Guyana Times - Thursday, March 25, 2021

Sheriff-Mandela Road expansion P7

Flaws to be rectified as Govt eyes August completion Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 4598

THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2021

40+ year-old persons to get COVID-19 vaccines from next week – President See story on page 3

…Govt aiming to vaccinate 10,000 per day

Indian company buys 1st million barrels of Guyanese crude from Hess US conducts medical training in Region 1 Page 2

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Region 4 man is latest COVID-19 P9 victim …88 new cases recorded

New chest P15 clinic at Port Mourant Hospital commissioned

Crying taxi driver handed 21-year jail sentence for raping schoolgirl P8

Essequibo Coast ranger found dead in home P12

Man admits to killing lover’s reputed husband P12

In this composite photo, US Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch interacts with members of the Global Medical and Surgical Support Group Corps, which conducted training in Region One (Barima-Waini). On the left: some of the hospital personnel, teachers, local and volunteers during the training exercise (See story on page 13)

“My mother Finance Minister died and left warns unscrupulous us with this gift” businesses – tearful homeowner illegally charging VAT …as fire guts Herstelling house Budget tax exemption measures

Page 14

Page 11

Execution-style killing

“Paper Shorts” died from P16 multiple gunshot wounds – PME

2 NEWS

THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Indian company buys 1st million barrels of Guyanese crude from Hess T he world’s third largest importer of oil, India, has bought its first cargo of light sweet crude from Guyana.

International news agency Reuters on Wednesday reported from a source that the cargo was bought by HPCL-Mittal Energy Ltd (HMEL), a joint venture between State-run Hindustan Petroleum Corp and Indian steel tycoon LN Mittal.

The report states that HMEL operates a 226,000 barrel per day Bathinda refinery in the northern state of Punjab.

Reuters reported that the one-million-barrel cargo of Guyana’s Liza light sweet crude set sail from offshore Guyana on March 2 on the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker Sea Garnet bound for India’s Mundra port, where it is set to arrive around April 8. The cargo’s charter-

er is Trafigura, according to the Refinitiv Eikon data.

Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat told Reuters this month that while he did not know the identity of the cargo’s ultimate buyer, the crude onboard the Sea Garnet had been originally allocated to New York-based Hess Corp, one of the companies producing crude in Guyana along with ExxonMobil Corp, and delivered to Trafigura.

Commercial transaction

In fact, Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr KJ Srinivasa told Guyana Times that this was a commercial transaction between the companies involved, and as such, they were not privy to the details.

However, he believes that the cargo was Hess’ quota that was bought by HMEL from Trafigura. Reuters re-

The HPCL-Mittal Energy Ltd refinery in Punjab, India

ported that Trafigura “declined to comment on commercial matters” and Hess “did not immediately reply to a request for comment”.

According to Dr Srinivasa, given the cargo size and the

HMEL refinery’s capacity, “this will be enough for them only for four days”.

Further, when asked whether there would be another purchase of oil from Guyana, the Indian diplo-

mat said: “These commercial transactions are always evolving… We can’t comment from High Commission which transactions are happening right now.”

Nevertheless, High Commissioner Srinivasa explained that this oil buy was part of India’s call to all its refiners – both State-run and private.

“The Government of India has asked the refiners to speed up the diversification of imports which will cut our dependence mainly from the Middle East and through all the OPEC+ [Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries-Plus] countries.

So, basically, we’re trying to diversify and we’re trying to rekindle our partnership with other countries,” he noted.

The Indian diplomat disclosed only recently his Government struck a big deal with Mexico for a shortterm oil contract to help offset its existing high-priced long-term contracts. This is in addition to an existing “six million-tonne” contract with Mexico.

In fact, it was reported earlier this month that apart from Mexico, India was also in talks with Guyana for a short-term oil contract.

“You know, we are an energy-hungry nation. We import about 86 per cent of crude… And obviously, your Liza oil – “light sweet crude” are the words used – seems to be well suited for our refinery. We are working on various options now,” he noted.

Dr Srinivasa further reminded that India had expressed interest to buy Guyana’s share of oil through a Government-toGovernment arrangement, which he pointed out would cut out any handling or commission fee. However, these talks are still ongoing.

India used to import a significant portion of its oil from Iran and Venezuela.

However, the sanctions imposed by the United States on these two nations has resulted in a massive reduction of those imports.

“We stopped receiving crude imports from Venezuela for last three, four months now. Every day, we used to get close to about 375,000 bpd from Venezuela,” he noted.

According to the Reuters article, the OPEC’s share in India’s oil imports fell to historic lows between April 2020 and January 2021 after the body took a decision recently to extend production cuts through April.

Guyana, with US oil giant ExxonMobil as the operator, began producing oil on December 20, 2019 in the Stabroek Block. Guyana’s oil revenues are being banked in the New York Federal Reserve Bank, where it is earning interest.

To date, the country has received payments for five lifts of oil. The most recent payment was made earlier this month for a 997, 420-barrel oil lift in February from Liza Destiny. That lift was valued at US$61 million, taking the total amount received to date for Guyana’s share of oil to US$246.5 million.

Inclusive of royalties, the total in the Natural Resource Fund account now stands at US$267.6 million.

The Natural Resources Ministry reported that Guyana received its first payment of US$54.9 million for an oil lift dated February 19, 2020. Guyana’s second lift, on May 21, 2020, was valued at US$35 million. The third lift, which occurred on August 9, 2020, was valued at US$46 million, while the fourth lift occurred on December 9, 2020 and came in at US$49.4 million in value.

NEWS

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THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, March 25 – 02:30h-04:00h and 13:00h-14:30h and Friday, March 26 – 03:00h-04:30h and 13:30h-15:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, March 25 – 13:40h-15:10h and Friday, March 26 – 14:40h-16:10h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Light to thundery showers are expected during the day with sunny intervals in the late afternoon. There will be partly cloudy skies and light rain showers at night. Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North-Easterly to East North-Easterly between 0.89 metre and 4.47 metres.

High Tide: 14:29h reaching a maximum height of 2.40 metres.

Low Tide: 08:03h and 20:31h reaching minimum heights of 0.95 metre and 0.74 metre.

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40+ year-old persons to get COVID-19 vaccines from next week – President …Govt aiming to vaccinate 10,000 per day

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resident Dr Irfaan Ali on Wednesday evening announced that persons 40 years and older will have access to COVID-19 vaccines in the coming week.

Guyana launched its COVID-19 vaccination campaign last month with focus on frontline health workers. The exercise was then expanded to cover persons 60 years old and over, and those with comorbidities.

In order to expand the programme, Government has since procured 200,000 doses of COVID vaccines through donations – 80,000 doses of AstraZeneca from India and another 20,000 doses of Sinopharm from China.

During a live broadcast to update the nation on the COVID-19 situation in Guyana, the Head of State revealed that since the vaccination campaign started, over 25,000 persons have been immunised in the country, and now Government is looking to further increase this number.

“Early in the new week, the vaccination programme will be expanded to all persons 40 years and older,” he announced.

According to President Ali, Government wants to have as many people as possible vaccinated, in order to achieve herd immunity in Guyana within the fastest possible timeframe.

To this end, an integrated approach is being undertaken.

“The Government of Guyana is aggressively pursuing a strategy to vaccinate as many Guyanese as would be necessary to attain herd immunity, and eventually ensuring all Guyanese are vaccinated. Our goal is to vaccinate as many as 10,000 citizens per day,” he disclosed.

With Cabinet oversight, local government bodies, civil society, medical and nursing students, and the Medical Brigade of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) have all been roped in to achieve this goal. The President has said that these personnel would be trained to assist with the documentation of citizens so as to expedite the vaccination process.

“In the coming days, the Guyana Defence Force will provide support of 400 officers to expedite the registration of citizens. Students from medical and nursing programmes in Guyana will volunteer and lend support to this expanded and aggressive vaccination programme. All volunteers will also be vaccinated to limit their exposure to the COVID-19 virus,” the Commander-in-Chief noted.

Meanwhile, to further support the management and storage of the vaccines, the Health Ministry has engaged various private sector players with capacity to assist.

In addition to the 200,000 doses already procured, the Guyana Government is working aggressively to acquire another 200,000 COVID-19 jabs from various sources.

In fact, the Head of State revealed that his administration has been talking to countries and organisations since January of this year. These include the governments of India, Russia, China, the United Arab Emirates (UAE); as well as

manufacturers and agencies, including the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), COVAX, Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Moderna.

Stepped-up enforcement

However, even as Government is working aggressively to ensure citizens are protected against the novel coronavirus, the National COVID-19 Task Force has also stepped-up enforcement, to bring more effect to the COVID-19 compliance.

“The COVID-19 Task Force has been advised to pursue charges against owners of establishments that are found in breach of the COVID-19 guidelines,” the President has posited.

Meanwhile, with several religious observances imminent – Phagwah on March 28, Easter on April 5, and Ramadhan in April to May – the Head of State has implored religious leaders and citizens to adhere strictly to the COVID-19 guidelines.

At present, there is a 40 per cent capacity for places of worship in Guyana. This same restriction is applied to indoor dining for restaurants and bars. However, there have been complaints of bars and night spots breaching this guideline, and several persons have also been charged.

“Whilst we’ve sought to strike balance between economy and help the management of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have to be responsible.

Businesses must understand that it is critical for them to adhere to 40 per cent occupancy, to adhere to the protocols that customers should follow whilst using their establishment, and to ensure that they protect their fellow Guyanese brothers and sisters,” President Ali has stressed.

Noting that the pandemic remains a serious national issue and a major global health

concern, he further pleaded with persons to follow the guidelines.

“I urge you to continue to stay safe. I urge (you) to continue to protect your families and your community by adhering to COVID-19 guidelines. We are not ahead of the curve; we’re still managing this deadly pandemic. We need all stakeholders, all Guyanese, onboard… We have lost too many lives already. The Government is sparing no effort in ensuring that we get vaccinated as quickly as possible. But all of us have a responsibility to help in this process. I urge you to take seriously the guidelines of the COVID-19 Task Force as together we rally to ensure we get out of this pandemic as quickly as possible,” the Head of State has explained.

Border security

Moreover, President Ali noted that efforts have been taken to enhance border security.

“An expanded joint operation between Immigration, the army, Police, Regional COVID-19 Task Force Committees, the Private Sector and other members of civil society have been engaged with further securing our borders,” he stated.

This comes on the heels of growing concerns over Guyana’s porous border, especially with Brazil, where the COVID-19 pandemic has been

President Dr Irfaan Ali

ravaging the country. In fact, only Tuesday it was reported that the Portuguese nation’s daily COVID-19 death toll has passed 3,000, taking the number of fatalities to 298,676 since the start of the pandemic there.

The Takutu Bridge, the official land border between Guyana and Brazil, has been closed since March 2020.

Subsequently, there was a partial, scheduled opening on Thursdays to allow for the exchange of goods under the supervision of authorities from both countries. However, in January this year, this was stopped following the outbreak of a new variant, or strain, of the virus in Brazil.

To date, Guyana has recorded some 221 fatalities from the novel coronavirus.

The country has had 9,820 confirmed COVID-19 cases, but only 968 of these are currently active. (G8)

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guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2021

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

Ending tuberculosis by 2030

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very year, Guyana joins the rest of the world in observing World TB Day on March 24, calling for a united end to tuberculosis. The call is very relevant and necessary, considering the fact that countries are about to enter the era of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), of which a key health target is ending tuberculosis (TB) by 2030.

Every year, 1.9 million people die from tobacco-induced heart disease, and this equates to one in five of all deaths from heart disease, according to the World Health Organization, World Heart Federation, and the University of Newcastle, Australia.

A report released by WHO once again sends a strong warning to smokers of the fatal effects such action could have on individuals.

The report’s authors urged all tobacco users to quit and avoid a heart attack, stressing that smokers are more likely to experience an acute cardiovascular event at a younger age than non-smokers.

“Just a few cigarettes a day, occasional smoking, or exposure to second-hand smoke increases the risk of heart disease. But if tobacco users take immediate action and quit, then their risk of heart disease will decrease by 50% after one year of not smoking.”

Dr Eduardo Bianco, Chair of the World Heart Federation Tobacco Expert Group, points out that given the current level of evidence on tobacco and cardiovascular health, and the health benefits of quitting smoking, failing to offer cessation services to patients with heart disease could be considered clinical malpractice or negligence.

He noted that cardiology societies should train their members in smoking cessation, as well as to promote and even drive tobacco control advocacy efforts.

Of note, too, is that the report shows that smokeless tobacco is responsible for around 200,000 deaths from coronary heart disease per year. Many young people are misled to believe that E-cigarettes are not as harmful as the traditional cigarettes, but experts have warned that they are equally damaging, as they raise blood pressure, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Moreover, high blood pressure and heart disease increase the risk of severe COVID-19. The report points to a recent WHO survey which found that among people dying of COVID-19 in Italy, 67% had high blood pressure; and in Spain, 43% of people who developed COVID-19 were living with heart disease.

In a more general sense, tobacco is responsible for over seven million deaths per year worldwide. This includes approximately 900,000 persons who die from diseases related to exposure to tobacco smoke. Over 40% of all tobacco-related deaths are from lung diseases like cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and tuberculosis.

Guyana’s tobacco control law, enacted in 2017, follows several of the articles of the WHO Convention, and mandates the adoption and implementation of a series of tobacco control policies that make it one of the most complete tobacco control laws. These include: 100% smoke free environments in all indoor public spaces, indoor work spaces, public transportation and specified outdoor spaces, to protect people from exposure to tobacco smoke; a ban on all forms of advertising and promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products; health warnings featured on 60% of tobacco product packaging, including images. It also includes a ban on the sale of tobacco products to and by minors, prohibition on vending machines’ sales; and a ban on the manufacture and sales of toys and candies, and any other goods, in the form of tobacco products.

However, there is still much work to be done to win the battle against tobacco, as approximately 78% of all deaths here are caused by non-communicable diseases (NCDs); some of which we all know are strongly related to tobacco use.

We had pointed out several times before that having the necessary legislation in place is a good starting point, but there are many other challenges which health authorities here must address if Guyana is to really reduce the number of persons dying or becoming ill due to tobacco use or exposure.

These challenges relate to monitoring and compliance, and enforcement of the legislation to ensure that the population is protected from the dangers of tobacco use.

Employees of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) designing a rangoli to welcome travellers in preparation for Phagwah (CJIA photo)

COVID won’t be the last pandemic. Will we be better prepared for the next one?

By Devi Sridhar

W

hether it’s a new virus or antimicrobial resistance, Governments must build on the lessons of 2020 to defeat the next outbreak Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we never had to face another pandemic? As we reflect on the past year, the words that come to mind are “never again”. Never again should so many lives be lost to a contagious virus. Nor should we endure another year of lockdowns, and the pain of job losses and unemployment that followed. And nobody ever wants to see children taken out of school again, unable to learn in classrooms or see their friends.

But scientists are clear that we will face another pandemic in the future. Most agree the question is when, not if. In 2018, I gave a talk at the Hay festival outlining a scenario that was loosely based on recent news reports: a farmer becomes infected with an antibiotic-resistant bacterium from a pig in China, spreading this infection through their community and then boarding a plane to the UK. The worrying thing about this scenario is that such bacteria, which evade our antibiotics of last resort, are already upon us.

They could yet be the source of a future pandemic.

Or perhaps the next pandemic will be caused by a virus spilling over from animals to humans, much like COVID-19. Recent reports that the first humans have been infected with avian influenza at a poultry plant in Russia give a worrying glimpse of how close we live to such risks. Every time a virus

circulates among animals, particularly bats, rodents, livestock and birds, and then comes into contact with humans, there’s a chance it will infect people and lead to human transmission.

International travel and trade have connected countries and created new opportunities for diseases to spread. This is why we need global surveillance to identify disease risks. Just as we have a weather service, Governments should invest in a global virus surveillance network to scan for new pathogens of concern, and identify and mitigate the risks of animal viruses crossing over into human populations. It’s not only new pathogens we should be afraid of, but new variants of existing viruses. Already, we’ve seen variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 arising in countries such as England, Brazil and South Africa, and we could yet see the emergence of a new strain of influenza that leads to a global flu pandemic.

This is why it’s essential for countries to have sequencing facilities to detect and track new strains and assess whether booster shots of vaccines are needed. The World Bank has a particularly crucial role to play in supporting countries financially, while the World Health Organisation should provide technical assistance to build up these core capacities for outbreak detection.

The second crucial area of investment will be in vaccine development. While vaccines for COVID-19 have been developed and manufactured at remarkable speed, we’ll need to be even quicker next time to avoid the case numbers,

deaths and restrictions we have all endured over the past year. Developing the vaccine is only half the battle: as recent tussles over limited supplies of the AstraZeneca vaccine have shown, countries will also need to think critically about their manufacturing capacity, and coordinate with other Governments to create regional hubs that allow for mass vaccine production and delivery.

We should be applying these principles not just to new viruses, but to those we already know about. Flu epidemics occur every winter and cause an estimated 650,000 deaths across the world each year, largely among young children, pregnant women and elderly adults. Pandemic influenza, which would involve the global outbreak of a new flu virus that evades our immunity, could be disastrous. The 1918 flu pandemic infected roughly one-third of the world’s population and killed 50-100 million people worldwide, while the death rate for 15-34-year-olds was 20 times higher in 1918 than in previous years.

The UK Government lists pandemic flu in its national risk register. Yet in planning for a flu pandemic, governments have largely focused on mitigating outbreaks by building enough hospitals to ensure people can access care, rather than on suppressing the spread of a virus while deploying a universal influenza vaccine. Our seasonal flu vaccines are given annually and are informed by expert predictions about which strains will become the most common. The first human clinical trial of a universal flu vaccine has already

been successfully completed, and now we must accelerate this progress.

Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, many commentators focused on the question of whether or not coronavirus was like seasonal flu. Not only did this misunderstand the unique risks of COVID-19, it also underestimated the danger of a novel flu pandemic. In the future, the UK should treat all pathogens – whether novel influenza or COVID-19 – as threats.

In the process of managing COVID-19, we have inadvertently almost eliminated seasonal flu, which shows just how much we can achieve if we needed to suppress dangerous pathogens in the future.

The scientific leaps that have been made over the past year, including the production of multiple vaccines and treatments for COVID-19, can seem like magic. In fact, these advances reflect years of research and training building on the work of previous scientists. Historic breakthroughs, such as the discovery of penicillin in 1928, the polio vaccine in 1961 and the MMR vaccine in 1963, were possible because of the work of multiple scientists, biologists, virologists, geneticists, engineers and mathematicians.

The same goes for the response to COVID-19. The importance of science has never been more obvious, and Governments should be pouring resources into the sector rather than pulling back.

Now is the time to invest in science and research. It’s only by doing this that we’ll be truly prepared when the next pandemic arrives. (Excerpt from The Guardian)

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2021

5

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

Cost benefits through piggybacking would be immeasurable Dear Editor, Some years ago, the issue of piggybacking was raised in the local media for the first time as a very cost-effective way of providing multi-faceted services and training to citizens. While that call fell on deaf ears of successive governments, it was refreshing to notice that, recently, the Human Services Ministry did reflect piggybacking in its Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) outreach at Tuschen Primary School.

As reported in the media, “Representatives of various units of the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, including the Counter-Trafficking in Persons (C-TIP) Unit, the Gender Affairs Bureau, the Support and Heal Network

(SAHN), the Guyana Women’s Leadership Institute (GWLI), the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA), and the Probation and Social Services Department, also took part in the outreach to offer counselling, guidance and other support services.”

This in addition to “organisations such as Modern Optical Services and the Dr. Cheddi Jagan Dental Centre partnering with the Ministry to grant access to free eye testing, dental care (inclusive of tooth extraction and cleaning), as well as blood and sugar testing.”

Piggybacking is the concept of adding on modules to any training or outreach activity to make it as comprehensive as possible. Thus when the media reported in January that the Pesticide

and Toxic Chemicals Control Board (PTCCB) “will soon commence training programmes to educate farmers across the country on how to properly administer pesticides and other agro-chemicals”, a letter was emailed to Trecia David, the PTCCB Registrar, suggesting that a module on suicide prevention relating to poisoning be added to the training, given that ingestion of poison is the means by which most suicides happen or are attempted.

To date, not even the courtesy acknowledgement of that letter was received.

Piggybacking can ensure that issues that need urgent attention can be so addressed by adding relevant modules to any other training. For example, when the Hinterland Employment

and Youth Service (HEYS) offers training, modules on suicide and abuse prevention, coping skills, self-esteem, self-confidence and resilience can be included, especially given that the 15to-25 age group has the highest suicide rate in Guyana, and that teenage pregnancy and relationships’ abuse are also significant problems in that age group.

Similarly, added-on modules on related mental health issues can be part of any training for teachers, medical personnel, Police, the general working population, and so on. Police certainly do need sensitivity training relating to abuse and suicide prevention and emphatic communication.

Teachers need a range of mental health training to address their psycho-social

needs and help them be better able to help their students with issues such as abuse and suicide prevention, resilience, self-esteem, self-confidence, coping skills and self-harm.

Medical personnel, especially at the level of receiving and diagnosing patients, need mental health first-aid so that patients can also be screened for mental health issues. Workplaces can be urged to include mental health modules related to workplace safety, including suicide and abuse prevention, resilience and coping skills, and business owners and management certainly can do with empathic training.

The cost benefits of addressing mental health through piggybacking would be immeasurable, as

a tremendous body of research has indicated. And, with piggybacking, so much can be done for so little in ensuring that Guyanese are better prepared, both physically and mentally, to deal with life’s challenges, especially given that abuse and suicide rates are so high and more than a quarter of the population (probably twice that amount, because of mental health crisis created by the pandemic) suffer from one or more mental health illnesses. As well, in almost every instance, those trained can be supported to turnkey their training to others, so that the skill sets and requisite info are passed on far and wide.

Sincerely, Annan Boodram The Caribbean Voice

Toss-up for presidency of Cricket West Indies (CWI) Dear Editor, As West Indians are struggling to move up the ladder, there is a keen contest ongoing for the leadership of Cricket West Indies (CWI). Elections will be held on Sunday, March 28, and the incumbent, Ricky Skerritt of St. Kitts and Kishore Shallow of St Vincent, are being challenged by Anand Sanasie of Guyana and Calvin Hope of Barbados for the presidency and vice presidency respectively, after serving only one term - two years - The incumbent replaced Dave Cameron of Jamaica and Emanuel Nathan who served for six years.

Cameron took over from Julian Hunte of St Lucia, who also served six years.

Sanasie the challenger for presidency, served for seven years as director of CWI, Chairman of the Umpires and Match Referees sub-committee, several years as Secretary of the Guyana Cricket Board, President of the West Demerara Cricket Association, and founder of Jaguar Cricket Academy.

He is said to be a “go-getter” and was nominated by two full members of YTO CWI. Over the years, he had done a fantastic job in promoting cricket in Guyana, hence the reason why Guyana

is the top team in all formats of the game. Hope is a former Barbados Youth Cricketer, and is an attorney by profession.

A few days ago, former CWI President Dave Cameron endorsed Sanasie, whom he said would bring new, visionary to leadership to the cricketing body.

Unfortunately, he said “Skerritt has failed to deliver the kind of leadership we hoped to see”. Moreover, he added that Guyana and Barbados are leading cricket nations.

Skerritt was a Minister of the St. Kitts Government and holds a first degree

from the University of the Virgin Islands and a Master’s Degree from Oxford University.

Guyana has produced several world class cricketers, like Rohan Kanhai, Clive Lloyd, Lance Gibbs, and outstanding captains like Lloyd, whose remarkable leadership contributed to the Caribbean team winning the first two World Cup tournaments in 1975 and 1979.

Unfortunately, although the Co-operative Republic boasts of dozens of Test cricketers, the country never had a Guyanese President of the regional

board since independence.

Research shows that John St Felix Dare served as the West Indies Cricket Board of Control President from 1960-1965. I think he was the Managing Director of Fogarty’s.

Chetram Singh, who served two decades as President of the Guyana Cricket Board, was nominated to be the President of WICB, but withdrew his candidacy over displeasure because he served as head of a racing company. It is high time that a Guyanese be elected to be at the helm of that body after Independence.

The West Indies Cricket Board of Control was established in 1920. The name was changed to West Indies Cricket Board…the words “of Control” were removed, and in November 2015 it was renamed Cricket West Indies (CWI). There are six members of the CWI, namely Barbados Cricket Association, Guyana Cricket Board, Jamaica Cricket Association, Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board, Leeward Islands Cricket Association, and Windward Cricket Board.

Sincerely, Oscar Ramjeet

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THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2021

Page

Foundation ◄

Question 1

Æsop’s Fables

FOR CHILDREN

Wednesday’s answers

1ai) In a school, 4/7 of the total number of pupils are boys, and there are 261 girls.

So, the fraction of pupils who are girls = the whole – the fraction of pupils who are boys = 7/7 – 4/7 = 3/7 1aii) There are 261 girls in the school and 3/7 of the total number of pupils are girls, so 3/7 = 261 Dividing 261 by 3 would give the figure that 1/7 is equal to and multiplying 1/7 x 7 would give you a whole, so multiplying the figure equal to 1/7 by 7 would give you the total number of pupils in the school Therefore, the total number of pupils in the school = 261 ÷ 3 x 7

= 609

U

se our Solar System as inspiration and design your own planet, by answering the following questions. You can go even further in designing your very own star-orbiting creation.

This is your opportunity to design your own planet!! There's lots to think about: What kind of star will your planet orbit? One star or two? A small, dying star or a young bright star?

What colour will your star be?

Generally, larger, bluer stars are hotter than smaller, redder ones.

So if you have a large, blue star your planet will need to be further away from its star.

Will your planet have a moon like Earth? Or will it have lots of

moons, like Jupiter and Saturn, or no moon at all?

How big will it be? Small like Mercury, huge like Jupiter ...?

What will the gravity be like?

Remember – the bigger the planet, the stronger the gravity. Low gravity means you can move easily, but your atmosphere is likely to escape into space; high gravity will hold onto your atmosphere, but it will be hard to move.

How circular will the orbit be?

Orbits which are circular or almost circular (like that of Earth) mean that the temperature does not vary too much as the planet orbits its star; very eccentric orbits (like that of Pluto) mean greater temperature variations.

How hot will the planet be?

The surface of Venus (the hottest planet) is over 450 degrees C, the surfaces of Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are all around -200 degrees C or less. An atmosphere will keep the planet warmer than a planet without an atmosphere.

What kind of planet will it be?

Rocky like Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars and Pluto, or will it be a gas giant like Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune?

Will your planet's surface have oceans? Will they be made of water, or petrol, or acid ...?

What kind of atmosphere will it have? Nitrogen/oxygen as on Earth, poisonous acid clouds as on Venus, hydrogen/helium as on Jupiter ...?

What life forms will the planet support?

People, little green aliens, plants, bacteria...?

How will the life forms move? Or will they be unable to move at all?

How will they communicate? Will they talk to each other? What will their language be like? Or will they communicate directly from one mind to another?

Perhaps they might use Maths to communicate –maths is a universal language,

after all.

What will they eat? Will they eat other beings on the planet? Will they be vegetarian or eat minerals or rocks...?

Where will they live?

Underground, under the oceans, in the oceans, in houses, in trees, in the clouds ...?

You can probably think of many more things to decide about your planet. Let your imaginations run riot – but make sure that the science works out. It's no good having a small planet, then saying it has an atmosphere. It's no good having life forms which drink water if the temperature is over 100 degrees C - unless they live underground or in air-conditioned units of some kind. (motivate. maths.org)

A

horse, ox, and dog, driven to great straits by the cold, sought shelter and protection from man.

He received them kindly, lighted a fire, and warmed

them.

He let the horse make free with his oats, gave the ox an abundance of hay, and fed the dog with meat from his own table.

Grateful for these favours, the animals determined to repay him to the best of their ability.

For this purpose, they divided the term of his life between them, and each endowed one portion of it with the qualities which chiefly characterised himself.

The horse chose his earliest years and gave them his own attributes: hence every man is in his youth impetuous, headstrong, and obstinate in maintaining his own opinion.

The ox took under his patronage the next term of life, and therefore man in his middle age is fond of work, devoted to labour, and resolute to amass wealth and to husband his resources.

The end of life was reserved for the dog, wherefore the old man is often snappish, irritable, hard to please, and selfish, tolerant only of his own household, but averse to strangers and to all who do not administer to his comfort or to his necessities.

WORD SEARCH

NEWS

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THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Sheriff-Mandela Road expansion

Flaws to be rectified as Govt eyes August completion Working during curfew

W

ith just four months remaining until the August deadline of the Sheriff-Mandela Roadway project, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill conducted a walkabout on Wednesday and analysed progress on the road expansion.

During an inspection of the project, the Minister said that he was satisfied that work was currently ongoing; however, not all sites had quality work.

The Public Works Minister, however, explained that much work has been stalled as a result of issues surrounding the laying of pipes by the Guyana Water Inc (GWI).

As such, he has ordered GWI Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Shaik Baksh, along with his Ministry’s

Project Manager, to finalise these plans no later than Wednesday evening.

He noted that after the laying of the pipelines was clarified, works could continue.

“At the Lamaha Bridge where we stopped, Mr Shaik Baksh and Mr Greene, my contractor, have to conclude today (Wednesday) definitively where the pipes are going, because that is what is hindering the contractor from making the bypass,” he explained.

Moreover, he explained that the contractors of the Arapaima Bridge have encountered issues with the testing of the piles. He, however, noted that this should be resolved by today, thus allowing for the continuation of works on the bridge.

Meanwhile, Edghill highlighted that traffic at the Sheriff Street-Railway Embankment roundabout has also led to the slow pace of the rehabilitation of the road. He added that with the works taking a lengthy time to be completed, cars were unable to traverse freely.

“Just the fact that we haven’t just yet asphalted this section, the whole traffic is slowed up on a daily basis.

So, my instruction is to get on with the work,” he told contractors.

On this note, he explained that work would commence from the Sheriff roundabout to the National Cultural Centre in the evenings during curfew. Edghill detailed that this would cause

Vehicles traversing a section of the incomplete Sheriff Street, Georgetown roadway

the contractors to work without disruptions.

“They are going to work at night when the curfew hour begins. So, at 10:30 at night when there is a curfew hour, we will be able to get the paving done at night until morn-

ing at 4:00am when the curfew hour is lifted,” Edghill explained.

He further told contractors to rectify all issues and to remain consistent.

In addition, the Minister noted that there has been much concern about the rough finish of the roads.

Nevertheless, he explained that he spoke with engineers and contractors, who informed him that the road was slated to be paved for a final time by an international company – Surrey Pavers and Aggregates.

Work on the Sheriff Street-Mandela Avenue Project began August 2018, with the contract awarded to Chinese company Sinohydro Corporation Limited since November 2017.

However, there was a pe-

riod in 2019 when the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) halted funding for the project owing to health and safety violations by the contractor.

The matter was further compounded by the election impasse, but following the return to office of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government, the IDB was re-engaged.

The road upgrade project is being funded through a US$66 million loan.

The project involves the relocation of utilities; the installation of lane and shoulder improvements; placement of sidewalks and paved shoulders; traffic signals, traffic signs, streetlights, drainage; a pedestrian overhead walkway; culverts, bridges, and a roundabout.

8 NEWS

THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Crying taxi driver handed 21-year jail sentence for raping schoolgirl

D

espite his desperate pleas for leniency, a 31-year-old taxi driver, who cried uncontrollably, was on Wednesday sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment for raping an underage girl.

Sahadeo Pooran, also called “Omesh,” of Herstelling, East Bank Demerara, was found guilty of the offence earlier this month by a jury. He returned to court on Wednesday for presentation of probation report, victim impact statement, and sentencing, as well as plea in mitigation.

The charge against him stated that on September 27, 2019, in the country of Demerara, he engaged in sexual penetration of a 12-year-old girl. It was reported that, on the day in question, the girl left home for school, and was standing on the road waiting on a taxi to take her to the road head, where she would then take a minibus to school. During

Child rapist: Sahadeo “Omesh” Pooran

that time, Pooran drove up to the girl and offered her a “free drop”.

The girl boarded the car and sat in the front passenger seat. There were two other persons in the vehicle at the time. After dropping off the two passengers, Pooran took the girl to his residence, where he forced her into the house.

He locked the 12-year-old

girl inside of the house while he went to drop off someone else. The girl tried to escape, but all the windows had wooden bars, and the doors were also locked.

Pooran returned one hour later, placed a mattress on the ground, raised the girl’s uniform, and raped her. After he finished the act, he told the girl to tell her teacher she was late for

school because the vehicle reached in an accident.

The girl boarded a bus and went to school, where she told the teacher the lie.

Her mother was summoned to the school, but did not believe her story. The girl finally told her teacher what actually happened. As such, a report was made, and the taxi driver was arrested and charged. He was subsequently released on bail.

During that time, whenever he saw the little girl on the road, he would tell her, “Yuh like talk”, and hurl insulting remarks at her.

“I’m very sorry”

State Prosecutor Nafeeza Baig urged the court to impose a sentence that reflects the serious nature and prevalence of the offence.

According to the prosecutor, although found guilty by a jury of his peers, Pooran continued to maintain his innocence.

TURN TO PAGE 11

Traps...

T

…and global realignments he Finance Minister was recently asked if the Government wasn’t worried about falling into the “Debt Trap” laid by China in its Belt and Road Initiative launched by its President Li Jingping back in 2013. It was originally patterned on the “Silk Road” between China and Europe back in medieval times, to transport the riches from “the East” into an awakening Europe. The modern rulers of the “Middle Kingdom” decided to use the US$4+TRILLION Forex sloshing around its pockets from American imports to strategically lock those same countries into a permanently dependent relationship.

But China didn’t stop with the route to Europe… it deployed the same easy, massive loans towards infrastructural development in Africa and Latin America - including the Caribbean. Now, all of this sounds rather positive, doesn’t it? Quite reminiscent of the Third World development drive funded by the World Bank after WWII. But there was now a catch. Whereas, the World Bank had strict criteria in granting loans to avoid defaults, China became like an all-year-round “Father Christmas”, and threw money at poorer countries as if it were going out of style! To the tune of HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS to over 130 countries!

And then we saw there was a method to the apparent madness: when the mega loans couldn’t be serviced from revenues generated, China stepped in and took over ownership of the facilities. A good example is the strategic port in Sri Lanka that’s now owned by the Chinese for 99 years - after the former couldn’t service the US$1.1 billion loan! Sort of the reverse Hong Kong arrangement - with China now playing the old British imperial role! India and Japan are now rushing to build a comparable port in Sri Lanka, since they now realise China can now strategically control the Indian Ocean as it now does the South Pacific Sea! While the PPP had accepted a US$138M loan from the Chinese back in 2013 for modernisation of CJIA, it never explicitly approved the B&R Initiative premises. The CJIA modernisation was supposed to facilitate Guyana becoming a regional hub for flights to neighbouring countries like Brazil, and even flights to South Africa.

The increased revenues would’ve been able to service the Chinese loan, and it’s for this reason the PPP, unlike the PNC, didn’t accept the scaled down version with less boarding gates.

The PNC - after it slid into office in 2015 - even gave explicit approval to the B&I Initiative - which is driven by Chinese interests, rather than ours. It’s clear however, that the PPP would satisfy our infrastructural needs based on a solid Guyanese plan. One which ensures we “don’t hang we hat, whe’ we haan cyaan reach”! …and hitmen It was like a scene from one of The Godfather movies; or, more realistically, like the sleazier “gangster movies” that Netflix is now flooding us with. An individual whose name had cropped up in reports of skullduggery in the under-the-radar world of gold trading and money laundering (with the implication of even more shady areas!) is taking an evening drink at a popular Georgetown nightspot.

He gets a call and walks out to his vehicle parked on Main Street. But before getting there, he’s accosted by two men, who pump FIFTEEN bullets into him. No question of their intentions! The killers run into a waiting white station wagon and quickly make their escape - which was no great feat, since the streets were deserted at that time. So, the Police are now looking for them.

Now, we know that if the fella left after getting a call, he had to have known that person. And that number must be on his phone!

Call yours truly, “Eyewitness Colombo Holmes”!! …and gas Some folks got their bucktas in a knot when VP Jagdeo said the viability of the gas-to-shore project is a “no brainer”.

Would they rather the gas be left trapped under the sea? Or in their bucktas?

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

NEWS

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THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Region 4 man is latest COVID-19 victim …88 new cases recorded

G

uyana’s COVID-19 death toll now stands at 221 after another person who tested positive for the novel coronavirus died.

According to the Health Ministry, the latest fatality is a 69-year-old male from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) who died on Wednesday while receiving care at a medical facility.

This most recent death is the sixth COVID-19 fatality thus far this week. The week began with the death toll at 215, but that figure increased after a 69-year-old male from Region Four died on Sunday. The following day, two more persons succumbed – a 74-year-old female from Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), who died while receiving care at a medical facility, and an 82-year-old male from Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), who died at his home. A subsequent swab test, done on arrival of the body to a medical facility, revealed that the elderly man had COVID-19.

Then, on Tuesday, two more persons who tested positive for COVID-19 died. They were two males – a 50-year-old and a 48-year-old – both from Region Three.

New cases

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry also reported on Wednesday that 88 more persons have tested positive for COVID-19 in Guyana.

According to the updated COVID-19 dashboard, the country’s total number of confirmed cases is now 9820 – 5023 males and 4797 females.

However, only 968 of these cases are currently active.

These include 12 patients in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the remaining 956 persons in isolation – 56 in institutional isolation and 900 in home isolation.

Additionally, there were also 19 persons in institutional quarantine.

Some 8632 persons have recovered from the life-threatening virus in the country to date – 30 more recoveries than the figure reported the previous day.

A total of 84,486 persons have been tested thus far for the novel coronavirus in Guyana.

Of the 88 new cases recorded on Wednesday, 13 were detected in Region Three; a whopping 49 cases in Demerara-Mahaica; one case each in Regions Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and Six (East Berbice-Corentyne); 18 in Cuyuni-Mazaruni, and six

cases in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

The figures in the other four regions – Region One (Barima-Waini), Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) and Region Nine (Upper TakutuUpper Essequibo) – remained the same.

In order to curb the spread of the virus and reduce the country’s death toll, Guyana

rolled out its vaccination campaign last week and has thus far inoculated more than 15,500 persons.

The exercise started with 3000 doses of the AstraZenecaOxford vaccine donated by the Barbados Government. These were given to frontline medical workers.

Then Guyana received 20,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine from China, followed

by a whopping 80,000 doses of the AstraZeneca-Oxford jab from the Indian Government.

Another set of doses is expected through the COVAX mechanism and within the next two weeks, an additional 50,000 doses of the Russiadeveloped Sputnik vaccines will reach Guyana’s shores.

Elderly persons and those with comorbidities along with members of the Joint Services and teachers are currently being vaccinated.

Meanwhile, health authorities are reminding all Guyanese to observe the

protocols of the COVID-19 Emergency Measures (No 15), which were extended for this month and would be in effect until March 31, 2021.

Among these measures is the 22:30h (10:30pm) to 04:00h (4:00 am) national curfew which remains intact.

Restaurants and places of worship continue to operate at 40 per cent capacity. Gyms are to operate at 50 per cent capacity while sporting events are only permitted with approval from the Health Minister.

The order further emphasises the need for correct and consistent use of a face mask when leaving your home, the importance of maintaining six feet of physical distance from others, and the need for good hand hygiene to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), as of Wednesday, some 123,902,242 confirmed cases were reported globally along with 2,727,837 deaths.

WHO also reported on Wednesday that in the Region of the Americas, that is, Latin America and the Caribbean, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has increased to 54,394,715 while the death toll in the region has gone up to 1,309,398. (G8)

10 NEWS

THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Hijackers posing as passengers escape with taxi driver’s car T

hirty-six-year-old Royston Green, a taxi driver of Diamond, East Bank Demerara, was robbed at gunpoint on Tuesday at about 20:00h, and had his car hijacked.

It has been reported that Green was hired by a man at Diamond who wanted to be taken to Soesdyke, EBD to pick up another passenger.

Reports are that when Green arrived at Latchman Sand Road, Soesdyke, EBD, the other person posing as a passenger approached him and whipped out a handgun.

Police say both men held the driver at gunpoint and relived him of his valuables.

Green was robbed of an un-

disclosed amount of cash, a cellular phone, and his silver grey 2012 model Premio motor car, PWW 1790. After the robbery, the matter was reported to the Police, and an investigation was launched.

Earlier this month, a taxi driver was held at both knife and gunpoint by two persons who pretended to be passengers, and was robbed of his motor car at East Street, Georgetown.

The 65-year-old victim of that robbery, a resident of Fifth Street Alberttown, Georgetown, reportedly told Police that he had picked up three men on the day in question along East Street, Georgetown, in the vicinity of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation

(GPHC) at around 13:30h, and they had asked to be taken to Mercy Wings at Sophia, Greater Georgetown.

Guyana Times understands that while in the vicinity of Mercy Wings, one of the men who were in the back passengers’ seat whipped

out a knife, placed it to the victim’s neck, and demanded that he stop the vehicle.

As the vehicle came to a halt, the bandits demanded that he hand over the keys to the car.

The taxi driver reportedly tried to put up a resistance, but the suspect in the front passenger’s seat dealt him one blow to his face with a black handgun.

As a result, the taxi driver exited his vehicle and raised an alarm, but the suspects escaped with the victim’s car.

This victim was allegedly robbed of one silver-grey Premio motor car, HD 1777, valued at $3.3 million, along with one cell phone.

(G9)

NEWS

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THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2021|| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

“My mother died and left us with this gift” – tearful homeowner …as fire guts Herstelling house

Raphael Mohamed, the owner of the house that was destroyed

The First Street, Herstelling Housing Scheme house on fire

R

aphael Mohamed, a weeder of Lot 2 First Street, Herstelling Housing Scheme, could not hold back his tears on Wednesday afternoon, as he watched his family’s one-storey concrete home go up in flames, leaving six persons homeless.

When Guyana Times arrived at the scene, the house was completely destroyed.

Mohamed said the family had been living at the house for the past 20 years.

“Me ah vibrate and I getting cold sweat… honestly like I can’t take it anymore.

This is too much for me if I tell you the honest truth,” the distressed man related.

Mohamed strongly believes that his brother, who is an alcoholic, is responsi-

Maureen Harvey, the woman who first saw the fire

ble for the fire. He recalled that earlier in the day, his brother had threatened him.

“This morning [Wednesday] we had an argument and he told me that I would not live to inherit this

Crying taxi driver...

FROM PAGE 8

Prosecutor Baig asked the court to consider the fact that Pooran had taken away the child’s innocence, and also to consider the psychological effects the incident has had on her.

Pooran’s lawyer Euclin Gomes, on the other hand, asked the court to temper justice with mercy. The lawyer pointed out that his client is a first-time offender whose reputed wife is expecting their first child.

The convicted rapist cried uncontrollably. When asked by the judge if he had anything to say before sentence was passed, Pooran begged for leniency while maintaining his innocence.

“I’m very sorry, I’m very sorry,” Pooran cried as he pleaded for mercy. He went on to tell the court that he is the sole breadwinner for his family, and that he is tasked with caring for his elderly parents: his father, who is differently-abled, and his mother, who is described as being “sickly.”

Breached position of trust

For her part, Justice Barlow, in arriving at the appropriate sentence for the sex offender, considered the submissions made by the prosecutor. The judge also noted the victim’s age and the manner in which Pooran had committed the offence. In doing so, she reminded that he had locked the minor in his house and had ensured that she had no way of escaping. According to Justice Barlow, the taxi driver had breached a position of trust, since persons would entrust him to transport their children to and from school.

In the end, the Judge noted that there were no mitigating factors in favour of the convict. As such, she imposed the 21-year prison term on him, and ordered that he undergo counselling for sex offenders.

This trial was heard at the High Court in Demerara.

house, so I told him ‘me not going to worry with you’. He walk up the road and come back with a big bottle of gas… he carry it inside and put it in the house…I went and find out from the people why he bring this gas… all them time he in deh in here nothing like this never happened,” the man explained.

Mohamed said after his brother’s threat’ he ignored him and left to go to a shop.

However, sometime later, he received a phone call informing him that the house was on fire.

Residents watch as the house burns to ashes

“By the time I left to go and upgrade my phone’ this is what I had to come and meet. This is the call that I get to come quick and get my key to bring out my car from the yard... everything burn up inside of there. Only yesterday I put $50,000 in there to save and that burn up too, this trip me out now.

“I have nothing more in this life left just the clothes that I got on. My mother died and left us with this gift and now this,” the tear-

ful man explained.

Maureen Harvey, Mohamed’s neighbour who first saw the fire and alerted persons in the community, said that she had just awakened and went to call for one of the occupants of the home when she saw the flames.

“I got up and call for them, because I cooked for them and when l look, I see the fire coming from out from the second room by the window and I start screaming to bring out the neighbours.

I don’t know who start the fire, I don’t know how the fire start, but it started from “Bald Head” room,” she said.

According to Mohamed, his brother, who allegedly started the fire, occupied the second room in the house.

He said his brother had been an alcoholic for years and would usually get into fights with him over the property.

No one was injured in the blaze, and an investigation has been launched.

(LaWanda McAllister)

12 NEWS

THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Man admits to killing lover’s reputed husband Counsel Tyra Bakker.

According to reports, Turpin and Johnson had parented a child and had lived together at Chapel Street, Lodge, Georgetown. It has been reported that Johnson arrived home on July 2, 2016 and found Turpin in bed with

Barlow. The heated argument that ensued between the parties escalated into a fight, during which Turpin and Barlow reportedly dealt Johnson several stabs about his body with a knife. They also lashed the man with pieces of wood and a crowbar.

Following the beating, Johnson was hospitalised while Turpin and Barlow were charged with attempted murder. However, after Johnson succumbed to his injuries, the charge against Turpin and Barlow was upgraded to murder.

Both of these accused had reportedly given cautionary statements detailing their roles in the incident. Turpin is still awaiting trial for the offence. Her case is expected to be called again at the April session of the Demerara Criminal Assizes.

Essequibo Coast ranger found dead in home Confessed killer: Sterfon Barlow

S

terfon Barlow on Wednesday pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter, thereby admitting that on July 2, 2016, he unlawfully killed Sherwin Johnson, his lover’s reputed husband.

Last month, Barlow and his lover Alexis Turpin went on trial for Johnson’s murder.

That trial ended in a hung jury. Accordingly, Justice

D

eodat Persaud, a 50-year-old ranger attached to the Queenstown Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) and of Anna Regina Housing Scheme, died mysteriously at some time between Saturday and Tuesday.

His death has left his family members in shock at their Columbia Village home.

“For the past three days Persaud didn’t report to

Murder accused: Alexis Turpin

Brassington Reynolds had ordered a retrial for both of them.

Barlow has now opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter. He will return to court on April 14 for sentencing, which will be imposed after a probation report on him is presented to the court.

Barlow is being represented by defence Attorney Clyde Forde, while the prosecution is being represented by State

Dead: Deodat Persaud

work, and we have (been) constantly calling his cell phone, but all the calls were missed,” a co-worker from the NDC has said.

Enquiries disclosed that Persaud, who had lived alone, had been suffering from epilepsy. His nephew Mohindra Persaud has said he would usually check on his uncle on a weekly basis.

He said that on Tuesday he went on his routine visit at about 15:40h, and found his

uncle lying motionless on the floor.

The late Deodat Persaud’s neighbour has said she had last seen him on Saturday morning.

The Police have since examined his body, but have found no marks of violence.

The body was taken to the Suddie Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. A post-mortem examination is to be done to determine the cause of his death.

Verdict looms for accused in Kaneville robbery-murder case J ustice Navindra Singh will this morning sum up the evidence in the trial of 24-year-old Rayan Carter, the accused in the murder of 30-year-old machine operator Ishwar Ramanah of Kaneville, East Bank Demerara (EBD), who was shot when gunmen invaded his home on December 13, 2017.

The charge against Carter states that between December 13, 2017 and January 13, 2018, in the county of Demerara, he murdered Ramanah during a robbery. Carter has pleaded not guilty to the indictment presented against him

by Prosecutor Tiffini Lyken.

It has been reported that Ramanah sustained a gunshot injury to his abdomen when two armed men invaded his home just after midnight on December 13, 2017.

During the robbery, the machine operator was relieved of a gold chain valued at $40,000 before the bandits made good their escape.

Murder accused: Rayan Carter

Dead: Ishwar Ramanah

Police were, however, able to recover a spent shell casing at the crime scene.

The injured man had been taken for emergency attention at a medical facility, and had undergone surgery, but succumbed one month later while receiving treatment at the Georgetown Public Hospital on January 13, 2018.

Carter was subsequently arrested by Police ranks and placed on an identification parade, where he reportedly was positively identified.

Following the close of the prosecution’s case on Tuesday, Carter opted to give an unsworn statement in his defence. He insisted that he does not know about the crime. In fact, the murder accused told the court that at the time when gunmen had gone into Ramanah’s home, he was at his girlfriend’s mother’s home.

“I don’t know anything about this murder. I read [about it] in the newspapers,” Carter said in his statement.

Carter claimed that he learned of his involvement in the crime only when he was charged and served with statements. According

to him, on several occasions Police had gone to his mother’s house, looking for him.

He testified that his mother turned him over to the Police.

“Me mother tell the Police that she bring me in because she does not want them to kill me,” Carter added. He said that Police returned to his mother’s house on January 17, 2018, arrested him and escorted him to the Golden Grove Police Station, EBD. He added, “Them [the Police] never tell me what they arrested me for. They had me for nine days in the lock-ups. Them bring something for me to sign, but me ain’t sign it because it had the wrong name.”

According to the murder accused, on January 19, 2018 he was placed on an identification parade. He claimed that the other men on the ID parade were not of height, race, complexion and body structure similar to his. “That is why I told my mother to get a lawyer for them to do over the ID parade,” he explained.

But by then, Carter stated, it was too late, because he was already charged and placed before the court. (G1)

NEWS

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THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

US conducts medical training in Region 1 T

Some of the persons at the medical training in Port Kaituma, Region One (Barima-Waini)

Essequibo Coast youths told of important role in development …urged to take up agriculture

Residents of Zorg Village, Essequibo Coast at the Youth Forum

R

egion Two Chairperson Vilma De Silva has told a gathering of youths at Zorg Village, Essequibo Coast that they have an important role to play in society in the region’s developmental process.

During a Youth Initiative Forum held at the Zorg playground on Monday, De Silva urged youths to grasp opportunities in the agriculture sector, and not to look at the sector in a negative manner.

She explained that a farmer is an entrepreneur, and can work at his or her own pace.

She also said that Government, through the Agriculture Ministry, is currently building an agro-processing facility to cater for value-added products. Further, she said there would be full cooperation from the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) towards the enhancement projects at Zorg.

Tourism

Speaking on tourism within Region Two, she said proper garbage disposal is a major challenge to the region’s tourism product.

Residents and the business community, she noted, must properly dispose of their garbage, and even minibus operators should always have garbage bags in their vehicles to facilitate passengers disposing of their refuse.

Because those measures are not being implemented, she noted, some delinquent persons throw their trash through the windows of minibuses and onto the roadway.

During the Forum, youths were offered opportunity to express their concerns, which led to a discussion on improving the village of Zorg by planting fruit trees along the parapet, placing benches under the trees, and painting the benches. The youths suggested the need for a seedling nursery, washroom facilities, and a structure for indoor games.

Noise nuisance, street lights

The issue of noise nuisance was also discussed at the Forum. Residents have since called for proper enforcement of control mechanisms to temper the level of noise nuisance in the village.

Additionally, the issue of the lack of lighting in the community was raised.

Among the officials who attended the Forum were Regional Executive Officer (REO) Daveanand Ramdatt; Regional Health Officer Dr. Ranjeev Singh, Regional Commander Crystal Robinson, members of the Essequibo Technical Institute, officials from the Education Department, and personnel from the Board of Industrial Training.

he United States E m b a s s y ’ s Humanitarian Assistance Program (HAP) Team has conducted a medical training with members of the Ministry of Health at Port Kaituma, Region One (Barima-Waini).

The team trained hospital personnel, teachers, local volunteers, Police officers, and members of the Guyana Defence Force in basic trauma care, preventative medicine, women’s health, sex education, and veterinary medicine.

The persons conducting the training were medical professionals from the Global Medical and Surgical Support Group Corps, one medical specialist from the US HAP team, one US veterinarian specialist, and one preventative medicine specialist.

Along with training, the team made assessments for future US-interagency deliveries of medical supplies for those areas in need.

In her remarks, US Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch, praised the community participation and cooperation that made the largest medical training of the HAP team possible in Port Kaituma.

“The continued partnership between the U.S. Embassy and Guyana is critical in order to address, alongside the people of Region One, communi-

US Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch interacting with medical personnel in Region One

ty needs in health, security, and prosperity. The United States is honoured to work with the people of Region

One, hand in hand, with a goal of prosperity for all,” the Ambassador said.

14 NEWS

THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Budget tax exemption measures

Finance Minister warns unscrupulous businesses illegally charging VAT

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inance Minister Dr Ashni Singh has issued a stern warning to unscrupulous businesses which have been charging 14 per cent Value Added tax (VAT) on items from which the tax has been removed or reduced as part of the Budget 2021 relief measures.

In issuing the warning on Wednesday, Dr Singh said that should these businesses continue to flout the law, they will face the full force of the law, as this illegal practice is denying consumers the right to ultimately enjoy reduced prices on various commodities, including construction materials.

Dr Singh reminded that when the last Budget was passed in the National Assembly on March 4, 2021, it had outlined a number of measures, including the zero-rating or reduction of VAT or duty previously charged on a number of commodities. He said in a statement that, consequently, Order Number 6 of 2021 of the VAT Act Cap.81:05 of the Laws of Guyana came into effect immediately for VAT zero-rating of certain

construction materials, namely stone imported for construction and housing from Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries; locally produced pre-stressed concrete piles, and locally fabricated mild steel beams for building construction; and locally manufactured roofing and PVC products for building construction.

Import duty on industrial grade cement was also reduced from 15 percent to five percent.

Additionally, the VAT zero-rate was also restored to basic food items and household necessities that were previously zero-rated up to May 2015 but switched to ‘standard-rate’ or ‘exempt’ over the past five years, e.g., basic wheaten flour, basic breads, oats, unflavoured cracker biscuits, cooking oil, locally produced bed sheets and pillowcases, and toothbrushes.

In his statement, Singh also reminded that, prior to this, an emergency Budget was passed in Parliament on September 25, 2020. This Budget also stipulated the VAT zero rate, or removal of VAT, on other commodities, including the overall re-

Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh

moval of VAT on electricity and water. Therefore, since then, VAT would have also

been removed from hinterland travel and cell phones, as well as building and con-

struction materials.

He recalled that all of these measures were intended to benefit consumers and ease the expense aligned to these previously burdensome tax measures, and with their removal or reduction, the expectation was that it would have ultimately allowed for the reduction in the cost of living of Guyanese generally.

“It has come to my attention, through various reports from members of the public, that a number of hardware stores have since refused to comply, and are still unscrupulous-

ly charging VAT on several items,” the Minister said.

Singh declared that he is therefore warning such establishments that this illegality would not be tolerated. As such, he pointed out that he has already instructed the relevant agency - the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) - to ensure that countrywide checks are made to enforce compliance.

Additionally, Singh warned that businesses found flouting the laws and continuing to deprive consumers and customers of these benefits would be dealt with according to law.

Accused fraudster slapped with 3 more charges

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icah Sonaram of Flying Fish Street, North Ruimveldt, Georgetown has appeared once again in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

The 24-year-old man appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan and was not required to plea to three counts of fraudulent conversion.

The first charge stated that between November

19, 2020 and December 29, 2020, at Georgetown, being solely entrusted by Mohamed Ahmad, he fraudulently converted $3.5M obtained from Mohamed Ahmad to purchase a motor vehicle, knowing same to be false.

It has also been alleged that between November 29 and January 2, 2021, at Georgetown, being solely entrusted by Mohamed Ahmad, he fraudulently converted $3M obtained from Mohamed Ahmad to purchase an excavator, knowing same to be false.

It has further been alleged that between December 2, 2020 and December 11, 2020, at Georgetown, being solely entrusted by Mohamed Ahmad, he fraudulently converted $2M obtained from Mohamed Ahmad to purchase an excavator, knowing same to be false.

Sonaram was represented by Attorney-at-Law Latchmie Rahaman, who told the court that her client

Accused fraudster Micah Sonaram

has no conviction, but he is before the court for a pending matter similar in nature - for which he has been granted bail.

Rahaman, in her bail application, said her client would attend court and abide by any condition attached to reasonable bail.

Meanwhile, the prosecutor informed the court that Sonaram is known to the Police. He added that the defendant was charged in 2017 for fraud-related offences, and currently has three counts of fraudulent conversion before the Court.

He further submitted that the accused fraudster is the owner of a registered business called “Parts Zone Gy”, which claims to import and sell refurbished machines.

He told the court that the virtual complainant (VC) visited the business and made arrangements for the purchase of two excavators and a skid-steer loader. He further made a down-payment of $8.5M via two local banks for the purchase.

The virtual complainant was subsequently issued a receipt and told by Sonaram that his items would arrive in 30 days. The prosecutor said that after making contact with Sonaram several times and not receiving his

items, the VC made a report to the Police. To date, he has not received the items.

Nevertheless, the prosecutor did not object to bail, but asked that Sonaram be made to lodge his passport with the court and report to the Criminal Investigation Department weekly.

Magistrate McLennan placed the accused fraudster on $20,000 bail on each charge, and ordered that the conditions suggested by the prosecutor be applicable.

The matter will be called again on March 31.

Sonaram was previously placed on $300,000 bail on a similar charge which is currently before the court. It is alleged that he swindled $11.4M from two other persons.

Sonaram pleaded not guilty to the charges, which stated that between October 24, 2020, and January 21, 2021, at Georgetown, he received $3,744,000 from Clive Jordan to purchase and deliver an excavator, a Honda ATV and excavator parts, but failed to do so, and instead converted the money to his own use and benefit.

It was also alleged that between November 3rd, 2020 and January 12, 2021, at Georgetown, he received $7,700,000 from June Ann Daniels to purchase and deliver an excavator, but instead failed to do so and converted the money to his own use and benefit.

Following his not-guilty pleas, Magistrate Isaacs had granted Sonaram bail in the sum of $150,000 on each charge, and had ordered him to return to court on March 15th, when the matter would be called again.

Further, in 2017, Sonaram was brought before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, who read three fraud charges to him which involved minors.

Sonaram was granted $150,000 bail. (G15)

NEWS

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THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Hunter Street project to be accelerated P

ublic Works Minister Juan Edghill has called for the timely completion of the Hunter Street project – which has been marred by a number of delays since its inception in 2019.

During a visit to the project site on Wednesday, he explained that the goal was to have the road completed in a timely manner. He added that the road, once completed, would be joined to the Mandela Avenue four-lane highway, which is currently under construction.

“We had to get an agreement of how we proceed on where HUNTER STREET ends and the four-way highway ends… the intent is to get the traffic flowing,” the

Minister related.

Further, the Public Works Minister urged the contractor responsible for the project to utilise the traffic- free roads during the Easter weekend to accomplish as much work as possible.

“We want to do our work when there is least social impact,” he added.

The works slated for the holiday weekends, according to the Minister, include drainage among other intrusive activities.

In addition, he explained that the project was currently at the crusher run stage – that is lining the road with crushed rock and stone dust.

Meanwhile, the Minister posited that works would be

able to continue, as all issues would have been resolved during his walkabout.

“The contractors are cooperating, they understand what we are doing, they are giving their support… but we had issues that needed to be sorted,” he explained.

The initial $86.6 million contract was awarded to Surrey Paving and Ideal Engineering in May 2019 and was scheduled to conclude in December 2019.

However, the contract was terminated after the contractor received several extensions, but no work was done.

The contract was then awarded to Vieira 66 Logistics in December 2020 to complete the job. (G15)

Hunter Street, Georgetown as of Wednesday

New chest clinic at Port Mourant Hospital commissioned

The newly-commissioned chest clinic at the Port Mourant Hospital

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s Guyana joined the rest of the world in observing World Tuberculosis (TB) Day, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) commissioned a new chest clinic at the Port Mourant Hospital.

World Tuberculosis Day is observed on March 24.

The new clinic is part of the National Tuberculosis Programme. The building and furnishings for the new clinic cost $4.8 million under the 2021 National

Budget.

The clinic is the third such in the region with similar clinics at the Skeldon and New Amsterdam Hospitals. Currently, there are 20 such clinics across the country.

Tuberculosis, commonly called TB, is considered a very deadly disease with more than 4000 persons losing their lives to the disease and some 28,000 to 30,000 becoming infected on a daily basis worldwide.

Since the year 2000, 58 million people worldwide have lost their lives to the disease.

At present, Region Six has 36 active cases of TB. Regional Health Officer, Dr Vishalya Sharma at the commissioning of the building said that the TB cases in the region were worrying, because five weeks ago, the regional figure stood at eight.

Dr Sharma noted that these figures were import-

ant to take notice of since Guyana, like the rest of the world, is battling the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It is important that we place emphasis not just on the COVID-19 pandemic but all other infectious diseases.

The outcome of this COVID with TB is anticipated to be worst for those persons with underlying conditions.

Region Six also, as of today, we have 45 active cases of COVID,” Dr Sharma said.

Dr Sharma added that the Regional Health Service was committed to working along with the National Tuberculosis Programme.

Globally, there is a successful treatment rate of over 70 per cent. However, in Region Six, the success-

ful treatment rate is below 70 per cent.

Meanwhile, Head of the National Tuberculosis Programme, Dr Jeetendra Mohanlall explained that the Port Mourant clinic was the third of its kind in the region and the 20th in the country.

He further explained that like the clinics at New Amsterdam and Skeldon, the Port Mourant facility would also cater for persons with other lung infections.

“This clinic was in the making for a number of years,” he said at the simple commissioning ceremony.

World Tuberculosis Day is observed annually on the anniversary of the date the disease was discovered. (G4)

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THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Execution-style killing

Projects aimed at “Paper Shorts” died from improving water quality multiple gunshot wounds – PME in Region 1 completed

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post-mortem examination conducted on the body of Ricardo Fagundes, called “Paper Shorts”, of Sandy Babb Street, Georgetown, who was executed outside a popular nightspot on Main Street, Georgetown on Sunday, has determined that he died from multiple gunshot injuries.

The autopsy was conducted by Dr Nehaul Singh on Wednesday at the Georgetown Public Hospital after the body was positively identified by the moth-

phone call.

Reports are the man was partying with a group of friends at the bar when his phone rang and he exited the club to take the call, but soon after, several gunshots were heard. Reports are that the now dead man’s friends rushed out to enquire, but found Fagundes lying motionless in a pool of blood close to his motor car.

Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) arrived shortly after the shooting and pronounced Fagundes dead. Following the inci-

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Dead: Ricardo Fagundes

Investigators have not confirmed if it was the same car but based on CCTV footage, the car was of the same model as the one seen outside the nightspot, in which the killer escaped following the shooting.

Fagundes was no stranger to the law.

In 2017, Fagundes, a former employee of embattled gold dealer Saddiqi The white wagon that was found on fire at Swan, Linden-Soesdyke Highway “Bobby” Rasul, was arrested er of the dead man, Carol dent, Police recovered at several times by the Special least 15 spent shells from Organised Fagundes.

Crime Unit Police said three metal a high-powered rifle at the (SOCU) for questioning into fragments were retrieved scene. a massive money-launderLess than 24 hours after ing scheme. from the body during the the shooting incident, Police post-mortem.

It was reported that The 42-year-old gold found a white wagon, which during raids by SOCU, a dealer was shot dead on is suspected to have been number of vehicles, boats, Sunday evening after he ex- used by the killer, on fire and several high-profile ited the nightspot on Main at Swan, Linden-Soesdyke weapons and ammunition Street, after receiving a Highway. were seized. (G9)

Certification of products ensures conformance to standards – GNBS

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he Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) on Tuesday certified fibreglass bathtub and shower units manufactured by Fibre Tech Industrial Plastics (FTIP).

These locally-manufactured products are now, for the first time, certified under the standards body’s Product Certification Programme after they were found to be in conformance with requirements of the Guyana Standard for plastic bathtub and shower units (GYS 557:2020).

The certificate, which is valid for one year, was presented by Head of the Certification Department, Al Donavon Fraser to FTIP Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Amrita Panday at the company’s Triumph, East Coast Demerara location.

During the handing-over ceremony, Fraser stated that the certification of products ensured conformance to standards and provided assurance of quality to consumers. In addition, he lauded FTIP for being the first to certify such products and encouraged more companies to certify their products.

Meanwhile, FTIP

Managing Director Somat Ali said that the company would now be confidently able to export its fibreglass products to countries in the Caricom Region and beyond.

In addition, he said with increased local business from the oil and gas sector and the boom in construction, it is ideal for local manufacturers to have their products certified.

number of projects aimed at improving water quality in Region One (Barima-Waini) have been completed, while further upgrades have commenced as the Housing and Water Ministry continues on its mission to bridge the gap between hinterland and coastal communities.

Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal on Sunday visited two Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) pump stations that are located in Region One (Barima-Waini). During his visit, he expressed satisfaction with the works that have been undertaken.

“I am happy to say that part of the work involves the widening of the area for the trapment area for the water from where it is pumped. For Wanaina and the Mabaruma central, that aspect of the work is complete, and that is the reservoir for the water to allow the pumping to take place, and to have a better quality of the water when being pumped,” the Minister explained.

He noted, too, that two electrical pumps will be installed.

“It is expected somewhere around the second week of April…to have them connected to the electrical system, the generating system for here in

Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal

Mabaruma.”

He explained that the pump installations will increase pumping hours from nine to 16 per day, and will reduce fuel expenses.

“This is one of the works that were done as part of the expansion, and the overhead tank serves as a reservoir to ensure that you have constant supply of water in the regional vicinity, the hospital, the various offices, state as well as regional offices…more importantly, for the hospital,” he said.

Prior to the installation of the pump in Mabaruma, the community was accessing water from rotting tanks, which hampered water distribution and sanitation. They were all replaced

with new plastic tanks.

“Overall, what we expect from Wanaina is, in the long term, that Wongna will further benefit. In this 2021 budget, they are among the many wells, but as priority will be the drilling of a well at Canhill as well as at Wongna”.

Croal added that works in Wanaina will be done in the latter half of this year.

He said this initiative is mostly for the residents in the Wongna community, because the Ministry has received numerous complaints from Wongna residents about the system.

He has assured residents of the Wongna community that they would receive the water service by the end of this year.

Linden man nabbed with gun after threatening to kill child’s mother

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47-year-old businessman of Block 22, Wismar, Linden was arrested with an illegal firearm on Tuesday after Police received information that he had threatened to kill his child’s mother.

Reports are that Police went to the man’s home around 18:00h, and upon their arrival, the suspect attempted to flee, but was apprehended.

A search was then The .32 silver and black Lorcin L390 pistol and ammunition that were conducted on his per- found son, but nothing was ammunition.

He is pres- rounds of matching ammufound, Police said, adding ently in custody pending nition during a search. that ranks then checked the Reports stated that charges. haversack he was carrying Just recently, a 26-year- ranks were on patrol duon his back, and a .32 silold man of Haslington, East ties in the area when they ver and black Lorcin L390 Coast Demerara (ECD), was observed the man sitting in pistol, with serial number taken into Police custody af- front of a shop.

243966 was found. The man As a result, the ranks apter he was caught with an was also found with a gun illegal firearm and match- proached him and conducted magazine which contained ing ammunition at the a search, during which the two rounds of .38 ammuniTiger Creek area, Puruni gun and ammunition were tion.

Road, Region Eight (Potaro- discovered stashed in a havHe was arrested and esersack he was carrying at Siparuni). corted to the Mackenzie It was revealed that the the time.

Police Station along with He was subsequently arman was found with a .32 the firearm, magazine and Taurus pistol and two live rested and charged.

NEWS

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THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Mother, baby deaths

Family continues protest for justice

MACORP commissions 390F L Hydraulic Excavator to Toolsie Persaud Quarries

Family and friends of the late Vanessa Lewis-Sahadeo protesting outside the New Amsterdam Hospital on Wednesday

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amily members and friends on Wednesday continued their protest for justice for the late Vanessa Lewis-Sahadeo, who along with her newborn baby died during childbirth last month.

After giving birth to her fourth child at the New Amsterdam Hospital on February 26, the 31-year-old woman was transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) in an unconscious state, and succumbed there a few hours later.

She was rushed to the city medical facility after reportedly developing complications at the New Amsterdam Hospital, where the newborn baby had died.

Family members have since been alleging that the woman’s death is more than an accident, and they have been calling for tougher penalties to be meted out against the three medical professionals who have since been found to have been negligent.

The two nurses have been suspended, while the doctor has reportedly returned to Cuba, but family members say they will continue to protest until they get justice.

“This is murder… mur-

derers don’t get suspended, it has manslaughter or murder charge,” the woman’s father, Eric Lewis, had previously expressed.

Meanwhile, the dead infant’s father, Mathews Gangapersaud, has joined his in-laws on the protest line, saying he needs answers. He says he is of the view that there is a cover-up.

The former Mayor of Rose Hall Town, Vijay Kumar Ramo, and Education Officer Denishwar Jaipersaud have joined the protest in solidarity on Wednesday. Jaipersaud, in his capacity as a resident of Port Mourant, a village in the community, spoke to the media about the activity.

“This is not a political activity; this is just on a humanitarian ground, whereby this could have been anybody’s wife or daughter, or anybody’s granddaughter. What we want is that the items belonging to the young lady be returned to the family. We were told that these items contain a lot of information that will bring closure to the entire scenario,” Jaipersaud explained.

Former Mayor Vijay Kumar Ramo, who also lives at Williamsburg, has said he

is in solidarity with the Lewis family.

Father of the dead lady, Eric Lewis, who on Monday said they are demanding that his daughter’s phone be handed over to them, has said they returned to the streets because they have received more information that supports their claim of a cover-up.

He said the family went to the Port Mourant Hospital to uplift his daughter’s clinic card, and was told that someone from the New Amsterdam Hospital collected it, and it cannot now be located.

He also noted that there was a promise from the Health Department to provide counselling for the three children who have been refusing to eat. Lewis said there was only a one-hour session with the children.

“Nobody ever come back since then,” he noted.

Meanwhile, Claris CecilLewis has said they will continue protesting until they get justice for the death of her daughter and granddaughter.

“We will go to Georgetown and we will go back to New Amsterdam. We will not stop until we get answers,” she told Guyana Times. (G4)

The 390F L Caterpillar Hydraulic Excavator which was commissioned

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ACORP has announced that it has commissioned a 390F L Caterpillar Hydraulic Excavator to Toolsie Persaud Quarries Inc, a subsidiary of Toolsie Persaud Limited, located on the left bank of the Essequibo River about 20 miles upstream of the town of Bartica.

This quarry is a producer and supplier of crushed stone, boulders, gabions and other quarry products for road building, sea defence, and other major construction projects in Guyana.

According to MACORP, the equipment is customised with Product Link, which is a part of the Vision Link system, and is geared to maximise time while reducing owning and operating costs through sophisticated and timely information on the equipment’s location, utilisa-

tion and condition.

The machine is also suitable for large mining operations, MACORP has said, adding that the 390F L Hydraulic Caterpillar Excavator is well equipped with state-of-the-art technology aimed at improving efficiency for its users.

The 390F L Caterpillar Hydraulic Excavator is built to keep production numbers optimised with a C18 ACERT engine for fuel efficiency, and reliability.

This deal further highlights the expansion of a business relationship between the two companies, MACORP has said on Wednesday, adding that this will be a major contributor to the strength of the local economy by bringing growth and innovation of modern technology, along with presenting opportunities for

Guyanese which will serve as a building block for the mining industry in Guyana.

MACORP and Toolsie Persaud Limited had already previously collaborated on various contractual agreements for purchasing of new equipment and the utilisation of rental equipment.

The deal was finalised during the first quarter of 2021.

In commissioning the excavator, Director of Toolsie Persaud Limited, Rajesh Persaud, commented that “MACORP continues to bring a high level of technology and innovation to Guyana, as has been its hallmark over the years. The Toolsie Persaud Group of Companies has enjoyed an excellent working relationship with MACORP since the early 90s, and looks forward to continuing in this trend”.

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THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2021

Regional

COVID-19: Brazil's daily deaths surpass 3000 for 1st time

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razil's daily COVID-19 death toll has passed 3000 for the first time as the virus continues its rapid spread, pushing hospitals close to collapse.

The country has reported 298,676 deaths linked to the virus since the start of the pandemic, with experts saying the situation is virtually out of control.

President Jair Bolsonaro, who has opposed lockdowns and criticised face masks, defended his actions on Tuesday.

Pot-banging protests were held in major cities during his televised address.

The far-right President – who repeatedly played down the virus, raised doubts about vaccines and defended unproven drugs as treatment – said he would make 2021 the year of vaccinations.

"Very soon we'll resume our normal lives," said the President, who has been under heavy criticism at home and abroad. Shortly before his four-minute speech, the Health Ministry reported that 3251 people had died

A COVID-19 patient is transferred to the Intensive Care Unit of Hospital São Paulo in São Paulo, Brazil, March 17, 2021 [Al Jazeera]

with the virus in the previous 24 hours.

Brazil has been struggling with the rollout of its vaccination programme, with 6.64 doses administered per 100 people, according to the Our World in Data tracker. Critics say the Bolsonaro Government was slow in negotiating supplies amid a worldwide run, leaving Brazil facing delays in receiving jabs.

The worsening of the Brazilian outbreak is also attributed to the spread of highly contagious variants

of the virus. States and cities have announced a number of measures in recent weeks to limit the movement of people in an attempt to slow contagion.

The President has argued that the collateral damage to the economy brought by restrictions would be worse than the effects of the virus itself, a view shared by many of his supporters.

But his attempt to stop local authorities from imposing them was blocked by the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Ex-FARC leader asks US Congress for help with peace deal

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ne of Colombia’s most notorious ex-rebel leaders has sent an open letter to the United States Congress to ask for help with the implementation of Colombia’s peace agreement.

Rodrigo Londoño, better known by his nom de guerre Timochenko, was a leader of the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a fighter group that waged a 50-year-long war against the Colombian Government.

He now heads a political party – Comunes – formed by the demobilised FARC under the 2016 peace deal, signed under the previous Government of Juan Manuel

Santos.

In the letter, Londoño highlights the continued killings of ex-fighters, social leaders and other issues halting peace implementation. He asks the US Congress to “again call on the Government of Colombia to make a final decision to implement the Peace Agreement in a comprehensive way” and “ to begin the promising process of developing our country to embrace lasting proposals to eradicate drug trafficking, modernise the territory, and protect life”.

Staunchly opposed to many aspects of the peace agreement – especially lenient punishments for ex-

FARC fighters – right-wing President Ivan Duque came to office in 2018. In a controversial, and unsuccessful move, he tried to amend key aspects of the deal in his first year.

After the 13,000 FARC fighters left their weapons and remote territories, other armed groups moved in and now vie for control of the profitable drug trafficking routes and carry out other illegal activities, such as gold mining. Some are controlled

by FARC dissidents, who opposed the peace deal, others by existing fighter group the Marxist National Liberation Army (ELN), and the rightwing Clan de Golfo drug cartel. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Guyanese merchant dies on court date in Barbados

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u s i n e s s m a n H a m e n a u t h Sarendranauth, who fought to get bail on COVID-19 charges, died on Monday – the day he was supposed to return to court.

And Queen’s Counsel Michael Lashley, who filed the urgent bail application to get the first-time offender out of prison after he fell gravely ill while on remand, said the sad turn of events should signal the need for a gentler approach in the uncharted waters of COVID-19.

Sarendranauth was at the centre of a family battle with prison authorities after, while on remand at HMP Dodds, he was moved

Hamenauth Sarendranauth

to

the

Queen

Elizabeth

Pope taps Chilean sex abuse whistle-blower for Vatican panel

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ope Francis has appointed a prominent Chilean survivor of clerical sex abuse to a Vatican commission that focuses on education to prevent abuse in the Roman Catholic Church.

Juan Carlos Cruz, an international advocate for abuse victims, was abused as a teenager in his native Chile by a notorious paedophile, Father Fernando Karadima.

“I am very grateful to Pope Francis for trusting me with this appointment.

I deeply appreciate it,” Cruz posted on Twitter.

“This renews my commitment to continue working to end the scourge of abuse and for so many sur-

vivors who still do not have justice.”

During the Pope’s trip to Chile in 2018, Cruz criticised Francis for defending a bishop whom Cruz and other victims accused of having witnessed Karadima abuse them and of covering up for him.

Days after returning to Rome, the Argentinian-born Pope, citing new information, ordered an investigation of the Church in Chile.

It produced a 2300-page report accusing Chile’s Bishops of “grave negligence” in investigating the allegations and said evidence of sex crimes had been destroyed.

Francis later that year received Cruz and other

victims of Karadima in the Vatican and demanded the resignation of all of Chile’s Bishops. Francis expelled Karadima, now 90, from the priesthood later in 2018.

The Pope and Cruz, who now lives in the United States, have since had regular contact to discuss sexual abuse in the church.

Most members of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors that Cruz has now joined are priests, nuns, academics, and psychologists.

Two past members of the commission, Marie Collins of Ireland and Peter Saunders of the United Kingdom, have expressed frustration that it is not doing enough.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

J

ing the total number of confirmed cases to 36,670 and the death toll to 545.

According to the Health

and Wellness Ministry, the latest fatalities are three males — a 70-yearold and 74-year-old from Kingston and St Andrew, and a 62-year-old from St Thomas.

Another death was reported as coincidental while one was reported under investigation.

Meanwhile, the new cases consist of 252 females and 187 males with ages ranging from two days to 96 years.

The cases were recorded in Kingston and St Andrew (117); Westmoreland (45); St Catherine (43); Manchester (41); St Thomas (36); Trelawny (30); Portland (27); St Elizabeth (26); St James (23); Clarendon (16); Hanover (15); St Ann (11) and St Mary (nine).

The country also recorded 128 recoveries, bringing the total number of recoveries to 16,618. (Jamaica Observer)

Jamaica records 439 new COVID cases, 3 deaths amaica recorded 439 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday and three additional deaths, bring-

T&T Government to work with businesses in vaccine drive

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he Government will engage the Private Sector in its search for viable vaccines outside the COVAX facility for Trinidad and Tobago.

The decision comes after a brief blow-up between the State and conglomerate ANSA McAL over a misunderstanding on whether the Government could fund the US$8.4 million purchase of 351,000 vaccines from Pfizer or needed ANSA McAL to step in to make the purchase.

While ANSA McAL Group CEO Anthony N Sabga III believed the Government had requested his company’s intervention as the State was un-

Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh

able to amass the US$8.4 million at short notice, both Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh and Prime

Minister Dr Keith Rowley denied the State needed any financial assistance to buy vaccines.

Hospital (QEH) unknown to his family, who found out two weeks later. His plight ignited public debate over the treatment of those who breached the COVID-19 directives, as Sarendranauth was initially remanded for a month pending sentencing.

On February 17, the Guyanese businessman, who operated in Barbados for more than 20 years, pleaded guilty to contravening the Emergency Management COVID-19 Protocols Special Curfew No 3 Directive 2021, by being the owner of a non-essential service, failing to remain closed on February 14 and February 16. (Nation News)

On Monday, however, Deyalsingh said Government had decided to work with not only ANSA McAL but the Supermarket Association of T&T on securing vaccines for the country.

“I am pleased to say that Mr Anthony Sabga III of ANSA and Mr Rajiv Diptee of SATT (Supermarket Association of T&T) and myself have decided to be forward-looking. In this vein, we will be working together to procure safe WHO-approved vaccines for T&T if available to the Private Sector. We assure the public that if and when there is a viable outcome, we will alert the public,” Deyalsingh said.

In a two-page internal statement to employees on Monday, Sabga had noted that the conglomerate also negotiated the purchase of one million vaccines. While Sabga did not state who the manufacturer was, Deyalsingh said ANSA McAL had negotiated the purchase from the Indianbased manufacturer Serum Institute of India (SII), which manufactures the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine now being used globally.

The same vaccine, under the Covishield banner, has been donated by India to several countries as part of its “vaccine Maitri” drive.

(Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2021

19

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS Oil bounces back as US supply report hints at demand revival

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il surged the most since November as signs of stronger gasoline demand in the United States eased concerns around the global economic recovery from the pandemic.

Futures in New York jumped 5.9 per cent on Wednesday, just about erasing the prior session’s price plunge that pushed futures to the lowest since early February. A US inventory report showed domestic fuel consumption is at the highest in four months and Gulf Coast refiners are increasing their appetite for crude. Meanwhile, work to re-float a giant vessel that’s blocking the Suez Canal is suspended until Thursday, complicating efforts to get traffic moving again in one of the world’s most important waterways.

“The market was due for a correction, but we’ve had it and now it’s over,” said Bill O’Grady, executive Vice President at Confluence Investment Management in St Louis. “The short-run outlook is looking better. More vaccines in arms and more people able to get around is all good news.”

Oil prices have been on a volatile ride over the past week amid signs of softening physical demand, renewed pandemic-related lockdowns in Europe and the unwinding of long positions. Key timespreads briefly flipped into contango earlier this week, a market structure signalling oversupply.

The recent weakness has called into question the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries-Plus (OPEC+) alliance’s next move. The group agreed to extended supply curbs into April and are likely to maintain output targets for another month with Saudi Arabia possibly cutting even deeper, according to industry consultant FGE. The producer alliance will meet next week. (Excerpt from Bloomberg)

Myanmar military frees hundreds of detained protesters, child victim buried

M

yanmar’s ruling junta on Wednesday freed hundreds of people arrested in its crackdown on protests against the overthrow of the elected Government, while businesses in Yangon were shut and streets deserted in a strike called by anti-coup activists.

Several buses full of prisoners drove out of Yangon’s Insein Prison in the morning, lawyers and other witnesses said. There was no word from authorities on how many prisoners were freed. A spokesman for the military did not answer calls.

“All the released are the ones arrested due to the protests, as well as night arrests or those who were out to buy something,” said

F

ern region Xinjiang region of China and those targeted are currently living in places including Turkey, the United States, Australia and Canada.

"This activity had the hallmarks of a well-resourced and persistent operation, while obfuscating who's behind it," Facebook's Mike Dvilyanski, head of cyber espionage investigations, and Nathaniel Gleicher, head of security policy, said in a blog post.

Facebook said it removed accounts – which totalled fewer than 100 – it found to have been created by the hackers, a group known as Earth Empusa or Evil Eye.

I

ndia has placed a temporary hold on all exports of the OxfordAstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine, Foreign Ministry sources have told the BBC. They said rising cases meant domestic demand was expected to pick up in the coming weeks, and so

It believes fewer than 500 accounts were targeted.

Facebook says some of the ways the group infected devices included: creating fake Uighur-themed apps for the Android app store, including a prayer app and a dictionary app; posing on Facebook as Journalists, students, human rights advocates or members of the Uighur community, building trust and tricking them into clicking on malicious links and creating look-alike websites for popular Uighur and Turkish news websites The Chinese Embassy in Washington has yet to comment. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Egypt's Suez Canal blocked by huge container ship

A

giant container ship the length of four football pitches has become wedged across Egypt's Suez Canal, blocking one of the world's busiest trade routes.

Dozens of vessels are stuck, waiting for rescue boats to free the 400metre-long (1312ft) ship, which was knocked off course by strong winds.

Egypt has reopened the canal's older channel to divert some traffic until the grounded ship can move

again.

The blockage sent oil prices climbing on international markets.

About 12 per cent of global trade passes through the Suez Canal, which connects the Mediterranean to the Red Sea and provides the shortest sea link between Asia and Europe.

The Ever Given, registered in Panama and operated by the shipping company Evergreen, was bound for the port city of Rotterdam in the Netherlands from China

as saying the Judge had dropped the charges.

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) activist group says at least 2000 people have been arrested in the military crackdown

the doses were needed for India's own rollout.

The move – described as a "temporary squeeze" by officials – is expected to affect supplies until the end of April.

Some 190 countries under the COVAX scheme are likely to be affected.

The scheme, which is led by the World Health Organisation (WHO), aims to ensure vaccines are shared fairly among all nations.

India's largest vaccine manufacturer, the Serum

Institute of India (SII), has delayed shipments of the AstraZeneca jab to several countries in recent days, including the UK and Brazil.

India has exported more than 60 million vaccine doses to 76 countries so far, with the majority of these being the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab.

The decision comes as India faces a surge in coronavirus cases. On Wednesday, it recorded its sharpest daily rise this year, with more than 47,000 new cases and 275 deaths.

It is opening up vaccina-

tions for those over the age of 45 from April 1, and officials expect demand for vaccinations to increase. "[The export hold] is a temporary measure.

Domestic demand will have to take precedence," one Foreign Ministry source told the BBC's Soutik Biswas.

They said there was likely to be a squeeze on vaccine supplies until April, but the situation could ease come May when at least one additional vaccine is expected to be given emergency approval. (Excerpt from BBC News)

It was not clear what prompted the junta to release the detainees, although it has faced repeated calls from foreign Governments and organisations to do so

Coronavirus: India temporarily halts Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine exports

Facebook removes accounts of “Chinabased hackers” targeting Uighurs acebook has removed a group of Chinabased hackers it says targeted members of the Uighur community living abroad.

It said hackers used malicious websites and apps to infect devices and allow for remote surveillance, with Journalists and activists targeted.

A majority of the cyberattacks didn't happen directly on Facebook but used the social media platform to share links to infected sites.

This is not the first time hackers have been accused of such activity.

The Uighurs are originally from the north-west-

a member of a legal advisory group who said he saw about 15 buses leaving.

Among those freed was Thein Zaw, a Journalist for The Associated Press who was arrested last month, AP reported, quoting him

on protests that broke out following the coup on February 1.

It was not clear what prompted the junta to release the detainees, although it has faced repeated calls from foreign Governments and organisations to do so.

In New York, the United Nations’ spokesman noted the reports of the releases, but said it was still concerned about continuing arbitrary arrests.

Farhan Haq also called for the release of all detainees, including the deposed President U Win Myint and Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the civilian Government and Myanmar’s most popular political figure. (Excerpt from Reuters)

and was passing northwards through the canal on its way to the Mediterranean.

The 200,000 tonne ship, built in 2018 and operated

by Taiwanese transport company Evergreen Marine, ran aground and became lodged sideways across the waterway at about 07:40 local time (05:40 GMT) on Tuesday.

At 400m long and 59m wide, the ship has blocked the path of other vessels which are now trapped in lines in both directions.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

US, EU to cooperate on hina dialogue, Russia challenge – statement

T

he United States and the European Union have agreed to relaunch a bilateral dialogue on China and work together to address Russia’s “challenging behaviour”, according to a joint statement on Wednesday.

US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken and the EU high representative for foreign affairs, Josep Borrell, “acknowledged a shared understanding that relations with China are multifaceted, comprising elements of cooperation, competition, and systemic rivalry”.

They will also cooperate on topics including reciprocity, economic issues, resilience, human rights, security, multilateralism, and climate change, the statement said.

“Secretary Blinken and High Representative Borrell confirmed that credible multi-party democracy, the protection of human rights and adherence to international law support the stability and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific,” the statement said.

“Both aim to cooperate

US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken and European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell hold a joint news conference in Brussels, Belgium, March 24, 2021

to promote secure, sustainable, free and open maritime supply routes and supply chains and look forward to deepening cooperation with like-minded partners where interests and approaches intersect.”

Blinken and Borrell also said they would address “Russia’s challenging behaviour, including its ongoing aggression against Ukraine and Georgia; hybrid threats, such as disinformation; interference in elector-

al processes; malicious cyber activities; and military posturing.”

During their meeting in Brussels, the two pledged to work together as well on the global distribution of safe and effective coronavirus vaccines, and to ensure they are prepared for future pandemics.

Among other issues, the two ministers discussed were cooperation on climate action, Iran, and Turkey.

(Reuters)

20

THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2021

guyanatimesgy.com

ARCHIE

Indulgence will tempt you. Before you overdo it, (March 21think about the possible April 19) consequences. You can have fun without going overboard or being obsessive. Focus on self-improvement.

ARIES

Attend a virtual networking event. The connections (April 20you make will yield plenty May 20) of suggestions that will help you rethink the best way to use your skills. It’s up to you to make the first move.

TAURUS

DILBERT

Rearrange your domesGEMINI (May 21- tic surroundings to suit your June 20) needs. Consider making a move if you’ve outgrown your space or it’s time to downsize. A change will give you the boost you need.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

Don’t lose sight of your dreams in the face of opposition. Satisfy your needs and follow the path that feels right.

Expect emotional manipulation if you get into a joint venture or share expenses with someone.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Do something because it interests you, not because someone is twisting your arm.

Personal growth will bring satisfaction and attract the attention of people who appreciate your individualism.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Refuse to let a change of plans frustrate or anger you.

Nurture a meaningful relationship, but don’t let anyone faze you. Be reasonable and diplomatic to avoid a pointless argument.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Hard work will pay off.

Reach out to someone who can provide you with pertinent suggestions. Don’t be lazy when it comes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Commit to taking better care of yourself.

PEANUTS

CALVIN AND HOBBES

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

SUDOKU

Indecisiveness will set in if you let your emotions run amok. Do what you must to find peace of mind. Putting up with something that brings you down or disrupts your life won’t help.

Look for opportunities SAGITTARIUS that allow you to use what (Nov. 23you already have. Sidestep Dec. 21) someone jealous or eager to make you look bad. Don’t let anyone interfere in your domestic or love life.

Don’t take a health risk CAPRICORN or jeopardize your relation(Dec. 22ship with loved ones. The Jan. 19) changes you want to make at home will be pricey if you don’t do your homework. Be mindful of your budget.

TUESDAY'S WORD - SECTILE

SOLUTION FOR TUESDAY'S PUZZLE

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

Concentrate on getting what you want. Keep at a distance anyone who is trying to tempt or mislead you.

It’s important to be true to yourself and your beliefs.

Put your energy where it counts.

Do your own thing, and PISCES avoid getting into a spat with (Feb. 20March 20) a friend or relative. Tidy up loose ends, and put changes in place that will give you greater freedom to follow your dreams, hopes and wishes.

THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2021

21

Boxing to get going with Olympic Qualifiers, World Juniors — no trouble with funding expected

By Jemima Holmes

T

he Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) is expected to be busy for the next few months as it plans to send off two teams to participate in international bouts. In April and May, a junior and a senior boxing team will be heading to Poland and Argentina respectively, to participate in the World Junior Boxing Championships and the Tokyo Olympic Boxing Qualifiers.

While funding is almost always an area of concern in most international trips, GBA President Steve Ninvalle is sure of the support this time around.

In a delicate COVID-19 climate, such travel can prove to be tricky in many ways, but international preparation is one of the most concerning.

GBA President Steve Ninvalle, explained the constraints that the local boxing association faced in trying to get boxers to train at a higher level.

“We would have wanted to explore the possibility of having our team train overseas in Cuba. That would have been our first choice, and then our second choice would have been Ecuador.

We are not able, at this point, to have that done, reasons being because of COVID. Cuba is not open.

The arrangements with Ecuador fell through, too.

We were looking at some other options, but time is not with us,” Ninvalle explained.

Ninvalle explained that he is quite confident in the training that the Olympic team received in Cuba last year, while sharing that it is a level playing field for the Caribbean competitors.

“Yes, of course,” Ninvalle answered the probe as to whether or not the quality of training in Cuba last year would transcend. “I think the mental preparation is there, but you also need to have physical preparation; it's something that goes hand in glove. It goes hand in hand, you’re mentally prepared and physically prepared. If you asked me last year, I think it's the best possible prepared

team that Guyana would have had in decades, but nevertheless, we knew what happened. We, of course, cannot sit on our laurels and say, ‘Well, all we tried last year, and we are trying this year’.”

He continued, “This situation is not unique to Guyana. All other Caribbean countries are actually having that issue. And not only Caribbean countries, but several other countries around the world. So, we would expect that the level of boxing at this qualifier, the standard of it would not be as high as it would be in the years gone by, because the basic fact that people are not getting to train, as it is.”

AIBA three-star coaches Terrence Poole and Sebert Blake will be tasked with getting the local boxers ready, and one area of concern for the GBA boss is the lack of crowd support.

“As it relates to games like the Olympics, that will have a reduced crowd participation that could lend to the level of competition not being as it would have been. You know that. Let's look at cricket or any other sport: when the crowd is there, that is like an injection of energy. I'm not saying that there will be no energy, but I think that there will be less energy.

“We’re just humans, and we like to have the crowd around. So, we don't know how much that is going to affect our boxers,” Ninvalle highlighted.

One aspect of preparation that will not affect the Guyanese contingent’s prospects is funding.

According to Ninvalle, he has no worries about getting costs in order.

Ninvalle assured, “We are quite confident of being able to be supported by the Government and by the Guyana Olympic Association in order to get these teams to the competition.”

The topic of funding circled to the need for support in event of a bounce-back for sport when the COVID-19 pandemic is under control. In this light, Ninvalle also asserted that he is sure there would be assistance afforded to himself and other

The male boxers who will represent Guyana at the Olympic Qualifiers, with the exception of Dennis Thomas (left)

associations.

The GBA boss posited, “Boxing has been hit very hard, the sporting fraternity in Guyana and around the world has been hit very hard by COVID, and we'll have to wait and see how some sport disciplines recover from this. The only way we will be able to recover fully and adequately is if you have the support, and if you ask me about my sport discipline. I don't want to be selfish, but I can only speak for the Guyana Boxing Association. If you ask me if my sport discipline feels confident of being supported in its quest to recover, yes, I'm confident about it.”

Each team consists of 4 boxers with one female.

The seniors will head to Buenos Aires, Argentina from May 10-16 for the Olympic Qualifiers, while the juniors will head to Keilce, Poland from April 1024.

The Olympic qualifying team will consist of bantamweight Keevin Allicock, Middleweight Desmond Amsterdam, Light Welterweight Colin Lewis and Canada-based Taveena Kum (Flyweight) who is of Guyanese parentage. Dennis Thomas, who was part of the initial team in 2020, has opted out, owing to personal reasons.

Meanwhile, Caribbean Junior Champion Abiola Jackman will be the lone female in the Junior World Championship team.

Dr Leslie Ramsammy installed as Patron of Albion CCCC — Hetmyer to play for Albion in Speaker’s T20 — Permaul's Trading, KP Jagdeo General Contractors sponsor Albion for Speaker’s T20 Cup

By Brandon Corlette

and Distribution, along with K.P Jagdeo Contracting, Orvin Mangru Contracting Services, and Harrichand Business Enterprise with us to provide much needed sponsorship," Walter noted.

He said that, without hesitation, Dr Ramsammy agreed and made himself available to be the Patron of the ACCCC. With Dr Ramsammy as patron, Walter believes, the ACCC will continue to reach greater heights.

I

t was one of the most significant days in the history of the Albion Community Centre Cricket Club (ACCC) when Dr Leslie Ramsammy, Advisor to the Ministry of Health, was installed as Patron of the club on Tuesday last.

In addition to that historic installation, a groundbreaking announcement was made that, once available, West Indies batsman Shimron Hetmyer would suit up for ACCCC in the Speaker’s T20 championship, which commences on April 3.

Permaul's Trading and K.P General Contractors have presented sponsorship cheques totalling $750,000 to the ACCCC, which would field a strong T20 team in the tournament with a host of international and national players.

Dr Ramsammy, meanwhile, has expressed gratitude to the ACCC for so honouring him.

In remarks, he spoke about the rich history of the ACCC, and how significant a role this cricket club has played over the years in producing great cricketers.

"If Albion sneezes, Guyana's cricket catches a cold. Albion is a measure of cricket of this country. I had the opportunity to have extensive conversations with some of the world's most famous cricketers, one of them namely Richie Benaud. In one conversation, he mentioned that the most difficult bowler he faced, he remembers

Permaul's Trading and Distribution making their presentation in the presence of the cricketers (Brandon Corlette photos)

only what they called him. And we called him in this community ‘Sugarboy’, who lived in Albion.

"As I accept this responsibility, I do it as I do everything - with seriousness and absolute commitment and dedication. To the cricketers who represent this club today, you carry on the legacy from the past. The Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport has vowed that the Government’s commitment to sports will be felt by our people starting this year; and by 2024, this club will be transformed, this site, and (be made into) a mustvisit site. We will make this site competitive with the

Providence Stadium, and it will be known across the Caribbean and across the world," Dr Ramsammy said.

Meanwhile, ACCCC President, Vemen Walter, has said this is the first time in this club’s 73 years of existence that a patron has been installed. He described the patron as a son of the Albion soil, and revealed also that this is the first time the club has secured sponsorship of such great magnitude.

"The executives of the ACCCC are honoured to have Dr Ramsammy as our Patron. We are delighted to have the continued support of Permaul's Trading

Hetmyer among the stars Talented left-hander Shimron Hetmyer will join the Albion team that is participating in the upcoming Speaker’s T20 Cup, which bowls off on April 3.

Hetmyer’s availability remains unclear, as he is preparing to depart Guyana’s shores to participate in the Indian Premier League, which will bowl off on April 9.

His departure is expected during the upcoming week, but the ACCCC President confirmed that, once available, Hetmyer would play for Albion.

The ACCCC team includes the likes of Veerasammy Permaul, Devendra Bishoo, Gudakesh Motie, Anthony Bramble and Jonathan Foo, among others. ACCCC Vice President Orvin Mangru has said the ACCCC, as favourites, would be aiming to win and put up a good show during this lucrative Speaker’s T20 tournament. The ACCCC’s first match will be against Everest CC on April 3.

22

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2021

Nissanka 103, Dickwella 96 set West Indies 375 for 1st Test victory P athum Nissanka has scored a century on debut.

He is the fourth Sri Lankan to achieve this feat, and the first since Thilan Samaraweera in 2001. Moreover, he is the first to do so overseas.

His century, and an equally vital 96 from Niroshan Dickwella, crowned a dominant day for Sri Lanka, in which they seized command of the first Test and put themselves in prime position to secure a first win in the format in over a year.

The pair's 179-run stand for the sixth wicket, compiled over two sessions, helped set the West Indies a 375-run target, 34 of which the hosts had knocked off by stumps for the loss of just John Campbell.

Kraigg Brathwaite and Nkrumah Bonner were at the crease on 8 and 15 respectively.

However, the day belonged unequivocally to Nissanka, whose low-risk, high-impact innings, together with an unusually measured effort from Dickwella, took Sri Lanka from a precarious position at the start of the day - following Alzarri Joseph's early removal of Dhananjaya de Silva - to one of complete control. That eventuality would hardly have been at the forefront of the pair's minds when they came together in the first over of the morning, with Sri Lanka's lead still a fledgling 157.

As the last two recognised batsmen, they

would have known that any misstep by either would expose a very long tail - the swiftness with which the innings folded following Nissanka's dismissal more than justifying those concerns.

But if patience and application were the need of the hour, the duo produced that in spades. Nissanka's 103 came off 252 deliveries, more or less encapsulating the safety-first approach he had woven into the very fabric of his innings.

In fact, less than a fifth of his runs came in boundaries, while West Indies must be sick of the sight of his unwavering forward defence.

Indeed, rarely has a Test century contained such few noteworthy moments - though this is by no means a criticism.

Sure, there was a fairly dismissive pull off Kyle Mayers, and then, earlier, a lovely punch through the covers off Kemar Roach; but, for the most part, this was an innings of dabs, prods, glides and drives (though none that reached the fence) and crucially, almost no risk.

B u t

after a first-innings capitulation that had seen many of Sri Lanka's batsmen fall, as much down to a lack of application as it was to probing lines employed by the West Indian bowlers, Nissanka's innings was a refreshing change of pace.

At 22 years of age, and in foreign conditions, there is hardly likely to have been a more pleasing sight to Mickey Arthur and Grant Flower than the solidity he showcased during his knock. In a way, it was fitting that when he eventually did fall, it was on his own terms, going for a slog sweep in an attempt to up the scoring rate.

Arguably even more pleasing to the Lankan coaches might have been Dickwella's innings. While his dismissal four runs short of a maiden Test century would have undoubtedly been a moodkiller, the maturity and control up until then was definitely a side many thought they might never see of the man.

Now, obviously, his innings was not one without peril.

He was dropped at gully, chopped the ball back onto his stumps without the bails being dislodged, and also survived a caught-behind appeal after West Indies had burned their reviews; but, for the most part, he was

restrained.

He would only truly free his arms once the lead had ballooned beyond 300, though his innings was cut short before he could do much more damage, as he edged a slower ball from Roach back onto his stumps. By that point, though, it was already likely too late.

But the fact that the final five Sri Lankan wickets fell for just 38 runs would certainly leave the hosts wondering what might have been had a few pivotal moments gone their way.

SCOREBOARD SRI LANKA 2ND INNINGS Lahiru Thirimanne b Roach 76 Dimuth Karunaratne (c) c Campbell b Roach 3 Oshada Fernando c †Da Silva b Mayers 91 Dinesh Chandimal c †Da Silva b Mayers 4 Dhananjaya de Silva not out 46 Dhananjaya de Silva b Joseph 50 Pathum Nissanka c Roach b Cornwall 103 Niroshan Dickwella †b Roach 96 Suranga Lakmal run out (Blackwood/†Da Silva) 8 Dushmantha Chameera c Mayers b Cornwall 6 Lasith Embuldeniya c Holder b Cornwall 10 Vishwa Fernando not out 0 Extras (b 13, lb 5, nb 11) 29 TOTAL (149.5 Ov, RR: 3.17) 476 Fall of wickets: 1-8 (Dimuth Karunaratne, 4.6 ov), 2-170 (Oshada Fernando, 56.1 ov), 3-178 (Dinesh Chandimal, 58.5 ov), 4-189 (Lahiru Thirimanne, 63.3 ov), 5-259 (Dhananjaya de Silva, 86.5 ov), 6-438 (Pathum Nissanka, 139.3 ov), 7-460 (Niroshan Dickwella, 146.1 ov), 8-462 (Suranga Lakmal, 147.3 ov), 9-476 (Lasith Embuldeniya, 149.4 ov), 10-476 (Dushmantha Chameera, 149.5 ov)

Pathum Nissanka is congratulated by Niroshan Dickwella after reaching his debut hundred

There's also bound to be introspection surrounding the wisdom of some of their reviews - their last in particular after Nissanka had got a clear edge on an lbw call, the most poorly conceived, and ultimately serving to reprieve Dickwella.

If any of those had gone the way of the hosts, we would likely be looking at a very different equation, but as it stands, staving off defeat on the final day will be West Indies' primary concern. (Adapted from ESPN Cricinfo)

BOWLING Kemar Roach 27-3-74-3 Shannon Gabriel 18-2-67-0 Jason Holder 22-4-40-0 Alzarri Joseph 21-2-83-1 Rahkeem Cornwall 42.5-4-137-3 Kraigg Brathwaite 9-1-30-0 Kyle Mayers 9-2-24-2 Jermaine Blackwood 1-0-3-0

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WEST INDIES 2ND INNINGS (TARGET: 375 RUNS) Kraigg Brathwaite (c)not out 8 John Campbell c †Dickwella b MVT Fernando 11 Nkrumah Bonner not out 15

Extras 0 TOTAL (20 Ov, RR: 1.70) 34/1 Yet to bat: Kyle Mayers, Jermaine Blackwood, Joshua Da Silva †, Jason Holder, Rahkeem Cornwall, Alzarri Joseph, Kemar Roach, Shannon Gabriel Fall of wickets: 1-12 (John Campbell, 5.6 ov)

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Football will be played like never before, once the pandemic ends, vows Marslowe — urges players and fans to observe COVID-19 guidelines

By Timothy Jaikarran

T

he Bartica Football Association have seen the fruits of their labour under the leadership of President Alden Marslowe. However, in March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic was the proverbial thorn in their side, as their plans for the year had to come to a halt.

Nevertheless, the BFA did not give up, they continued to press on; and today, in 2021, things are looking a bit more promising.

In an exclusive interview with BFA President Alden Marslowe, this publication asked what are his views on things at the moment, and Marslowe replied, “The COVID-19 pandemic is very much still here in our midst. This region (Region 7) has recorded 37 cases in the past 48 hours, a great number of those from Bartica. And so the BFA, like the other football associations, are basically active under the surface, but there are no physical football activities allowed nor happening at this time.

“Once things return to normal, and we are given permission, we plan to play football like never before; but, tragically, they remain just plans for the entirety of the past year. The decision for a restart of football activities in

2237230-1

(Ext 55)

NOW!

BFA President Alden Marslowe

The kids enjoying a game of football

the country rests solely with the Government of Guyana. So far, the gazetted national order does not make provision for a return to play,” he explained.

Marslowe explained that football is a physical sport that requires maximum fitness. No permission to return to training has been given, hence the players have been doing their own physical work to ensure their personal fitness in whatever way is suitable.

The BFA boss has said it is his hope that football gets back “its time” before the year is long spent. He noted that the BFA have been making many plans, and while the GFF’s calendar of activities contains much action for the countrywide development of the game, the BFA have its plans for both play and capacity-building. Moreover, it must not be forgotten that clubs carry out their own programmes.

Marslowe is therefore urging both

players and fans to be patient, and to respect all COVID-19 guidelines.

“I just want to encourage all football players, fans and the general public: Be patient and be respectful of the COVID-19 prevention guidelines. At this time, I think it would be better to trust our administrators in their approach to the pandemic, and if we comply with the recommendations, then we should see a reduction in COVID-19 cases and a faster return to play.”

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2021

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

23

— as Golden Jags battle T&T tonight

By Jemima Holmes

C

ometh the hour, cometh the man! Or cometh the hour, cometh the team.

Whichever one shows up tonight (Thursday), Guyana’s Golden Jaguars would need a sufficiently stellar performance from the man or the team to put a halt to the Soca Warriors.

The occasion will be the opening account in the CONCACAF World Cup 2022 Qualifiers tournament for both Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago, and will be played at the San Cristobal Panamerican Stadium in the Dominican Republic.

Though the Twin-Island Republic will be tough opponents, as attested by previous matches, the Guyanese camp is hyped up about their prospects in tonight’s crucial 90 minutes.

Beginning at 7pm this evening, Guyana will look to begin their quest to FIFA World Cup 2022 on a high note, but the Trinidad and Tobago National Football Team are not to be downplayed or cast out, even in the midst of whatever internal troubles their National Association has faced over the past year.

The last time both sides met was at the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2019, when the game was drawn one all, leaving much to be redeemed on both sides of the field.

Golden Jags Head Coach Marcio Maximo has since expressed believe that much has changed and those factors could work in Guyana’s favour.

“Games are different. It’s different because

the last game against Trinidad was two years ago. Many things (have) changed in two years ago: their squad, our squad. We renewed our team; our team now is faster in transition, more competitive, I think. But Trinidad also changed, they’re also good team,” Maximo explained.

“Always Trinidad have good team, want to be different this time. But always, Guyana is always competitive, and we want to be different this time as well,” the Head Coach declared.

Team captain Sam Cox has posited that the Guyanese outfit is well acquainted with their Trinidadian opposition by now, and he predicts a highly competitive encounter.

“We know what they bring to the table.

We know that the Trinidad team is always physical. Of course, we know the rivalry which comes between ourselves and Trini. It’s going to be a highly competitive game. Primarily we’re focusing on what we’re going to do, how we’re going to get the advantage technically, tactically, psychologically and mentally,” The Golden Jags captain continued, “I think we’ve done quite a bit on the board and in video analysis of their game; but, you know, our strengths are going to be our speed, our tactical understanding.”

When probed about the importance of a win against the Twin Island Republic, a calm and collected Cox expressed that it isn’t yet a ‘make or break’ situation.

The captain opined, “You look at the composition of the boys in our group and you know how tough a challenge Trinidad will

be, and that’s taking away nothing from the other tough games that’s coming up as well.

Trinidad and Tobago are our priority at the moment, but I don’t think it’s make-or-break.

As you know, in Caribbean football, anything can happen.”

On the other hand, Goalkeeper Akel Clarke, who last faced off with the Soca Warriors in the Gold Cup, informed that while Trinidad’s internal trouble may hinder their performance, Guyana will not be taking them lightly.

“I think now it’s that both of us weren’t playing any football, you know because of COVID-19 and stuff. Basically, it’s all the work we’ve been putting in, and in Trinidad they have lots of ups and downs, so I think that’s going to be a problem,” Clarke initially stated. He added, “We’re not looking at what’s going on. We’re still putting in our work and going hard at them.”

Following their clash with Trinidad, Guyana will lock horns with the Bahamas on Tuesday March 30, at 3pm. A win in both games would put the Golden Jaguars in a perfect position, as they would need to win as many games as possible, since only one team would advance out of the Group.

The Golden Jags will play their final two matches on June 4th and 8th against St Kitts and Nevis and Puerto Rico respectively.

T&T player returns positive COVID-19 test ahead of battle with Guyana

Young Warriors CC A to contest Speaker’s National T20 Cup T

he East Canje-based Young Warriors Cricket Club (YWCC), the home of West Indies young batting sensation Shimron Hetmyer, is set to participate in the inaugural Speaker’s National T20 Cup. This tournament, organised by the Everest Cricket Club (ECC) in collaboration with the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), is set to bowl off on April 3.

The YWCC welcomes the initiative, and is eager to showcase the talents of its players.

This is the club that won the first ever National T20 tournament in 2006, sponsored then by Shapoorji Palonji, and pocketed Gy$1M. In an effort to make its participation possible, the YWCC has reached out to sponsors, two of which willingly came on board so far. They are: Aubrey David of SD&L Certified Accountancy of St. Ann Street, New Amsterdam, and Syeed Mobarakali of Homeline Furnishing, Rose Hall Town, Corentyne, both in the county of Berbice.Both companies expressed delight to be part of a cricket club with such a rich history in such a short time.

The club has, over the years, produced many West Indies, National and Berbice junior cricketers, and the second international cricketer from the East Canje area, Shimron Hetmyer.

The executive met recently and named a strong team as listed below: Shimron Hetmyer (availability still unclear), Vishal Mahabir, Alex Algoo, Ricardo Ramdeholl, Trevon Stanislaus, Seon Hetmyer, Suresh Dhanai, Linden Austin, Kassim Khan, Carl Gilgeous, Amir Khan, Devindra Ramotar, Mortimer Fraser, Jarron France, Jermin Henry and Ishwar Singh. Coach/ player is Balram Samaroo and Manager is Anil From left is a representative of Homeline Furnishing in the presence of Seon Hetmyer, Vishal Mahabir Beharry. and his son

Golden Jags Captain Sam Cox

national footballer has tested positive for COVID-19, throwing Trinidad and Tobago's opening World Cup qualifier against Guyana in serious doubt. TT face Guyana in the Dominican Republic tonight at 7pm.

A Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) media release on Wednesday said, “Following the latest set of COVID-19 PCR testing for all members of the men’s national team contingent in Santo Domingo, there was a positive result for a player on the night of Tuesday, March 23, 2021.”

T

he Brand Ambassador of V-Net Communications, Guyana and the West Indies all-rounder Keemo Paul, has made a move to the Everest Cricket Club (ECC), and will be suiting up for the Camp Road unit in the upcoming Speaker’s T20 Club Championship.

Official announcement in this regard was made on Tuesday at the club in the presence of V-Net Communications Chief Executive Officer Safraz Sheriffudeen, and ECC President and Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir.

While the club’s management is ecstatic about recruiting the services of one of Guyana’s best blossoming talents, it is a precursor for Paul on the ‘return to play' policy, after being out of competitive action for three months due to injury and work management concerns by West Indies.

Paul, who last played a competitive match on December 3 in the Big Bash League, has said he is happy to join a club with such a rich cricket history, and hopes to represent the club to the best of his ability.

The Speaker’s Club Championship starts on April 3, and Everest are drawn in the ‘Group of Death’ with formidable sides such as Rose Hall

The release added, “The individual tested positive was immediately isolated at the team’s hotel. All COVID-19 protocols are being followed, and he is presently awaiting a retest for confirmation purposes.

"Strict contact tracing was then performed, and all primary contacts have been quarantined.

They would then be tested accordingly following the player's retest results. The player is asymptomatic at this time.

“The TTFA also respects the confidentiality wishes of the player.” (TT Newsday)

Town Youth & Sports Club, Albion, Canal Number Two, and Cornelia Ida. Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir, has expressed, “We are honoured that Keemo has chosen to join the Everest Cricket Club. Keemo is a rising international star and a national cricketing hero. We are strengthened by his talent. He is no stranger to Everest, as he has been associated with us and executives of the club for a while. He joins a strong team which includes Chanderpaul Hemraj, Tagenarine Chandarpal, Bashkar Yadram, Asad Fudadin, and youth player Mathew Nandu.

“His membership not only significantly boosts our efforts, but he will also contribute towards the mentoring of our youths. We look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with our stars, and towards the development of our young cricketers.”

Paul has represented West Indies in 20 Twenty20 Internationals, 19 One-Day Internationals, and three Tests to date, and has also played in the Indian Premier League for Delhi Capitals, and in the Caribbean Premier League for Guyana Amazon Warriors.

THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2021

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

“Anything can happen in Caribbean football,” says Cox Page 23

Nissanka 103, Dickwella 96 set West Indies 375 for 1st Test victory

— as Golden Jags battle T&T tonight

Page 22

CWI refuses to use polling as is customary T

Page 23

he highly anticipated Cricket West Indies elections that are set for Sunday March 28 will be the 22nd Annual Meeting in the history of CWI. The election for President and Vice President will be conducted in accordance with the CWI Articles of Association, and will be overseen and verified by external auditors.

The vote will be decided by show of hands, with the auditors verifying and tabulating the hands shown on the various video screens. Should a Full Member request a poll, the auditors would poll the persons present by recording the votes of each Full Member, as expressed by their duly appointed representatives in open forum.

This was the information disclosed by Alanna MedfordSingh, CWI General Counsel/ Corporate Secretary. The letter to the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) President Fizul Bacchus further disclosed: “On a related matter, I look forward to receipt of the waiver of notice in respect of receipt of the financial documents duly executed by the GCB.”

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