall said he knows the motorcyclist, as they are both cane harvesters attached to the Albion Estate.

Another of Auntie Dhora’s children, Teshwalall Sewchand, explaining that his mother passed away sometime after being hit, detailed, “When me come to the house, they tell me that she gone to New Amsterdam Hospital… About half an hour we spend with she deh, and then the doctor said he taking she to do a surgery. About twenty minutes after, the doctor come back and say she is no more; she passed away.”

His brother Rooplall, noting that he knows the motorcyclist from his workplace, has said the

young man lives with, and supports, a grandmother.

“He is a good boy. He wouldn’t knock her wilfully, and we don’t want no problem. She never used to see too properly,” Rooplall said. Nevertheless, his brother Teshwalall has said some motorcyclists ride with too much speed within the village.

“Village people not suppose to drive so speed inside hay! You have a lot of old people and small pickney walking in the

streets in here! Morning time, dem boys coming out too late to go a wuk, an dem ah try fo beat the traffic, an dem don’t care who deh pon the road; that is how dey causing all this accident! Every morning my mummy does carry flower to throw in the trench. Halfway on the road to throw the flower, the motorbike come and hit she,” Teshwalall added. The motorcyclist was subsequently arrested and remains in custody.

outside of politics - they need to disassociate themselves from this guy. APNU, they need to do that, because he’s using them as the cover, unless they endorse it,” the Vice President said.

Yuri Garcia-Dominguez and Ateeka Ishmael are the principals of Accelerated Capital Firm Incorporated.

Sometime in 2020, the company was forced to cease all operations in Guyana after authorities discovered that it was operating without a licence from the Guyana Securities Council.

Dominguez and his wife were first arrested in August 2020. They are currently facing more than 100 charges for obtaining money by false pretence; operating a Pyramid Scheme, and operating a financial institution without the requisite registration.

They are currently out on more than $30 million bail, and have vehemently

denied being involved in a Ponzi scheme.

In October 2020, the couple’s lawyer had said that his clients would commence the process of repaying investors. However, to date, only $3 million of the $4 billion has reportedly been returned.

Dominguez’s last known address is Lot 242 Track “A” Coldingen, East Coast Demerara, but authorities believe he is on the move, targeting fresh victims with false promises of massive returns on investments.

Anyone who has information on the whereabouts of Dominguez is asked to contact the police on telephone# 227-1149, 225-8196, 227-1611, 268-2328, 2256978 and 225-8196; or do so at the nearest police station. Any information provided would be treated with strict confidentiality.

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

Meenawattie Harrilall

The motorbike involved in the accident

Yuri Garcia-Dominguez

BIT launches Reg 9 training programme to address skills gap

The Board of Industrial Training (BIT) has launched a groundbreaking training programme for residents of Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) with the aim of bridging the skills gap and providing opportunities for essential workforce development in the region.

With BIT’s new programme being aimed at equipping local residents with hands-on skills needed for employment and entrepreneurship, more than 100 participants would receive certification in vocational fields such as welding and fabrication, solar panel installation and repairs, heavy-duty equipment operation, electrical installa-

tion, and commercial food preparation. Moreover, a Cosmetology programme will, for the first time ever, be offered in Lethem.

During the recent unveiling of the initiative, done at the Business Incubation Center in Lethem, Labour Minister Joseph Hamilton noted that this new initiative highlights the increasing number of women participating in these types of programmes.

“Important to what we have done over the last four years is the fact that women are coming forward. We have women who are thinking outside the box, women who are ensuring that the world they were born into and grew up in…and

I have the evidence: over the last four years, from 2020 to 2024…[executed] 38 programs in Region Nine; training 716 persons, of which 236 are males and 480 are females.”

Emphasising that creating opportunities like this would play a crucial role in closing the skills gap in Region Nine, which would ultimately aid the region in achieving self-sufficiency, The Labour Minister declared,

“Our first set of programs for 2025, between Lethem, Shulinab and Potarinau, will train 170 persons.”

He added, “And so we hope that many of you who graduate four or five months from now will fill that gap that we are speaking about.

“We currently have a difficulty of finding trainers to train people, and we would like that persons who would’ve been trained can soon train others. And, of course, the mayor indicated that the skills gap is very real…that is why we’re doing this: to ensure that we have adequately-trained persons,” Minister Hamilton explained.

Lethem Mayor John Macedo and Regional

Chairman Brian Allicock, who were present at the event, conveyed their heartfelt appreciation for the programmes, and declared that they recognize its immense value in transforming communities.

As BIT expands training opportunities in South Central Rupununi, 54 residents from Shulinab and Potarinau — 30 females and 24 males — have commenced TVET training. These residents are set to receive technical and vocational training through

the Board of Industrial Training (BIT), under the Ministry of Labour in South Central Rupununi.

The training programmes — in AgroProcessing, Welding and Fabrication, Small Engine Repairs, Tourism and Hospitality, and Information Technology — officially commenced on Tuesday, March 25, 2025 at the Shulinab Village Benab. All BIT programmes are provided free of charge, and participants will re-

ceive all necessary materials upon completion.

During the launch of this initiative on Wednesday, Labour Minister Joseph Hamilton highlighted that tourism would be taught for the first time under BIT, offering a new opportunity for residents.

Toshao Nicholas Fredericks and Toshao Brian Ambrose have expressed their gratitude for the initiative, acknowledging its potential to transform the lives of villagers.

GPHC commissions $200M retrofitted Boiler Room

Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony and GPHC CEO Robbie Rambarran

The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) has commissioned its new boiler and steam plant for sterilization, serving as a critical investment aimed at improving hospital operations.

The new plant, which includes three dryback firetube boilers, an on-demand hot water system, and a reverse osmosis water purification system, has been installed at a cost exceeding G$200 million. It is expected to significantly im -

prove service delivery at the Central Sterilization Supply Unit (CSSU) and Laundry Department. GPHC management is confident this investment would enhance overall efficiency, ensuring better patient care and a safer working environment.

The new system, which is a conversion from diesel-powered to Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), is expected to be more energy-efficient, reducing operational costs in the long term. With a more robust

and better-maintained system, the hospital can avoid unexpected breakdowns that could disrupt critical medical services. This state-of-the-art system supports the CSSU and laundry rooms, both of which play essential roles in maintaining the hospital’s hygiene and operational efficiency. The CSSU is responsible for cleaning and preparing medical equipment for the 11 operating theatres across the hospital, ensuring that surgical instruments meet the

highest standards of sterility; while the laundry rooms handle the cleaning of all hospital linens, contributing to the overall sanitation and infection control efforts at GPHC.

Speaking at the commissioning of the boiler, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony underscored the importance of the project by stating, “Having steam in the hospital for sterilization is very important. And if that is not working effectively, it can create problems for us in terms of infection control. So, I’m very happy that we have been able to resolve this, and we have done so in a way that provides additional capacity. Going forward, the hospital shouldn’t have any problems with steam.”

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the GPHC, Mr. Robbie Rambarran, emphasising the necessity of replacing the outdated system, which had suffered from years of little to no maintenance prior to 2020, has said, “As a matter of fact, two sterilizers, one washer, and one dryer had to be replaced within the past three years due to the poor quality of water and steam emanating from the old plant.”

Rambarran explained that the inefficiencies of the previous system had

posed operational challenges and safety risks to hospital staff, making this investment a crucial step forward.

A modern steam plant provides numerous benefits, including reliable steam production that ensures proper sterilization of surgical instruments, thereby reducing the risk

of infections. Additionally, high-quality steam leads to better cleaning and disinfection of hospital linens, thereby maintaining high standards of hygiene. A properly functioning steam plant minimizes risks associated with faulty equipment, thus creating a safer environment for both hospital staff and patients.

The new boiler

Labour Minister Joseph Hamilton

Some of the Region Nine trainees

NA man gets 12 years for killing "Deportee"

Dexroy Ogleton, a 42-year-old labourer of Winkel Road in New Amsterdam, was on Tuesday sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment for the death of Jermaine Elias, known as ‘Deportee’, which occurred in an altercation that took place at Main and Kent Streets in New Amsterdam on October 16, 2022.

Ogleton had, in February 2025, pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter after being indicted for the murder of Elias in 2022, and State Prosecutor Cicelia Corbin had accepted the plea at the Berbice Criminal Assizes.

Following the plea, Justice Sherdel IsaacsMarcus had requested that a probation report be prepared on Ogleton, and that was presented to the court by Senior Probation and Welfare Officer Maisie Sheppard on Tuesday.

Before sentence was handed down, Defence Attorney Kevin Morgan asked the court in a written submission to take into account the contents of the probation report and the fact that Ogleton had not wasted the court’s time.

However, State Prosecutor Corbin, reminding that a crime had been committed and it had resulted in a life being lost, asked the court to ensure that justice is done, and requested that the sentence imposed must act as a de-

terrent to other persons with similar intentions.

In handing down sentence on Tuesday, Justice Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus noted that the court had taken into account the video recording of the incident, and the fact that Ogleton was the one who had ridden up to the deceased and attacked him first.

The court also considered that after the fight had been parted, the altercation had resumed after the deceased had picked up a mop stick and the accused had drawn a knife from his bag.

Using a starting point of 18 years, Justice IsaacsMarcus deducted one-third thereof for the guilty plea, and Ogleton was thus sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment. It has also been ordered that prison authorities deduct therefrom the

time he had spent on remand.

RECAP

Dexroy Ogleton was charged for unlawfully killing Jermaine Elias of Lot 44 Stanleytown, New Amsterdam in an incident that occurred close to a Super Bet outlet at Main and Kent Streets in New Amsterdam on October 16, 2022.

Initial reports are that Ogleton and Elias had been engaged in an argument that escalated into violence, and Elias had eventually been left lying motionless on the roadway. The weapons used in the altercation were a mop stick and a grass knife.

After the altercation, Ogleton had ridden his bicycle to the Central Police Station in New Amsterdam to report what he had done.

Berbice man jailed, fined $100,000 for trafficking cannabis

Ameer Mohamed Ali, a 36-year-old resident of Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice (Region 5: Mahaica-Berbice), was on Wednesday sentenced to three years in prison and fined $100,000 after pleaded guilty to trafficking 650 grams of cannabis on March 25 at Plantation Park in Mahaicony.

Reports are that on March 25, ranks of the Mahaicony Police Station, acting on information received, conducted a stopand-search exercise on the public road at Park, and signalled the driver of a blue-and-black minibus that was approaching to stop, and he complied.

When ranks searched the passengers, nothing incriminating was found; but when then searched the bus, they discovered a black-and-yellow haversack under the back seat. When questioned, no one claimed ownership of the bag.

Upon opening the bag in the presence of the oc-

cupants of the bus, ranks found a red shirt wrapped around three black plastic bags, each of which contained leaves, seeds and stems suspected to be cannabis.

The bag was seized, and the vehicle and passengers were escorted to the Mahaicony Police Station for further investigation. A more thorough search of the haversack unearthed a Ministry of Health vouch-

$52M seized as Chinese national slapped with money laundering charges

Chinese national Ying Xin Su, a 30-yearold travel agent who had previously been charged with unlawful possession of firearm and ammunition, was on Thursday arraigned in the Georgetown Court of Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty on seven charges of money laundering instituted by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU).

Ying has not been required to plead to the indictable charges, and has been placed on bail in the sum of $1.5M ($1,500,000) on each charge. The charges indict her of being in contravention of Section 3 (1) (c) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act, Chapter 10:11.

Ying Xin Su has also been arraigned on Thursday in the Diamond court of Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman on one count of money laundering - for which she has been placed on $200,000 bail.

All these cases have been adjourned to April 17, 2025. Investigations done by SOCU have revealed that, on

July 9, 2024, members of the Guyana Police Force searched Ying’s room at the Princess Ramada International Hotel at Providence, East Bank Demerara for gold she was suspected to be smuggling, and found GY$52 million, US$5,480.00, Bar$97.00 and SR$662.00. They also found an illegal firearm and ammunition.

A summary of all the charges has revealed that Su acquired or possessed several properties and motor vehi-

cles knowing, or having reasonable grounds to believe, that the said properties and motor vehicles were derived, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from proceeds of crime, which amounted to money laundering. According to SOCU Head, Deputy Commissioner Fazil Karimbaksh, the money laundering investigations had been ongoing for the past eight months, and now is the opportune time to institute charges.

Wismar resident remanded for assaulting wife – DPP to advise on child abuse matter

Kester Johnson, a 26-year-old construction worker of Wismar, in Linden, has been charged for assault committed on his wife Sawdia Bobb on March 23, 2025.

Arraigned before Linden Magistrate Ruschelle Liverpool on Thursday, March 27, Johnson pleaded not guilty to committing assault contrary to Section 21 of the Summary Jurisdiction (Offences) Act, Chapter 8:02,

and was remanded to prison.

The matter has been adjourned to April 23, 2025 for trial.

Johnson had earlier been arrested for child abuse, following the circulation of a disturbing video on social media showing his one-year-old daughter being abused.

Investigation into this incident has since been completed, and a police file would shortly be sent for legal advice.

er with Ali’s name in the front pocket, and Ali subsequently claimed ownership of the bag and the narcotics. He was thus informed of the offence, cautioned, arrested, and subsequently charged.

In his arraignment on Wednesday before Mahaicony Magistrate Allan Wilson, Ali told the court that he was sorry for what he had done, and asked for leniency.

Ameer Mohamed Ali

Sentenced: Dexroy Ogleton Jermaine Elias

Ying Xin Su

Kester Johnson

After 9 months of waiting

Guyana finally receives evidence for charges against US-sanctioned Mohameds – AG

Some nine months after requesting the relevant information and documentation from the United States Government, local authorities have now gathered sufficient evidence on the gold smuggling and tax evasion claims against a US-sanctioned local business family, the Mohameds.

This was revealed by Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall, S.C., on the sidelines of a joint press conference between President Dr Irfaan Ali and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the State House on Thursday.

Back in June 2024, the US sanctioned Guyanese businessmen Nazar and Azruddin Mohamed, along with their businesses: Mohamed’s Enterprise; its subsidiary, Hadi’s World; and Team Mohamed’s Racing Team, over gold smuggling and public cor-

ruption allegations.

According to the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), Mohamed’s Enterprise smuggled some 10,000 kilogrammes of gold out of Guyana between 2019 and 2023, thus avoiding paying more than US$50 million in duty taxes.

The Guyana Government had subsequently written to the US Department of Justice (DoJ), requesting additional information to assist local investigations on the allegations of falsification of import and export documents, evasion of taxes, and bribery of customs and government officials to facilitate illicit gold shipments, and the award of government contracts.

In addition, the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) had also requested information, dating back to 2015, from the US’ Internal

Revenue Service (IRS).

AG Nandlall told reporters on Thursday that the local law enforcement agencies, including the Guyana Police Force (GPF) as well as the GRA, have since received a ‘sufficient volume’ of evidence to take action against the businessmen.

“The law enforcement agencies in Guyana, along with the Guyana Revenue Authority, have expressed the opinion that they have sufficient volume of evidence, information, data, documents…to proceed [and] act upon it. GRA, I suppose, will act upon the allegations of tax evasion. The Guyana Police Force, through its appropriate departments, will act upon other aspects of the data or evidence…So, that will take place shortly,” Nandlall stated.

According to the Attorney General, while his Chambers and the Ministry of Home Affairs had facilitated the exchange of information between the two countries, this is an ongoing investigation, and the local authorities are continuing to work with the US on this matter.

“We have received a large volume of information, [but] the process is still ongoing. We are supplying information and they are supplying information; it’s a fluid process. But we did make a commitment, as a government, since last year, that actions would be taken by the relevant state agencies in Guyana once we have

received a sufficient volume of information… [and] after several months, we have reached that stage,” Nandlall stated.

“They are going to act. They have formally communicated that to the Government of Guyana, and I presume that they would be acting anytime now,” AG Nandlall stated.

In addition to the Mohameds, the US had also sanctioned former Permanent Secretary of the Home Affairs Ministry, Mae Thomas, for public corruption. The Attorney General was asked whether Thomas, who was moved to the Labour Ministry before being sent on administrative leave since June last year, would also be facing charges.

“I cannot speak for the law enforcement agencies nor the Guyana Revenue Authority, but I have no doubt that their approach would be one that is objective and would be evidence-driven. I have no reason to think otherwise,” Nandlall contended.

The Attorney General went on to dismiss any assertions that this new development is political, given Azruddin Mohamed’s apparent political aspirations.

In OFAC’s June 11, 2024 sanctions, UnderSecretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Brian E. Nelson, said, “Today’s action underscores our commitment to holding accountable

those who seek to exploit Guyana’s underdeveloped gold sector for personal gain…Treasury, in close coordination with our partners in U.S. law enforcement, will continue to take action to safeguard the U.S. financial system from abuse by corrupt actors.”

Meanwhile, during his weekly press conference on Thursday, Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo disclosed that the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) – the white-collar arm of the Police Force - along with several government agencies, have been investigating the US allegations and found much more glaring evidence.

“What was announced in the OFAC sanctions, where the US said 10,000 kilogrammes [of gold] exported and US$50 million in evaded taxes, it’s just the tip of the

iceberg… [from] the investigations that have been done internally since last year, because we took the sanctions seriously. Sanctions are serious business, and we made it clear that we were not going to put Guyana at risk, the people of Guyana –their livelihoods – because we wanted to protect one family that was smuggling gold and doing other illegal things,” the VP stated. According to Jagdeo, “This is not persecution. It is facing the consequences for criminal activities that you engaged in in the past. And the PPP (People’s Progressive Party) can’t help you with that one.”

Following the sanctions, the Guyana Government, through various state agencies along with the local commercial banks, had cut ties with the Mohameds.

Kenyan Police Officer killed after gang ambush, Haiti says

AKenyan Police Officer deployed in Haiti as part of the international security force has been killed after an attack by suspected gang members, the country's transitional council says, after he was initially reported missing.

"This valiant Policeman, committed to the side of the Haitian forces to fight against insecurity, has made the ultimate sacrifice for a better future," read a statement from Haiti's Presidential Transitional Council (CPT).

The officer was identified as Benedict Kabiru. His mother spoke to local media, saying she was overwhelmed with emotion.

"I am a single mother. He was my only hope," she said. The CPT statement did not disclose whether the

officer's body had been retrieved. The Kenyan authorities

confirmed the officer was missing, but are yet to comment on his reported killing.

There has been widespread Opposition in Kenya to the deployment of Police Officers to Haiti to quell the violence in the gang-run Latin American country.

People have called on the officers to be returned home due to the dangers they face.

But in a phone call on Tuesday evening, President William Ruto and US State Secretary Marc Rubio reaffirmed their commitment to the mission.

The US is one of the main funders of the Kenyaled mission to help Haiti tackle its gang problem.

The CPT said those responsible were "either armed criminals or accomplices", and that they would face justice.

It added that the author-

ities would continue to work with their national and international partners to "restore stability and build a Haiti where security and justice prevail".

The attack happened on Tuesday during a patrol operation in the town of PontSondé, the Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission to Haiti said. This is not the first Kenyan fatality among the roughly 800 Police Officers deployed to Haiti.

Last month, a 26-yearold police constable was fatally wounded during an operation in Ségur-Savien.

Samuel Tompoi Kaetuai's body was flown back and he was laid to rest this month. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Businessman Nazar Mohamed and his son Azruddin Mohamed

Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC

Kenyan Police Officers arrived in Haiti in June to help the security forces

Around the World

OIL NEWS

6 Russians dead, 39 tourists rescued after submarine sinks in Red Sea off Egypt

Oil approaches 1-month highs

as investors assess supply, trade war risks

Oil prices edged higher on Thursday as traders assessed a tightening of crude supplies along with new US tariffs and their expected effect on the world’s economy.

Brent crude futures gained 24 cents, or 0.3 per cent, to settle at US$74.03 a barrel. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose 27 cents to US$69.92.

On Wednesday, oil prices rose about one per cent to their highest since February.

Market participants were weighing escalating trade war risks. US President Donald Trump unveiled his plan on Wednesday to implement 25 per cent tariffs on imported cars and light trucks effective next week, while those on auto parts begin on May 3.

“The biggest headwind for oil right now are the concerns about tariffs, and tariffs might slow demand,” said Phil Flynn, senior analyst with Price Futures Group.

Trump on Tuesday imposed new 25 per cent tariffs on potential buyers of Venezuelan crude.

India’s Reliance Industries, operator of the world’s biggest refining complex, will halt Venezuelan oil imports following the tariff announcement, sources said on Wednesday.

Asian bank DBS does not expect prices to return to the higher levels seen in early 2025 as uncertainty over US policy and the prospect of tariff wars weigh on demand, the bank’s energy sector team lead Suvro Sarkar said.

Data on US crude inventories on Wednesday showed tighter US supplies, as stockpiles fell by 3.3 million barrels last week versus expectations for a 956,000-barrel draw.

Meanwhile, the number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits slipped last week. (Reuters)

Canada will respond to Trump auto tariffs with its own trade actions

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Thursday that he would respond with unspecified trade actions if US President Donald Trump imposes new auto tariffs that have expanded a global trade war and hammered stocks.

Carney said he had not yet determined what actions Canada might take if Trump follows through with his plan to impose new 25 per cent levies on imported cars and light trucks. He said he would respond next week, when the auto tariffs and a separate set of reciprocal tariffs on US trading partners are due to take effect.

“We will fight the US tariffs with retaliatory trade actions of our own that will have maximum impact in the United States and minimum im-

pacts here in Canada,” Carney said at a news conference.

European countries have threatened retaliation as well.

The tariffs could add thousands of dollars to the cost of an average vehicle in the United States, contradicting Trump’s campaign promise to lower consumer prices. Ferrari announced price hikes of up to 10 per cent for cars sold in the US, and other automakers also warned they might raise prices as well. Dealers raised fears of job losses.

The S&P 500 ended lower on Thursday, with auto stocks falling. General Motors tumbled over seven per cent and Ford slid 3.9 per cent. Car parts manufacturers Aptiv and BorgWarner each lost around five per cent.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Six Russians died on Thursday and 39 foreign tourists were rescued when a viewing submarine sank off the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Hurghada, the local governor’s office said on Facebook, adding that no passengers or crew were still missing.

The Red Sea Governorate said the submarine, named “Sindbad”, had 50 people onboard: 45 tourists of different nationalities from Russia, India, Norway, and Sweden, and five Egyptian crew members.

Most of those on board were rescued and taken to their hotels and

hospitals in Hurghada,” the Russian consulate in Hurghada said.

The submarine was equipped with large portholes to let passengers see the Red Sea’s spectacular corals and marine life, and was able to descend to a depth of 25 metres, according to the

company’s website.

The pleasure craft was a far cry from the extreme adventure submersible that imploded thousands of metres below the Atlantic near the sunken Titanic in June 2023.

The Red Sea is a major hub for Egypt’s crucial tourism industry, a pillar

of the economy, in which Russian tourists play an increasing part. Egypt also attracts tourists with its great pyramids of Giza and cruises on the Nile in Luxor and Aswan.

Successive Egyptian governments have waged successful crackdowns on Islamist militant groups who hurt the tourism industry with attacks on foreigners in the past.

Egyptian authorities are conducting investigations with crew members to determine the causes of the submarine sinking, the local governorate cited Red Sea Province Governor Amr Hanafy as saying.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Putin suggests temporary administration for Ukraine, Russian news agencies report

Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested Ukraine could be placed under a form of temporary administration to allow for new elections and the signature of key accords with the aim of reaching a settlement in the war, Russian news agencies reported early on Friday.

Putin, speaking in the northern port of Murmansk, also said he believed US President Donald Trump, who has improved ties with Russia, sincerely wanted to end the more than three-year conflict.

He said Russia was

Putin’s comments on temporary administration appeared to address his long-held complaint that Ukraine’s authorities are not a legitimate negotiating partner as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has remained in power beyond the end of his mandate in May 2024.

Prokofyev/ Pool via Reuters)

steadily moving towards the achievement of its goals in the conflict.

“In principle, of course, a temporary administration could be introduced in Ukraine under the auspices of the UN, the United States, European countries and our partners,” Putin was quoted as saying in talks with seamen at the port.

“This would be in order to hold democratic elections and bring to power a capable government enjoying the trust of the people and then to start talks with them about a peace treaty.” He said Trump’s efforts to proceed with direct talks with Russia – in contrast with his predecessor Joe Biden, who shunned contacts – showed the new President wanted peace.

Russia, Putin said, was in favour of “peaceful solutions to any conflict, including this one, through peaceful means, but not at our expense”. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Australia PM Albanese calls national election for May 3

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese today called a national election for May 3, launching a five-week campaign that is set to be dominated by cost-of-living pressures.

Albanese’s Labour party won a majority at the last federal election in 2022, but most recent opinion polls show the party neck-and-neck with the Opposition LiberalNational coalition when

votes from smaller parties are redistributed.

“Our government has chosen to face global challenges the Australian way – helping people under cost-of-living pressure, while building for the future,” he told a press conference. “Because of the strength and resilience that our people have shown, Australia is turning the corner. Now on 3 May, you choose the way forward.”

Albanese earlier in the morning met the country’s Governor-General Sam Mostyn to seek permission to call a nationwide federal election.

Under Australia’s constitution the Prime Minister must formally seek permission to call an election from the Governor General, who represents the Head of State, Britain’s King Charles.

Seven Palestinians were killed in an Israeli attack on a busy market in central Gaza as almost 40 persons die in strikes across the war-torn territory in the past 24 hours.

Israeli special forces are besieging a house

in the occupied West Bank town of Meithalun, south of Jenin. Military reinforcements have arrived in Meithalun, while Israeli forces have detained an ambulance as it was attempting to enter the town to treat an injured person.

Albanese has announced a slew of measures aimed at pleasing families and businesses in recent months, including tax cuts in Tuesday’s budget, with the rising cost of living in the country set to dominate the campaign.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Three-year term limits mean Australia must go to the polls by May 17 at the latest to elect a new parliament.

Israeli attacks kill almost 40 in Gaza

The Israeli military has also besieged a house in the town of Anza, south of Jenin, according to the Palestinian Information Center.

Meanwhile, the United Nations’ World Food Programme has warned that many thousands of

Palestinians face severe hunger and malnutrition in Gaza as the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugee (UNRWA) says no aid has entered the enclave in more than three weeks.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the International Arctic Forum in Murmansk, Russia, March 27, 2025 (Sputnik/Vyacheslav

Network, socialize and embrace activities or events conducive to spending time with people who have information to share. A financial investment looks promising.

Lift barriers and make a move. A change at home will help you save time and money. Set boundaries, goals and a convenient path; victory will be yours. Unleashing your ego will lead to a treadmill mentality.

Keep close tabs on who says and does what to avoid being taken advantage of, misinterpreted or misrepresented. Avoid crowds or taking risks with your health or emotional well-being.

Take a closer look at what makes you happy, your skills and how you can use them to do something you enjoy. A professional change will generate opportunity, abundance and respect.

Enjoy expanding your mind, interests, circle of friends and plans. A steady approach to realizing your goals will help you avoid getting caught in someone else’s dream. Learn from experience.

Question everything and everyone. That’s the quickest way to find your place and to know your strengths and limitations. A partnership will change how or where you do business.

Refrain from letting anger set in; action, learning and progress will be what gets you ahead. Invest more time and energy in yourself and into your personal life and surroundings.

Start the ball rolling. If you believe in something, pursue it. Taking a trip, getting together with old friends or revisiting goals you have yet to achieve will encourage you to make your dreams come true.

Finding common ground with whoever you deal with is essential. Don’t let what’s happening around you get to you. Consider your situation, and you’ll gain perspective on how to keep the ebb and flow in harmony.

Let your actions speak for you. A kind gesture will make a difference to others and to yourself. A lifestyle change will save you money. Be an inspiration.

Establish what you want to achieve, and don’t stop until you feel good about what you accomplish. Use your physical attributes and skills to finish what you start, and reap the rewards.

Socialize, network and try something new. Get your energy and thoughts out there and vividly describe what you want to achieve to people who can help you.

ARCHIE

Indian Premier League 2025...

Shardul, Pooran make light work of SRH

Before the match, many expected Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to post the first 300-plus total in the Indian Premier League (IPL). There were reasons to speculate that. SRH had posted 286 for 6 in their previous game, also in Hyderabad, and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) were without at least two of their first-choice bowlers.

Forget 300, SRH could not even score 200. They managed only 190 for 9, with Shardul Thakur picking up 4 for 34, his best figures in the IPL.

Still, 190 was not a small total, but Nicholas Pooran made it look minuscule. He smashed 70 off just 26 balls, hitting six fours and as many sixes on the way. By the time Pat Cummins had him lbw, LSG needed only 71 from

Mitchell Marsh, who was playing second fiddle to Pooran, also scored a fifty before Abdul Samad applied the finishing touches.

LSG chasing down their target with 23 balls and five wickets to spare was giving SRH a taste of their own medicine. Last season, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma had taken just 9.4 overs to chase down LSG’s 165 at this very venue.

LSG knew the only way to stop the marauding SRH batting unit was to take early wickets. Shardul went in search of swing in the first over, but did not find success. But in his next over, he dismissed Abhishek and Ishan Kishan off successive balls. Abhishek pulled

a short ball into the hands of deep square leg, and Kishan was caught down the leg side.

Head went after the returning Avesh Khan, hitting him for two sixes and a four in the fourth over. Two overs later, he tried to take on Ravi Bishnoi, but ended up skying a slog sweep. Pooran, though, put the chance down at long-on. Four balls later, Bishnoi failed to latch on to a tough return catch.

Head was on 35 at the time of the first drop, but it cost LSG only 12 as Prince Yadav made a mess of Head’s stumps for his first wicket in the IPL.

Klaasen’s bizarre run-out

Nitish Kumar Reddy and Heinrich Klaasen took SRH past 100 in the 11th over before Klaasen was

run out in a bizarre fashion. Nitish hit a full toss from Prince to the bowler’s left. Prince failed to hold on to the catch but the ball found a way to ricochet onto the stumps at the non-striker’s end with Klaasen well outside his crease. Soon after, Bishnoi castled Nitish for 32 off 28, leaving SRH in a spot of bother.

Sixes and outs

In keeping with the team ethos, the SRH batters kept attacking. But while they kept hitting sixes, they also kept getting out. Aniket Verma smashed Bishnoi for two back-to-back sixes and repeated it against Digvesh Rathi in the following over

before getting out for 36 off 13 balls. Cummins walked in at number eight, hit the first three balls he faced for three sixes, and was out on the fourth. That took SRH to 180 for 8 after 18 overs. However, only 10 runs came from the last two.

Mohammed Shami removed Aiden Markram in the second over of the chase, but Pooran took the attack to the opposition. His first boundary came via a misfield before he smoked Simarjeet Singh over deep midwicket twice in two balls.

Bringing on a leftarm orthodox spinner with Pooran in the middle is always risky. But Cummins took that gam -

ble with Abhishek. Pooran faced only two balls from him and slog-swept both for sixes. He has now hit seven sixes off nine balls against Abhishek in T20 cricket.

He didn’t spare Adam Zampa either, hitting him for two sixes and a four in the seventh over. Off the first 20 balls he faced, he hit five fours and six sixes.

Marsh’s fifty, Samad’s cameo Marsh was on 37 off 22 balls when Pooran got out. He had hit Shami for two

straight sixes in the powerplay. In the 11th over, he hit Cummins for back-toback fours to bring up his fifty off 29 balls. Cummins had him caught at long-on soon after, but it was too late. At the end of 11 overs, LSG needed only 53. They did lose Rishabh Pant and Ayush Badoni along the way, but their victory was never in doubt. Samad, a former SRH player, smashed an unbeaten 22 off eight balls to complete the formalities. (ESPNcricinfo)

Extras: (nb 1, w 6) 7

Total: 20 Ov (RR: 9.50) 190/9

Fall of wickets: 1-15 (Abhishek Sharma, 2.1 ov), 2-15 (Ishan Kishan, 2.2 ov), 3-76 (Travis Head, 7.3 ov), 4-110 (Heinrich Klaasen, 11.6 ov), 5-128 (Nitish Kumar Reddy, 14.1 ov), 6-156 (Aniket Verma, 15.6 ov), 7-156 (Abhinav Manohar, 16.2 ov), 8-176 (Pat Cummins, 17.3 ov), 9-181 (Mohammed Shami, 18.3 ov)

Bowling O-M-R-W

Shardul Thakur 4-0-34-4

Avesh Khan 4-0-45-1

68 balls.

LSG celebrating the fall of a wicket.

Nicholas Pooran hit an 18-ball fifty

Mitchell Marsh during a well-played innings of 52 from 31

Travis Head being dismissed after making a quickfire 47 from 28

NSC onboard with 2nd National Long Drive Championship

The Second Annual National Long Drive Championship will take place this Saturday at the National Park, the original home of golf in Guyana. The free-to-enter event, hosted by the Guyana Golf Association (GGA) and backed by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport and the National Sports Commission (NSC), has attracted the country’s top golfers, corporate giants, and elite athletes from various sports.

An Under-13 category was added, with young competitors travelling from as far as Regions Two, Five, and Six to compete for national glory.

With trophies sponsored by the NSC, 2025 national titles are on the line for: Men’s & Women’s Longest and

Straightest Drives; Boys’ & Girls’ Under-17 & Under-13 Longest and Straightest Drives and Best NonGolfer Performance (Male & Female).

With all equipment and balls provided by Nexgen Golf Academy, everyone has a chance to participate and test their skills against the best. When asked about his chances of defending his title, Phil Rietema from ExxonMobil confidently challenged all comers: “I intend to repeat as champion, so to those local and international golfers who believe they have a chance at beating me on Saturday, I have two words for them –Bring it!”

The competition is set to tee-off at 14:00h with the Juniors (Under-13

Joseph, Andrew set sights on different targets in Windies cricket

West Indies cricketers Alzarri Joseph and Jewel Andrew have outlined their ambitions for the future after recently being named Antigua’s Sportsman and Junior Sportsman of the Year, respectively.

While Joseph has set his sights on assisting the West Indies to reclaim their former dominance, Andrew hopes to inspire young players to pursue cricketing success.

Joseph, the West Indies’ premier fast bowler, emphasised his desire to see the regional team regain its stature as a global cricketing powerhouse, particularly in the Test format.

“For me, I want to see West Indies cricket back where I think it belongs—being world champions,” the 28-year-old pacer said on the Good Morning Jojo sports show.

Joseph, who has already taken 288 international wickets across all formats since his debut in 2016, believes that if he can leave West Indies Test cricket in a stronger position, he would consider his career a success.

“If you realise now there is a Test Championship. Our Test cricket is not in the best state, but if I could leave it in a better place than where I met it, then I’d be happy with

& Under-17) categories.

Meanwhile, the open category (Adult Men & Women) is expected to get underway at 16:00h. The competition will run until 20:00h with floodlights illuminating the final rounds. Music will be provided by Playerz Sound System with drone coverage by Caliper Drones and live broadcast by Guyana TV Network.

In addition to fierce com-

petition, the event promises giveaways and exclusive brand showcases: ANSA Motors will display their luxury vehicles on-site. Sunshine Snacks & Guyana Beverages Inc will provide refreshments for all participants. Roraima Airways will give away trips to Arrowpoint Resort and Promotech Guyana is offering prizes from their premium product line-up. Guyana Breweries Inc will be on hand

clude the Ministry of Sport; the National Sports Commission; Guyana Tourism Authority; Pegasus Hotel, Suites & Corporate Center; ANSA Motors; Guyana Beverages Inc; Toolsie Persaud Ltd; Promotech Guyana; Roraima Airways; the Protected Areas Commission; Sunshine Snacks; Guyana Payroll Solutions Inc; ShangriLa Gardens; Puran Bros; Sterling Products Ltd; Ramchand’s Auto Parts; Balance Waitstaff; Monnaf Arjune Construction; WS Cooling Solutions; Trophy Stall; SuperBet; Praetorian Security Services; Madewini Gardens Pools & Eco Resort; Nexgen Golf Academy; Guyana Breweries Inc and Westside Golf Course.

with a variety of products such as Coors Light, Smalta and Caribe Hard Cider. Nexgen Golf Academy and Westside Golf Course will give away over $2 million in Golf lessons and play as part of this massive event.

Guyana Golf Association President Aleem Hussain expressed his gratitude to the dedicated sponsors who have made this event possible, “The support from the

LGC to host STP Investments Inc Golf Tournament this Sunday

what I’ve done in my career,” he added.

The West Indies currently sit eighth in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Test rankings, ahead of only Bangladesh, Ireland, Afghanistan, and Zimbabwe.

Meanwhile, 18-year-old all-rounder Andrew, who first gained attention during the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup, hopes his recent accolade will serve as a source of motivation for young cricketers in the Region.

“I think that I can encourage and inspire other players coming up after me. That’s something I’ve always wanted to do – not just to be a great player, but to help others realise their potential,” Andrew shared.

Andrew, who made his One-Day International (ODI) debut with West Indies last year, sees the Junior Sportsman of the Year title as a significant milestone in his young career. The talented batsman also represents both Leeward Islands Hurricanes and Pigotts Crushers.

“It’s something all young players dream of having, so I will cherish it. It gives me a confidence boost to keep pushing forward,” he said. (Sportsmax)

The Lusignan Golf Club (LGC) has excitedly announced the return of the STP Investments Inc Golf Tournament, set to take place on Sunday, March 30, 2025.

This highly-anticipated event will feature top golfers competing in an 18-hole medal play format, with teeoff scheduled for 08:00h.

In a statement from the club, President Anasha Ally said, “STP Investments Inc is a three-time sponsor. Lusignan Golf Club is very happy to have them on board. We need sponsors to keep our club going and as a result, they are invaluable to the existence of our club. So, we’re very grateful for the kind sponsorship of STP.”

Participants will have the opportunity to win prizes across multiple categories, including:

Best Net in Each Flight: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place

Overall Best Gross

Nearest to the Flag –Hole #8

Longest Drive – Hole #5

This marks another year of STP Investments Inc’s continued support of golf in Guyana. Since 2021, the company has played a

crucial role in promoting and developing the sport through its sponsorship of tournaments at the LGC. Its commitment has helped elevate competitive golf in the country while fostering a growing community of enthusiasts.

Golfers and spectators can expect an exciting day of competition and camaraderie at the LGC. The club invites all golf enthusiasts to participate and witness an event that celebrates skill, sportsmanship, and the spirit of the game.

STP Investments Inc is

a prominent construction company in Guyana, offering services in infrastructure development, bridge and highway construction, drainage solutions, and residential and commercial projects. With a vision to become a leading sustainable construction firm in the Caribbean, STP continues to contribute to Guyana’s economic growth and development.

For more information and registration details, the Lusignan Golf Club can be contacted on 220-5660 or 620-0093.

Alzarri Joseph (left) and Jewel Andrew recently nabbed national awards in Antigua

LGC Manager Vishal Changur receives the sponsorship cheque from STP Investments Inc Project Manager David Harinarine

Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle presenting the trophies for Saturday’s National Long Drive Championship to Guyana Golf Association President Aleem Hussain

Guyana to battle USA in 1st match of U20 Championships

…Junior Lady Jags drawn in Group A

Guyana’s Women’s Under-20 National Football team, the Junior Lady Jaguars, have been drawn in Group A of the CONCACAF Women’s U20 Championships following the official draw on Wednesday.

The Women’s U20 tournament scheduled for May 29 to June 8, 2025 at the Alejandro Morera Soto Stadium in Alajuela, Costa Rica, will serve as the official CONCACAF Region qualifier for the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.

Guyana were drawn in Group A alongside USA, Costa Rica and Puerto Rico while Group B consists of Mexico, Canada, Panama, and Nicaragua.

The eight- team Championships will com -

mence with group stage (two groups of four teams each) play, after which the group winners and runners-up (four teams in total) will advance to the semi-finals and qualify for the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in Poland next year.

Thereafter, the semifinal winners will advance to the final, where a champion will be crowned.

Guyana made their way into CONCACAF U20 Championships after topping Group A (alongside Haiti, Belize, and Antigua and Barbuda) in the U20 Championship Qualifiers in February with seven points from two wins and a draw.

Guyana’s ascension to their third Championships was a poetic one, edging

Haiti 1-0 in their last, decisive game of the Qualifiers. In each edition of the Championship that Guyana have competed in (2020, 2022), Haiti were the team to oust Guyana from contention, first by a 3-0 margin in the quarter-finals in 2020 and by a 2-1 margin in 2022 during the knockout stage.

Guyana will begin their campaign in the 2025 U20 Women’s Championships on Friday, May 30 against the mighty USA. They will later battle Costa Rica and Puerto Rico on Sunday, June 1 and Tuesday, June 3 respectively.

The competition’s semi-finals are scheduled for Friday, June 6 with the anticipated final on Sunday, June 8, 2025.

TSU Region 2 and HQ into the semis of Commissioner’s T20 Cup

In two exciting matches played at the Police Sports Club Ground, Eve Leary, Georgetown, on Monday, March 24, 2025, the Tactical Services Unit (TSU) and Region 2 defeated Region 4A&B and Region 5 to advance to the semifinals of the ongoing Commissioner’s T20 Cricket Tournament.

TSU went to battle with Region 4A & B in the first game of the day. Opting to bat first, TSU made a mammoth 214 for the loss of 8 wickets in their 20 overs. TSU struggled in the beginning of their innings, constantly losing wickets in the process, with the score at one point being 95 for 8.

However, a magnificent ninth-wicket partnership between Damion Sardina (70 including 6 sixes and 2 fours) and Devon Joseph, who made 54 including 6 sixes and 3 fours, saw TSU reaching a big total. Throughout the innings, Region 4A and B found it difficult to score at the appropriate pace in response. The squad only reached a total of 147 for 6 in their 20 overs, with Troy Drakes leading the way with 41 and Orwin Venture contributing 38. With three wickets for nine runs in his four overs, Anthony Adams had

excellent bowling figures. In quarterfinal number two, Region 2 battled Region 5. Region 5 won the toss and elected to bat first. They got off to a bad start as Shemory Barrington was dismissed for only 3. Shortly after Saturan Sukdeo got dismissed for a golden duck, Damion Vantull dismissed Lennox Williams, with the score at 16 for 3. A good partnership between Titus Webster and Griesean Grant saw a recovery from the batting side. Webster eventually finished 58 not out, while Grant contributed 59. Region 5 ended up with a total of 173 for 6 off their 20 overs.

Region 2 started well with the bat, but lost two quick wickets in succession with the score on 18. Ramesh Chattergoon and Charleston Roberts were dismissed for 6 and 0, respectively, by Williams. A power-hitting display by Vantull would ultimately take the game away from Region 5, with him scoring 97 from 39 balls, inclusive of 10 huge sixes and six fours. Fazeer Khan provided great support with his innings of 29, and Region 2 chased down the target in just 13.4 overs. The tournament’s

defending champs (Headquarters) came up against Region 4C on Tuesday, March 25 at the Police Sports Club Ground, Eve Leary in the other quarterfinal match. Headquarters (HQ) chose to bowl first and held Region 4C to a respectable 138 for the loss of 8 wickets in their 20 overs.

With an aggressive knock of 48 off 29 balls, inclusive of five fours and two sixes, Captain Kelvin Leitch topped the scorecard for 4C. Opening batsman Nickosi Barker contributed 42, which included five fours and one six. The batting team’s biggest obstacle was Kanhaiya Ramkaran, who took four wickets in his four overs and was economical with the ball.

In reply, HQ totally dominated in the second innings, chasing down the target with nine overs to spare. HQ had an opening stand of 28 before Barker removed Kevon Boodie on 15, and shortly after, his opening partner, Pernell London, was dismissed by Leitch for 13. Ramkaran’s 24 and Kyle Michael’s brilliant 68, which included four fours and seven sixes, secured a semifinal spot for HQ.

Entertainment and basketball – One Guyana 3x3 Quest fast approaching

Next weekend, 20 3x3 basketball teams from around the world will converge on the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH), Homestretch Avenue, Georgetown for what will be the first International Basketball Federation (FIBA) 3x3 Quest competition in the Caribbean region.

The One Guyana 3x3 Quest will offer teams an opportunity to secure a coveted spot in the FIBA 3x3 World Tour in Edmonton, Canada, alongside other attractive prizes.

Speaking on what to expect on April 5 and 6, Guyana Basketball Federation (GBF) Vice President Rawle Toney promised a mixture of basketball and entertainment.

Toney vowed, “Entertainment and basketball – 3x3 is really entertainment and basketball, where the music never stops. So, you have 15 hours of basketball over two days. On the first day, we have a cultural event.”

He further explained, “So what you could expect is really the world’s 3x3 players coming to Guyana to play. Just to put it into context, Puerto Rico is the number one team in the Caribbean and they’re the 14th-ranked team in the world. One of the most popular 3x3 teams and players in Team Lausanne will be here too. So, that alone should tell you the quality of players who will be competing. Each and every player ranked in the world would’ve played on the World Tour last year, but to get back to the World Tour they need to go back though the qualification process and this is one of the steps they definitely need to go through.”

Hosting the Quest is no easy task, but according to Toney, FIBA’s shared interest in having the event in the Caribbean has been helpful.

“The first is initiating that you want to host; the second thing is paying the almost US$6000 hosting fee to FIBA, which the Government would’ve paid on our behalf. The prize money, which they would’ve put up as well too, almost US$10,000 in prizes, another $6000 (USD) to host the tournament and then they’re assisting in accommodation which is another $15,000 (USD),” the organiser revealed.

Toney went on to share, “So, we first had to write to FIBA signalling our intent to host, but one of the good things about this is when we signalled our intent to host, they decide now to collaborate on it with us because they actually always wanted something like this in the Region, but no one ever put their hand up to say ‘hey, we want to do it’.”

The organiser went on to share that the GBF’s commitment to hosting the competition is as a result of President Dr Irfaan Ali’s push to host more interna-

tional sport events.

“There are some works on the parking lot and everything that would be undertaken by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport. If I might add, they’ve been very, very supportive from a Government perspective on this, because we were actually encouraged by His Excellency to bring events to Guyana that would help catapult sport tourism in a major way and really help to position Guyana as a sport hub in the Region, because in all the history of 3x3 basketball, there has been no other country within the Region to host this tournament or to put their hand up to host a Quest,” the GBF Vice President noted.

“Once you host a Quest, it means you work collaboratively with FIBA, follow their guidelines in terms of everything, the venues, the type of branding; they monitor it, they guide and then you execute.”

Aside from the golden opportunity of competing in the FIBA 3x3 World Tour, the teams are playing for a US$5000 grand prize, while the second and thirdplace finishers will pocket US$2000 and US$1000 respectively.

Region 4A&B in action versus TSU

Guyana’s Junior Lady Jags will begin their CONCACAF U20 Championships campaign against USA

GBF Vice President Rawle Toney, the tournament organiser