Permission needed for exclusive use of USD to do business in Guyana – AG …says businesses cannot demand payments in USD for local transactions
Guard feared drowned after falling into Demerara River
260 rounds of AK-47 ammunition found in Linden
Teen mom who abandoned baby boy found Another
Coast taxi driver charged for rape
2 dead, 1 injured after car & bike collide in
Businessman found guilty of beating, threatening to shoot daughter
Berbice ...as 5 motorcyclists die
Corentyne Highway in 5 weeks Page 14 Govt collaborating with Israel to boost food production …says best tech must be implemented in agri sector WHAT'S INSIDE: Issue No. 5297 Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana THE BEACON OF TRUTH guyanatimesgy.com PRICE $100 VAT INCLUDED THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2023 Page 14 Page 7 Page 3 P 11 P7 Silica City will
Guyana as an example of tech-driven economy – Ali
on
showcase
Local Content Certificate Ramps Logistics
Essequibo
discontinues claim for damages against Govt CANU busts Mahaicony man with $643,200 worth of cannabis
Govt dialysis support programme “I feel
this I
…as over $50M paid out to 84 patients PPP/C Govt
ensure Guyana’s democratic credentials are maintained – AG March 2, 2020 elections anniversary
Page 18 P16 P9 P15 P16 P16 P8
without
would have already been in my box”– recipient
will
2 THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM
BRIDGE OPENINGS
The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, March 2 –02:00h-03:30h and Friday, March 3 – 03:00h-04:30h.
The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:
Thursday, March 2 –12:55h-14:25h and Friday, March 3 – 13:55h-15:25h.
FERRY SCHEDULE
Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 10:00h-12:00h, 16:00h, 18:30h daily.
WEATHER TODAY
Thundery showers are expected in the morning to early afternoon hours followed by sunny conditions. In the evening, light to thundery showers are expected. Temperatures should range between 23 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.
Winds: North-Easterly to East North-Easterly between 3.58 metres and 5.82 metres.
High Tide: 13:08h reaching a maximum height of 2.05 metres.
Low Tide: 19:25h reaching a minimum height of 1.12 metres.
March 2, 2020 elections anniversary
PPP/C Govt will ensure Guyana’s democratic credentials are maintained – AG
(NCM) against the Coalition Government in December 2018. This struggle, he posited, was further compounded by the anguish and suffering during the 2020 electoral and political impasse – something which he cautioned should not be forgotten.
“We must not forget the lessons that were learnt from those elections. We must not forget the struggles that were associated
the sanctity of those elections was preserved and that Guyana's democratic credentials were protected and defended especially in the face of threats of sanctions on the country from the international community. In fact, several key officials from the previous APNU/ AFC Administration, along with others, were slapped with visa sanctions by the United States Government. Other countries, includ-
Today marks three years since Guyanese went to the polls on March 2, 2020 to cast their votes unaware that in the following days, a series of events would catapult the country into political and electoral turmoil for the next five months.
Following a mostly peaceful voting day, the days after the March 2020 General and Regional Elections were marred by blatant attempts to rig the polls in favour of the then incumbent A Partnership For National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition regime. These events played out before the local, regional and international diplomatic community, which had widely condemned the acts.
Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil
Nandlall, SC, said the people of Guyana must pledge to do everything in their power to ensure that those events never happen again here – something which he assured the current People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government was committed to.
“As we approach March 2, I want you to be assured that your government is very much alive to those realities that we experienced and we will work to ensure that the democratic credentials of this country are maintained, and that we continue to work to deliver a better tomorrow for every single Guyanese,” he stated.
Nandlall recalled that the elections were finally held after a year-long battle following the passage of the No-Confidence Motion
with ensuring that the votes cast at those elections were actually counted. We must not forget those who put our democracy on trial. We must not forget those who attempted in the most flagrant way to steal those elections. Those who tried in the most vulgar way to prevent the true and real results of those elections from being declared,” Nandlall noted.
He pointed out that many persons made huge sacrifices in ensuring that
ing Canada and the United Kingdom, were also threatening to follow suit.
Nandlall, a PPP/C Executive, once again saluted the international community – 100 foreign governments, foreign observers, international organisations – that stood by and with Guyana in defending, preserving and protecting its democracy and the ballots of the people.
TURN TO PAGE 9
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File photo: (L-R) Former British High Commissioner to Guyana, Greg Quinn; former Ambassador of the European Union Delegation to Guyana, Fernando Ponz-Canto; US Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch and former Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Lilian Chatterjee walking out of the Office of the Region Four Returning Officer at Ashmin’s Building in Georgetown amid major irregularities in the vote tabulation process days after the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections
File photo: A container truck carrying ballot boxes enters the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, on March 17, 2020, for votes to be recounted
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Today three years ago
Today marks three years since the elections of March 2, 2020, and five years, two months after the No Confidence Motion (NCM) of Dec 21, 2018. These dates are markers of the PNC’s desperate efforts to destroy the democratic edifice the PPP built after 1992 following the PNC’s rigging of elections in 1968, 1973, 1980 and 1985. In elections in those 28 years, the Burnhamite regime had installed a de-facto authoritarian one-party state that made a mockery of its democratic pretentions.
It was against this background that as soon as it slid into office by the narrowest of margins in 2015, the PNC, under its leader David Granger, prepared to hold on to power by any means necessary. This was signalled by Granger’s refusal to adhere to the clearly stated constitutional rules for appointing the Chairman of GECOM, and to unilaterally appoint his choice, James Paterson. The latter justified his selection by throwing several spanners into the election machinery, until he was adjudged to have been unconstitutionally appointed by the CCJ.
Concomitantly, Granger refused to obey the even more pellucid Constitutional stricture of Art 106 (6)(7) for his Government to resign following its defeat in a No Confidence Motion (NCM) moved by the PPP. This precipitated a Constitutional crisis that was a harbinger of the lengths Granger and the PNC would go to hold on to power by any means necessary. In the words of one constitutional expert, “This was a “crisis of fidelity” which occurs when important political actors are simply unwilling to adhere to the constitutional commitments as they understand them. If consequential political actors determined that a constitutional rule or a prescribed constitutional outcome should be ignored because some other political priority than following the Constitution is more important, then the Constitution’s ability to guide and constrain political behaviour has, to that degree, been cast into doubt.”
After a tortuous passage through the three tiers of our Judiciary, that crisis was resolved and the PNC was forced to schedule elections. But not in the three months after the judgement in July 2019, as was mandated, but eight months after, on March 2, 2020. The courts were cynically used as a sword to subvert the constitutional basis of our democratic order. Two days before the elections, the US Ambassador issued a statement on “democratic elections”, which was eerily prescient as to what lay ahead. We published that statement on elections day in this space: “To cast a free ballot and minimize the opportunity for intimidation, voters in a democracy must be permitted to cast their ballots in secret. At the same time, the protection of the ballot box and tallying of vote totals must be conducted as openly as possible, so that citizens are confident that the results are accurate and that the Government does, indeed, rest upon their "consent."
While it was universally accepted that the first part of the caution – the actual voting – was satisfied, on the following day, all hell broke loose. In full view of the international observers of the US, UK, Caricom, EU, Commonwealth and local observers, the PNC crudely attempted to rig the elections as the Region Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo refused to display the Statements of Poll (SOPs) being tallied, as statutorily demanded, and declared the PNC the winner of the Region and, consequently, the general elections.
The country was plunged not into a constitutional crisis this time, but a naked grab for power that once again used the Courts as a sword to deny the right of the people to select their Government. It was only because of the fortitude of the people of Guyana, the international community, and the integrity of the CCJ that the elections of March 2 were finally declared in favour of the PPP, five months later, on Aug 2.
Let us never again allow the trampling on our Constitution, as has happened between December 21, 2018 and August 1st, 2020.
Region 4 Chairman & REO’s disagreement
Dear Editor,
On Wednesday last week (22nd February), an ugly, partisan confrontation -which says nothing in favour of the principals involved -- took place between the Chairman of Regional 4, Mr. Daniel Seeram, and the Regional Executive Officer (REO), Mr. Donald Gajraj, at what was supposed to be a non-partisan national event in celebration of Mashramani.
What occurred was filmed, widely transmitted on Facebook, subject to a number of loaded letters in the press, and, very sadly, represents the abject failure of some of our leading politicians to understand the consequences of their actions and the damage that they do to our people and our country in dividing us.
In absolute contrast, when enjoying an overnight last Friday at Splashmins, after dinner, I watched a combined group of about 20 nurses and teachers together playing games around a bonfire. They were from Berbice. They were both Indian and African Guyanese. For me, they represented who we really are. They were the epitome of what President Ali means when he speaks of One Guyana.
Needless to say, what occurred at the Region 4 Mashramani event should never have happened. To his credit, Mr. Seeram, speaking as Chairman, spoke well. He spoke first of “social cohesion”. He spoke of Region 4 as a diverse community transcending the boundaries of race, religion
and the background of the varying political parties. He recognized the present and past Minister of Health who were present at the meeting.
He went on to say that he detested “petty politics, immature politics in this day and age”. He said he shakes the hands of all stakeholders who are willing to work together to make Guyana better. He made a call for us all to shake hands and work together. He called for everyone to walk in the same direction. He made the point that if we are all in the same boat and paddle in different directions, we would be going nowhere very quickly. He recognized representatives from the Government and from the Opposition under what he described as “this big tent”. He claimed a mantra of unity, and pledged that, as long as he was there, they would work through their differences while recognizing that “democracy is messy”. It was the right speech for the right time.
Mr. Seeram then went on to claim credit for consultation leading to decisions, but it was shortly after making that point that he in fact, as my enquiries later revealed, departed entirely from the programme agreed upon between himself and REO Gajraj, doing exactly the opposite.
Having concluded his speech and thanked everyone, Seeram suddenly and surprisingly sought to introduce Parliamentarian Cathy Hughes to speak, offering the excuse that there was no female on the pro-
gramme, introducing an unscheduled political advocate from an Opposition party to which Mr. Seeram happens to belong.
Immediately, Mr. Gajraj, who was standing behind Mr. Seeram, stepped forward to take the mic from Mr. Seeram, who held on to the mic and stepped away, resulting in the most unseemly exhibition of these two senior politicians wrestling over its possession. Gajraj clearly intended that Cathy Hughes should not speak.
Not surprisingly, the APNU+AFC has sought to make political mileage from the incident, claiming that the REO’s action was the antithesis of “One Guyana”; and indeed it was. It transpires, however, that this is not the first time that Mr. Seeram has sought to “hijack”, according to the PPP, an agreed agenda for po-
litical purpose. Mr. Donald Gajraj, instead of rising above the political gamesmanship, lost his cool, took the bait, and behaved foolishly.
What might otherwise have been a truly commendable national event proved to be yet another example of the intolerable failure of some of our political leaders to grasp the opportunity for putting nation and people before party politics.
I suspect that neither the leadership of the PPP nor the PNC would agree with me that both Seeram and Gajraj should bury the hatchet, apologize to each other, shake hands, and follow the example of the nurses and teachers I enjoyed watching just being Guyanese around the bonfire, living and playing together.
Yours sincerely, Kit Nascimento
Green construction?
Dear Editor, Guyana is on a construction boom, but while we hear and read about smart this and that, what about green construction? For one, are these buildings using sustainable technologies and materials? Are they incorporating systems to reduce the consumption of energy, water and other resources to minimise pollution?
In short, how many of these new constructions meet or plan to meet the LEED certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), which is the internationally accepted official
recognition that establishes whether a building deserves to be considered sustainable?
The characteristics of such buildings are:
* Do not build in environmentally sensitive locations, and provide public transport to reduce private car use.
* Protect and maintain the natural habitat, reduce pollution and the use of natural resources, and facilitate interaction with nature.
* Minimise the use of water during construction, and provide mechanisms to reduce the building’s water footprint.
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guyanatimesgy.com THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2023
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CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
During a guided tour of the Office of the President on Shiv Chanderpaul Drive on Wednesday, President Dr Irfaan Ali received hugs from the students of Christianburg Primary School of Linden (Office of the President photo)
Region 4 Chairman tried PNC bullying tactics
Dear Editor, Please allow me to share my views on the recent outburst by the Regional Chairman of the Regional Democratic Council of Region Four as to what took place at the Regional Republic Anniversary Flag Raising Ceremony.
Brothers and sisters, the Regional Chairman acted in a very callous manner by using the PNC bullying ways in wanting to hijack the regional event by trying to dictate what he wants
and who must speak.
Sadly, it had to be done like that in public, where the REO had to take steps to ensure that the said event was not hijacked by the PNC Regional Chairman.
I am sure the Regional Chairman was made aware of the agenda for the said activity. But I know of this party’s tactics to gain low political points, whereby he will be pressured to say that he never knew of the agenda but was given minutes before the programme
got underway.
If that will be his claim, then he had minutes to ask the REO for a consultation with him, as to what you are suggesting as to who and who should be included as speakers for the event. But instead of that, he tried to use his party bullying tactics in trying to throw the original programme away.
The Chairman tried to disrespect the REO and all at the event by dictating who must be or should be speakers at the event, with-
out notifying the chair of the event or those responsible for putting the programme together.
That’s disrespectful of you, as head of the RDC. But yet again, that’s the way that his party works, because I can recall that, from 2015 to 2020, APNU - which is PNC - while in Government, hijacked all of the national and regional events by imposing who should speak and who should not, who should take part and who should not.
Burnham’s republic was a disaster
Dear Editor,
As Guyanese mark the100 birth anniversary of Guyana’s late President Forbes Burnham (20 February 1923 – 6 August 1985), which passed a week ago, it is prudent to ask what are some of his achievements during his 22-year reign.
At the time of his taking office, Guyana’s economy had a higher GDP than Singapore (the seventh highest per capita today), coupled with an efficient Civil Service; when he met his demise, the country’s economy was in ruins. With some US$4 billion in debt and a per capita income of US$450, Guyana was ranked the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere after Haiti.
In 1992, when there was a change of Government, the per capita stood at around US$600. Today this pathetic sum has been transformed into a remarkable figure of close to US$11,000.
One can ask: which one of Burnham’s grandiose plans succeeded? The Mazaruni Hydro project and Kimbia cotton ventures were colossal failures. The Sanata Textile Mill and Yarrowkabra Glass Factory were nothing short of being technological white elephants. Feed, Clothe and House; National Service; scrapping of the railway; co-operative socialism etc. were all tragic visions. Burnham’s ill-fated quest for self-sufficiency in the late 1970s precipitated gruesome conditions: children went to school hungry, an underground (smuggling) economy flourished, and a mass exodus of skilled and wealthy people, coupled with the flight of money to offshore banks, occurred. At home, lines formed at Knowledge Sharing Institute (KSI)what a name for a shop to obtain a bar of soap and a pint of oil!
The crowning glory of his rule came on December 14, 1974 (Sophia Declaration).
The PNC Party was declared the real ruler of Guyana, thus the Government was answerable to the Party! Under the dictator’s rule, the Public Service disintegrated; corruption replaced competence – a legacy that lives on to this day. Nationalisation
of sugar and bauxite in the late 70s placed the commanding heights of the economy squarely into the hands of the PNC, and was the stepping stone for destruction.
The early 80s witnessed a huge preponderance of one ethnic group (which continues today) rushing to the airport and borders, reminiscent of the Jews under Hitler in 1930s Germany. The terminals of the (then) Timehri Airport resembled those at the New Delhi Airport. Worse was yet to come, as the dictator militarised an impoverished Guyana with a proliferation of military entities: National Service, National Guard Service, Young Socialist Movement, People’s Militia, Tactical Services Unit; and, of course, some we do not even know of.
The tyrant was caught up in a struggle between personal power and national progress.
He chose the former, and Guyana descended into hegemony and economic catastrophe, and we are all paying for it today.
Excessive dipping into
the country’s coffers became Burnham’s self-therapy for a failed state. His five vice-presidents silently acquiesced –the highest academic achievement of one of them being 1 subject GCE!
The most bizarre incident was at the Melbourne, Australia, and Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference in 1976. Some 52 PNC honchos attended as Burnham ‘hired’ the National Airline for two weeks!! And while many of Burnham’s policies can be outright condemned today and many headhunters exhibit the tendency to pinpoint and condemn the sins — they yet refuse to condemn the sinner!
Qualifications for University of Guyana entry were lowered, and National Service was incorporated into the curriculum. As a result, I never graduated from that institution; as is the case with thousands of others.
Many persons were dispossessed of their properties during the early Burnham era. There is scarcely any project that placed Guyana
as a unique Third World country that is now still standing, except the statue of Cuffy. How can a visionary tell people to use coal pots for cooking as it represents ‘appropriate technology’. The stupid concoction is nothing but a fire hazard, but Burnham’s undeniable pursuit was power, as he skilfully deployed the ‘Divide and Rule’ strategy of the very colonial masters he ‘fought’.
The Kabaka skilfully played a grand political game of selling Jagan’s Communism to the West and Jagan’s ethnicity to his fellow Caricom black leaders. He condemned Apartheid in South Africa, yet practised the same in his own backyard. His horse-riding escapades were psychological ploys shoved into the psyche of Guyanese that ‘The man on the horse run things’.
As the philosopher Franz Fanon indicated for Third World states: Massa days had not changed…only the colour of Massa had changed!
Sincerely,
Leyland Chitlall Roopnaraine
As a former RDC Councillor of Region Five, I can recall that the then REO and the Chief Councillor on the Government side of the RDC were not allowing the PPP Regional Chairman, Vice Chairman, or Councillors to be part of any national event committee meeting, or to take part at regional events as head and members of the RDC.
That was not done regionally only, but nationally also by the then PNC Government, by rejecting the former Opposition MP members of the PPP to be involved in our national events’ celebrations.
The Chairman at no time said he was assaulted by the REO, but later made that allegation against the Regional Executive Officer, and went further by reporting the matter to the Police.
We all know that the Chairman was pressured to make that report by his party and his party leader, so that they could try to win some cheap political points.
The Region Four RDC Chairman had no authority to change the Regional Republic Flag-Raising Ceremony agenda without notifying anyone, and moreover, the REO did the right thing by ensuring that the PNC Chairman does not hijack the programme to fit his party’s agenda.
I want to applaud the REO for standing up against the PNC Regional Chairman’s bullyism and/ or hijacking, and want to remind the PNC that there is a saying that goes “duh fuh duh nah obeah”.
Regards, Abel
Seetaram
Green construction...
* Reduce energy consumption, use renewable energy, and increase energy efficiency to reduce pollution.
* Incorporate recycling systems, use sustainable materials, and save as many resources as possible during construction.
* Address the quality of the space for its occupants, such as air cleanliness, thermal control, and noise pollution. Make such spaces environmentally friendly.
* Implement innovative sustainability strategies during its construction.
* Achieve improvements for the place where it is located in terms of the environment, social equity, and public health.
Among the recommend-
ed are: solar panels, photovoltaic panels, reusable energy, natural lighting, green roofs, farming rainwater to reduce well water consumption, air conditioning that uses water, use of recycled and biodegradable materials, ditching use of plastics every which way, recycling of organic waste to produce biogas, wind load minimising designs, sensors to optimise energy use, and creating green spaces inside and outside the buildings.
Not all of this is possible with every building, but each building should incorporate all that is possible.
Sincerely,
Annan Boodram
Thursday, March 2, 2023
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FROM PAGE 4
NGSA Math Questions
Wednesday’s answers
(a) The perimeter of the triangle is 22cm, half the perimeter of the rectangle, so the perimeter of the rectangle = 22 x 2 = 44cm.
A bag has 50 marbles of 3 different colours: red, blue and green. Half the number of marbles are red, 15 are blue and the remainder green.
(i) There are 10 green marbles (ii) The ratio of red to blue marbles 25:15
Page Foundation 6 THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2023
Govt collaborating with Israel to boost food production …says
best tech must be implemented in agri sector
The Government’s collaboration with other countries to boost food production and attain its 25 by 2025 food vision has expanded to include Israel, as President Dr Irfaan Ali announced that they were seeking to incorporate more use of technology in food production.
During an address at the opening of Teleperformance’s new location where he laid out the Government’s focus on technology, President Ali spoke of technology in agriculture. He revealed that the Government was working with Israel on boosting food production.
“Food production: Right now, we’re working with a team out of Israel, because we have to think about food production, changing weather conditions. We can’t be continuously exposed to the vulnerabilities of weather and then you don’t have food on the market.
“So, we’re implementing the best technology in the production of food. Not only
President Dr Irfaan Ali
hydroponics, but looking at ways we can have the control of temperature, growing high-value crops,” the President said.
Israel has long been hailed for its agricultural practices. The country cultivates wheat, corn and other crops. According to President Ali, data will be essential in the effort to modernise agriculture.
He was also optimistic that once they were successful in bringing the best
Teen mom who abandoned baby boy found
manufacturers, industrialists and agro-processors to Guyana, this will be a plus for the economy and for the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) market.
“In agriculture, data is going to be central. The collection of data. The processing of data. But all of this must be supported by a service platform. If we are successful in bringing all the major players, industrialists, manufacturers, agro-processors to Guyana, and they now use Guyana as a manufacturing and production hub, it brings business to you also. Because
they will need a customer care system and if it is provided in-house, then they buy into it,” the President further said.
Guyana, led by President Ali, has been piloting the reduction of food imports into the Region by 25 per cent in the next three years. He has articulated his Government’s vision of Guyana being the bread basket of the Caribbean.
It was reported last month that member states of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) have collectively achieved a significant 57 per cent of the target set to realise “Vision 25 by 2025”. This announcement was made during the first Caricom Ministerial Task Force (MTF) on Food Production and Food Security meeting for 2023.
A statement from the Agriculture Ministry stated that countries submitted reports detailing their production data for 2022 for targeted commodities, as Caricom moves towards lowering the regional food import bill by 25 per cent by the year 2025.
It was reported that products such as cocoa, dairy, meat, root crops,
fruits, and poultry have already reached 96.13 per cent, 84.36 per cent, 72.28 per cent, 70.91 per cent, 70.77 per cent and 70.19 per cent, respectively, for the targeted production volume set for 2025.
Moreover, countries such as Guyana, Belize, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Jamaica have made significant advances in the production of commodities such as ginger, turmeric, corn, soya bean, root crops, fruits, cocoa, poultry, meat, fish, table eggs, and dairy.
The report also indicated that for 2022, Guyana produced some 20,195 metric tonnes of ginger and turmeric, 144,289 metric tonnes of root crops, 21,870
metric tonnes of fish, and 40,749 metric tonnes of coconut.
During the 104th Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED), trade policies for animal and animal products, a regional agricultural health and food safety policy, special sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) guidelines for 19 commodities, and alternative SPS settlement mechanisms were approved.
Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha noted that these were great achievements for the Task Force. He explained that with these mechanisms in place, a level playing field is being created, making way for easier trade in agricultural products, intra-regionally. (G3)
Police have managed to find the mother of the baby who was found abandoned in a gift bag at Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara on Monday. Based on reports, the mother of the child, a juvenile, was located in the Mahaicony area.
Upon finding the mother, officials said, she was taken to Georgetown, and placed in a hospital with her child. Meanwhile, officials of the Child Care and Protection Agency (CC&PA) and the Human Services and Social Security Ministry were informed, and are reportedly investigating the case.
Only a day ago, Police said they were making a stringent effort to locate the mother of this baby. On Tuesday, the Guyana Police Force said that in collaboration with the CC&PA, they were launching an investigation into the abandonment of the newborn.
They also stated that after the discovery, the baby was seen by a team of doctors and is in good health in the care of the Mahaicony Public Hospital.
The child was reportedly found by a group of farmers wrapped in pair of jeans in a gift bag stashed in a clump of bushes. Upon their seeing the child, the cops were alerted and summoned to the scene.
The Police have said that at about 14:45h on Monday, an anonymous call was made to the Mahaicony Police Station. Upon receiving information, a Police Sergeant and a party of Police ranks went to Recess, Mahaicony, ECD.
On arrival, a group of persons were seen gathered at an area by the seaside. The Sergeant said he went inside the bush and picked up a newborn baby boy with the ‘afterbirth’ still attached.
The baby was in a multi-coloured gift bag.
The baby was then wrapped with a towel by the Sergeant and escorted to the Mahaicony Public Hospital.
“The baby was seen and a medical examination done by a doctor on duty, who stated that the baby was in good health,” the report said. (G9)
7 THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM NEWS
A field of crops in Israel
The baby that was found abandoned in the bushes in Mahaicony
Businessman found guilty of beating, threatening to shoot daughter
Businessman
Devanand Singh, proprietor of “Brands2Go” and a resident of Kitty, Georgetown, who had been captured in a viral video kicking and punching his daughter, has been found guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm on the 26-yearold woman.
Charged last April with brutally abusing his child, when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, he was also charged with threatening to shoot his offspring. Singh is a licensed firearm holder.
His trial concluded on Tuesday, February 28, with Magistrate Rhondell Weever finding him guilty on both charges. Attorney-at-Law Latchmie Rahamat represented the victim’s interest.
Singh’s sentencing hearing has been deferred to March 23, following his lawyer Nigel Hughes’s request
for a probation report to be prepared on him. He had initially pleaded not guilty to the charges, and had been admitted to bail in the sum of $400,000.
At his initial court ap-
ing order compelling Singh to stay 1,000 feet away from his daughter. He had also been ordered to give the young lady all of the belong ings she had at his residence.
Prior to Singh being charged, several videos had gone viral on social media, in particular Facebook, of him kicking and stomping his daughter. During an in terview in another section of the media, his daughter had related that she had been abused by her father for over a decade, and that she had planned to escape from their home while he was out of town.
Finally...
…A Bridge in time?
Back in the day, Cecil B DeMille produced the biggest film spectacles – especially biblical ones like The Ten Commandments. His tagline screamed “ten years in the making!!” to emphasise how much time he’d put into his lurid and dramatic scenes!! Well, the Demerara Harbour Bridge is a production that’s already consumed TEN yearsand we’re again being promised “in two years!!”
pearance in April 2022, Senior Magistrate Leron Daly had issued a restrain-
After the video had hit social media, the businessman, while being interviewed by a social media commentator, had said the video was “not what it seems”. However, he did not deny that he was the man seen in the video assaulting a woman in his Regent Street, Georgetown
store.
The Police Force had announced that following the release of the video, ranks had gone to the businessman’s home and seized his licensed 9mm pistol and a shotgun, as well as matching ammo. The items had been lodged at the Kitty Police Station. (G1)
Yes. Believe it or not, it’s been ten years almost to the day that the PPP Government – stymied by the APNU and AFC Opposition in Parliament with a majority of seats – okayed a plan for a new, four-lane, “fixed-span” DHB. The design and possible locations for the new bridge had been proposed by the bridge’s General Manager, Rawlston Adams. Versailles on the West Bank to Houston on the East Bank, and Good Hope on the East Bank to Patentia on the West Bank were proposed as possible locations.
Imagine that…a local engineering team from our Public Works came up with a plan on their own! Unfortunately plans were stymied by the Opposition, and in 2015, the PPP Government was ousted. The Coalition Govt, however, pretended to be Columbus about the idea of a new bridge: Public Works Minister David Patterson opened new bids for a design. But amazingly, in 2016, sole-sourced it to a Dutch company for $53 million!! And promised it’d be completed in two years – 2018!!
2018, of course, came and went, and we still had to take our chances with our famous floating bridge that was held together with spit and twine – and billions of dollars expended!! To be fair to the Coalition, they’d become preoccupied with remaining in office by conjuring up arguments like 33’s NOT the majority of 65, and other examples of PNC math!! In the meantime, they’d decided that the best location was Houston-to-Versailles, but, for reasons never fully explained, did not say why the bridge had to take a wide swing to land exactly on a piece of land recently acquired by a big PNC financier!!
By 2018, with mostly Chinese companies bidding, the Chinese Ambassador was forced to undiplomatically point out that the “raised” section for ships to pass was sooo 19th century!! Anyhow, we know the PNC was finally voted out in 2020, and the PPP immediately embarked on fulfilling its old promise – reiterated in its manifesto! The PPP decided on a la Grange-Nandy Park location, secured financing, secured a contractor, and started working since last year. One philanthropist even donated some prepared land for the East Bank landing!!
Your Eyewitness hopes all goes as planned, since, from reports, crossing the present floating bridge -- long past its expiration date -- has become a daily horror story for thousands!!
…a Burnhamite confession
During last week’s observances of Burnham’s 100th birthday, a lotta weird letters appeared in the press. There was that account from a sitting PNC MP about Burnham’s “contributions” to Guyana – some when he wasn’t even in the picture politically!! But the most surreal was one account by a fanatical PNCite from London. Claimed he saw the ghost of Burnham – appearing like Hamlet’s father to pass on a message.
In Hamlet’s case, it was to alert him as to the old man’s murderers - while in Burnham’s case, evidently it was to instruct the (clearly lonely) Londoner to murder the present PNC leader!! The Londoner claimed he saw this “tall and imposing” Burnham – missing the characteristic that earned the man his sobriquet “Fatboy”! – who castigated him for making Norton PNC leader!! Which “mess” the Londoner “must clean up”!! Now, from being forced to stare at Burnham’s picture on his exercise book cover for years, your Eyewitness knows Burnham can give folks nightmares!
But to remove Norton from London??
…let them hear
With the Opposition ignoring the opportunities to share in the country’s oil-fuelled development – and only complaining - the Government’s initiative to share out hearing aids is fortuitous.
Unless they’re “hard ears”, and not “hard of hearing”!!
THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM 8 NEWS Readers are invited to send their comments by email to eye@guyanatimesgy.com The views expressed in this column are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Guyana Times’ editorial policy and stance
Guilty: Devanand Singh
Magistrate Rhondell Weever
Golden Grove man’s killing Charge against wife reduced to manslaughter
Aquiella Abrams, the 30-year-old woman who had initially been charged with murdering her reputed husband Michael Wilson on October 10, 2022, has been placed on $500,000 bail after the murder charge against her was reduced to manslaughter.
Last October, Abrams,
of Onion Field, La Bonne Intention (LBI), ECD, had appeared before Magistrate Fabayo Azore on a capital charge of murder, which alleged that she had murdered 40-year-old Michael Wilson at Lot 109 Sideline Dam, Golden Grove, ECD on October 10, 2022. She had not been required to enter a
plea, and had been remanded to prison.
However, when the matter was called for report and disclosure on Tuesday, February 28, 2023, the prosecutor informed the court that based on advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), the charge would be reduced to
Another Essequibo Coast taxi driver charged for rape
bail, and has adjourned the matter to March 21 for the prosecution to disclose statements on the defence.
On Tuesday, February 21, Navindra Latchman, a taxi driver of Queenstown, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), was arraigned for the offence of rape of a child under the age of 16. The 26-yearold was not required to plead to the indictable charge when he appeared before Suddie Magistrate Chrystel Lambert.
the lesser offence of manslaughter. As such, the murder charge was withdrawn and a charge for the lesser offence of manslaughter was instituted.
Abrams, who was represented by Attorney-at-Law Tuanna Hardy, was not required to plead to this indictable charge, which alleged
that she unlawfully killed Wilson. The case has been adjourned to March 8 for continuation at the Vigilance Magistrate’s Court.
According to the Police, the couple had often had domestic disputes over allegations of infidelity levelled against Abrams by her reputed husband. This, according to Police, had previously led to physical and verbal abuse against the woman.
Investigators have said that during one of the couple’s arguments, the woman had told the man that she was ending their relationship and would be moving back into her parents’ home. However, on the day in question, the couple had had another argument as the woman was packing her belongings to move out of the house.
Police said the man armed himself with a knife and assaulted the woman, causing her to receive injuries to her forearm. The woman eventually succeeded in disarming
Wilson and reportedly dealt him two stabs to his abdomen.
Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) were summoned and the man was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he died while receiving treatment. (G1)
Another taxi driver from the Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), has been charged with child rape. Parmanand Persaud, called “Latchman”, a 38-year-old resident of Sparta and of Windsor Castle, both Essequibo Coast communities, appeared on Tuesday before Ann Regina Magistrate Esther Sam on
an indictable charge of engaging in sexual activity with a child under the age of 16, contrary to section 16 (3) (a)of the Sexual Offences Act Chapter 8:03. He was not required to enter a plea.
It is alleged that he engaged in sexual activity with the minor between March 1 and 31, 2022 at Sparta, Essequibo Coast.
Magistrate Sam has placed Persaud on $150,00
The charge was filed under Section 10 (3) of the said Act, and Latchman was placed on $250,000 bail on condition that he relocate from Queenstown to Riverstown, Essequibo Coast, and not make any contact with the virtual complainant during the duration of the matter.
He had allegedly committed the offence in June 2022 at Queenstown, Essequibo Coast. His case has also been adjourned until March 21, and has been transferred before the Anna Regina Magistrate. (G1)
PPP/C Govt will ensure...
“Imagine where we would have been today if those miscreants were allowed to pervert the elections. We would have been a pariah state. We would have been blacklisted internationally. Caricom would have expelled [us]; Commonwealth may have done the same thing, the United Nations. It's horrendous to think what would have happened in Guyana if those miscreants, those perpetrators, were allowed to pursue and execute their plans and their agendas,” the AG contended.
Coming out of the March 2020 electoral debacle, some 32 electoral fraud cases have been filed in the Magistrate’s Court against several former Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) officials and political activists who are accused of being involved in the attempt to manipulate the results of the March 2 polls.
A National Recount, conducted under the auspices of Caricom, revealed that Clairmont Mingo, the former Returning Officer for Region Four – Guyana’s largest voting district – had heavily inflated the figures to give the
coalition a victory. However, the recount exercise also confirmed that the Dr Irfaan Ali-led PPP/C won the elections by over 15,000 votes.
Mingo – along with former Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield, former Deputy Chief Elections Officer Roxane Myers, and APNU/AFC activist Carol Smith-Joseph, APNU Executive Volda Lawrence and others – is currently facing electoral fraud charges in the courts.
Some of these charges were filed since 2021 and there have been concerns over the pace of these cases.
As a result, AG Nandlall has disclosed that he requested the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to get an update from the Special Prosecutors on these cases. He reassured citizens that once that report was obtained, the contents would be made public.
“I know the public is impatient… They want an update on the charges… I will make [the report] public, so that you will see where the charges are and why the charges have not been proceeding with the alacrity
FROM PAGE 3
that you think they should proceed with… because I can't answer for matters over which I have no control. I can’t direct how these cases are to be done. I can’t direct how they are to be concluded or conducted,” the Attorney General stressed.
Nevertheless, Nandlall pointed out that as Guyana gears up for another electoral cycle – Local Government Elections (LGE) slated for June 12 – the country needed to be on the lookout since many of the players who were involved in the 2020 elections were still around and active on the political scene.
“They are very much here and they are very much in politics, and they are very likely to resume that type of conduct or to repeat that type of conduct come a next election. So, as we approached March 2, let us not only celebrate elections and elections victory… let us reflect on the seriousness of what transpired there, and let us reflect on the strong likelihood of a reoccurrence and pledge that we will work fervently to ensure that that doesn't occur,” Nandlall implored. (G8)
9 THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM NEWS
Dead: Michael Wilson
Manslaughter accused Aquiella Abrams
Accused child rapist Parmanand Persaud
Accused child rapist Navindra Latchman
Chainsaw operator busted with 335.9g ganja
Achainsaw operator is now in Police custody after he was busted with 335.9 grams of marijuana on Wednesday morning.
Region Three Police ranks have said that, acting on information received, the 29-year-old man was busted with the cannabis at the Vreed-enHoop Stelling.
Reports are that at about 10:20h, ranks swooped down on the Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo resident as he was seated in the front passenger seat of a minibus. At the time, he had in his possession a green haversack on his shoulder, and a search carried out on his person and on that haversack unearthed
a black, bulky plastic bag with a number of leaves, seeds, and stems suspected to be cannabis. He was arrested, and escorted to the Vreeden-Hoop Police Station, where the suspected narcotics were weighed and amounted to 335.9 grams. The 29-year-old remains in custody pending the laying of charges. (G9)
10 THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM NEWS
The narcotic found by Police
Silica City will showcase Guyana as an example of tech-driven economy – Ali
…says BPOs have vital role to play in supporting such economies
lion that were awarded for infrastructural works under the Housing Ministry as
part of its work programme for 2023. Housing Minister Collin Croal at the signing
ceremony explained that significant investments will be made in key project ar-
eas – a major one being the Silica City project which will be inhabited by 2025.(G3)
The transformative Silica City, on which work is currently ongoing, will be an example to the world of Guyana and what can be achieved in a technology-driven society and economy. This is according to President Dr Irfaan Ali.
While speaking at the ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the expansion of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) company Teleperformance, the President noted that initiatives such as Silica City were linked to the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), which speaks of the development of a technology-driven society.
“We want this city to be a smart city. Already, we are talking to international players on having an innovative village within the city itself. And the services you provide will be of tremendous support for the development of this city.
“So, that is one of the most demonstrative physical infrastructures that will showcase Guyana, as a leading example of a tech-driven economy in the future. And all I’m speaking about is captured in the Low Carbon Development Strategy,” President Ali further explained.
Preliminary works at the Government’s model Silica City on the LindenSoesdyke Highway has commenced to pave the way for the construction of the first 100 homes. Works at the site commenced on January 14, 2023, by one of two contractors, Geraldo Alphonso.
Silica City, Guyana’s first smart urban centre, is intended to be a smart city, powered by renewable energy and developed with the Administration’s revised LCDS; the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and Goal 11 of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which speaks to building sustainable cities and com-
munities in mind.
Silica City will initially cater for just over 3000 households in the first five years, and eventually grow to house more than 12,500 households when completed. The first phase of the project will see an initial 400 young professional homes being constructed. It was previously reported that the Housing Ministry had already begun shortlisting persons for these homes.
President Ali, during a recent visit to Kuru Kururu, told the residents that soon construction would commence on the first 100 homes within the city and there would be employment opportunities for young people.
“[For those] who want to work in the construction sector, we are building a number of houses in this area… 100 homes we starting [to construct] very soon. They need workers. They need skilled, semi-skilled, and unskilled workers,” he noted.
The Head of State had engaged residents from a number of communities and squatter settlements on the highway during which he announced three new regularised housing developments would be established along the major roadway – a move that wouldimprove the lives of residents there.
The Guyanese leader had explained to the residents that owing to the development of Silica City along the Linden-Soesdyke Highway, the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GL&SC) team will have to examine the plan for the project and ascertain whether the squatting area falls within the boundaries of it.
Only last week, a whopping $2.1 billion contact was inked to develop Silica City during a contract-signing ceremony at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC).
This is one of the 126 contracts exceeding $56 bil-
11 THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM NEWS
President Dr Irfaan Ali
12 THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM
13 THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM
2 dead, 1 injured after car & bike collide in Berbice
…5 motorcyclists die on Corentyne Highway in 5 weeks
Thirty-year-old Devindra Lakhraj, a beverage distribution agent of Rahaman Street Corriverton, and 24-yearold Ronny Persaud, a spray painter of Springlands, are now dead following their involvement in an accident on Tuesday, February 28, along the Number 79 Village public road in Corriverton, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne).
Reports are that these two men were travelling on a motorcycle that Lakhraj was driving with Persaud as the pillion rider. They were proceeding north along the western side of the Number 79 Public Road at a fast rate of speed, and neither of them was wearing a safety helmet.
A motorcar occupied by the driver and a passenger was proceeding south along the eastern lane of that said road when, at around 22:00hrs, the bike allegedly collided with the front of the
motorcar, and the biker and his pillion rider were sent flying.
Having sustained severe injuries to their heads and other parts of their bodies, the biker and pillion rider, along with the driver and passenger of the motorcar, were taken to the Skeldon
Public Hospital, where the two bikers were pronounced dead on arrival.
According to Persaud’s mother, Ramkumari Persaud, the two friends had gone to a pre-Phagwah event, and might have been heading home when the crash occurred.
“He say he going and visit his friend ‘Lil Boy’, ‘and when I come back I would eat’, but he never came back. I didn’t see him back until last night [Tuesday night when] I see him on the table,” she related.
And Lakhraj’s wife, Alfazeema Ally, said she did not know where her husband had left to go. According to the cook, she was at work when he called to find out what time she was coming off from work; and when that time arrived, he called again and she informed him that she would be working late.
“When I try to call him back, I did not get through, and at about 11 O’clock, somebody called me and told me that he meet up with an accident,” she explained. She said that when she arrived at the hospital, she was informed that her husband had died.
“His lip buss up, the skin on his foot come off, and his two feet brake up,” the woman said as she described the injuries she saw on her husband’s body.
She said Lakhraj had owned the bike for more than one year.
2nd child to die
Meanwhile, Persaud said it was the second child she had lost within six months. And since August, the nowdead pillion rider had been comforting her and had spent every night very close to her.
“I had three sons. Last August I bury one, and now again ah got to bury a next one. I don’t know if I can make this,” the grieving mother said as she burst
into tears.
Meanwhile, Police have said the 39-year-old passenger of the car, a resident of Crabwood Creek, Corentyne, was later transferred to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital, and admitted a patient suffering from head injuries.
The driver of the motorcar is in custody.
Corentyne Highway accidents
Over the past five weeks, several motorcyclists have died as a result of crashes on the Corentyne Highway.
On January 27, Noel Channan, also called “Titoo Bai,” 23, a tattoo artist and labourer of Ankerville, Port Mourant, Corentyne, died after the motorcycle he was riding crashed into a parked car along the Alness Public Road.
Prior to the accident, he had been imbibing as part of his birthday celebrations, and was reportedly doing a stunt on the bike when he lost control of the vehicle and it slammed into a car.
On February 8, Kelon Scott 24, of Limlair Village,
Corentyne, crashed into a parked lorry at Auchlyne. A part of the motorcycle’s handle went through the man’s leg, making it impossible for residents to remove him and take him to a medical facility.
On February 13, Vickram Basdeo, also called ‘Boyo’, 27, of Number 71 Village, Corentyne Berbice, was killed after a car ended up in his lane and crashed into his motorcycle. The pillion rider was injured in that crash.
On February 18, Altar Lalman died after crashing his motorcycle into a car at Linepath, Skeldon.
Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken has expressed concern over the use of the country’s roadways by this category of road users.
“We are going to step up the enforcement, it is necessary for us to do that. The category of road users that is giving us problems is the motorcyclist; so we are going to start a campaign, but we are going to enforce and sensitise them in terms of how they should use the road,” the Top Cop said on Monday. (G4)
260 rounds of AK-47 ammunition found in Linden
Police made a major find on Wednesday when they found a bag containing 260 suspected AK-47 rounds of ammunition at Kara Kara Creek, South Amelia’s Ward, Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).
According to Police, between 16:00h and 17:00h, a party of Policemen acting on information received that there were unknown
persons at Kara Kara Creek, with large bags, went into the area to investigate.
The Police said that they immediately proceeded to the area to search for wanted persons, drugs, firearms and ammunition. At Kara Kara Creek, the ranks found one orange Karibee Rice bag tucked away in the trunk of one of the many trees inter-
spersed among thick vegetation. Police said that the bag was opened and found to contain a blue cloth bag with 260 rounds of suspected AK-47 ammunition with the markings NK 1976 at the base.
The ammunition was taken to the Mackenzie Police Station in Linden. An investigation has been launched. No one has been arrested so far.
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NEWS
THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM
Grieving mother Ramkumari Persaud, who has lost her second son in six months
Dead: Devindra Lakhraj Dead: Ronny Persaud
The ammunition that was found by Police
Ramsammy’s Ruminations
An all-female surgical team is blazing new paths at GPHC, an achievement few countries can boast of. A few weeks ago, Guyana’s Gudakesh Motie spun his way into Cricket West Indies’ record books with the best ever spin bowling feat in the history of West Indies Test cricket.
Last week, a Guyanese girl blazed her way to the championship in 800-metre racing in the Big Twelve in the US, an incubator for world champions. Anna Regina Multilateral is Caricom’s School of the Year 2022. Guyanese students dominated CXC 2022. President Irfaan Ali is a global leader for the world’s most aggressive regional food security plan, the 25X25 Initiative.
Local Content Certificate Ramps Logistics discontinues claim for damages against Govt …to pursue costs instead
Dr Leslie Ramsammy
This is our Guyana, and the naysayers’ constant efforts to diminish our country is unable to taint our stardom.
Last week, on an official visit to Guyana, Lord Zac Goldsmith, the UK’s Minister of State for Overseas Territories, Commonwealth, Energy, Climate and Environment, enthusiastically declared that Guyana is a world leader when it comes to conservation of our environment. Guyana has been recognized before for its leadership in conservation of our natural environment. In 2010, the UN named President Bharrat Jagdeo “Champion of the Earth” for his leadership in conservation. Late last year, Guyana became the first country certified as an Architecture for REDD+ Transactions (ART) country with exportable carbon credits. Recently, Guyana became the first country in the Americas to introduce MAXAR Technologies Crow’s Nest, providing Guyana with satellite capabilities to monitor oil and gas vessels operating offshore, and also logging activities onshore.
Last year, Guyana’s economy (GDP) grew at an unprecedented 63% to lead the world by far. This year, it is projected that Guyana’s GDP will by over 23%, and is expected to be the world’s leader in this regard again. It is expected that by the end of 2024, Guyana’s economy will expand a further 50% of what it was at the end of 2022. But the remarkable thing is that if we leave out OIL and GAS, Guyana still leads the world. Guyana is showing that while OIL and GAS can propel a country’s economic fortunes, it does not need to be merely an OIL and GAS economy. Based on size, Guyana is a leader in carbon credit resources. The US$220M earned between 2010 and 2014 from Norway from carbon credit sales and the more recent US$750M carbon credit sales to Hess Corporation now establish Guyana as the only country presently where carbon credit sales represent a significant part of a country’s economy. Soon VIASAT’s satellite over Guyana will add to the growth of the communication industry. In the meanwhile, the growth of the service industry is significantly contributing to the growth of GDP in Guyana.
Not to be outdone, the traditional economy is consolidating its place as a foundation of the long-term economy. Guyana’s agriculture industry continues to grow as the country attempts to build a food security base as part of our growing economy. Guyana wants to lead Caricom in reducing and even eliminating its dependence on imported food from outside the Region. The 25X25 Food Security Initiative is trying to ensure that, by 2025, Caricom can reduce food imports from outside of Caricom by 25%. More than 1,000 acres of corn and soya have been harvested already in 2022. In 2023, more than 2,000 acres of soya will be harvested at a yield that is comparable to the best-yielding soya countries in the world. This means that Guyana is already on the road to eliminating soya import, and therefore reducing the cost of stockfeed. Before long, Guyana will add to its list of exports by exporting and earning from soya. Even as this new crop for Guyana’s agriculture industry begins to flourish, Guyana, led by President Irfaan Ali, is introducing a new crop for this region – millet. Working with India, Guyana is adding millet to its large-scale crop production.
When the PPP and President Ali, during the 2020 elections campaign, promised they would ensure 50,000 new house lots are distributed between 2020 and 2025, the naysayers dismissed it as impossible. Yet, halfway along, Guyana expects to surpass the target. Despite the naysayers, the Guyanese people are believers. Even more important, almost 100% of house-lot owners have constructed or/are constructing their homes. This little country is teaching the world how to ensure that every family has a home of its own. Decades ago, Forbes Burnham promised to “Feed, Clothe and House the Nation”. For decades, Burnham led the country into poverty, with housing an impossible dream, citizens depending on barrels coming in from the diaspora for clothing and food. Now President Ali is leading his country with a housing programme that is the envy of nations in Caricom and the world over.
In all of this, Guyana, which in 1992 was among a handful of countries that were bankrupt by a debt burden of more than 750% its GDP and a debt servicing charge that consumed almost its entire foreign currency earnings on an annual basis, is presently among only a handful of countries that almost have no debt. One year of OIL earning now can wipe out Guyana’s debt. Guyana is demonstrating to countries around the world that it is possible to transform itself from a debt-ridden, bankrupt country to one that has no debt wrapped around its neck so tight that it suffocates. It is no joke, one of the global basket-case in the early 1990s is now a world leader in innovation and development.
Ramps Logistics
(Guyana), which has been successful in its legal battle against the Government of Guyana for a Local Content Certificate, has decided to withdraw its application for damages, and will instead only pursue costs.
This position was communicated to acting Chief Justice Roxane George, SC, by one of the company’s lawyers, Ron Motilall, on Wednesday at the Demerara High Court. At a hearing in January, Justice George had given Motilall up to February 28, 2023 to report on whether the company would pursue its claim for costs and damages against the Government.
Addressing the court virtually, Motilall indicated that while Ramps Logistics intends to discontinue its claim for damages, the issue of costs has not been settled between the parties.
Considering this, he requested that costs be assessed in accordance with the applicable Civil Procedure Rules, since attempts to resolve same via letters have not been “fruitful”. He gave no reason for this course of action.
Representing the Government, Solicitor General Nigel Hawke has said Government remains open to amicable settlements rather than litigation. Another report hearing is set for March 23 at 11:30h.
Background
After a brief court battle with the Government, Ramps Logistics was issued its Local Content Certificate on Monday, November 14, 2022 in keeping with an order by Justice George.
The company, whose parent is Trinidadian, had initially applied for certification in April 2022, but that application was refused on June 8, 2022 after
The irrelevant factors to which she had alluded included the criminal charges against Ramps Logistics for making false declarations to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), which were instituted in October 2022, several months after the company had submitted its application, and a mere five days after the company had mounted its judicial review action in September of that year.
the Government had determined that it had failed to meet the requirements of the Local Content Act 2021.
The company had then reapplied, but had never received a response. Maintaining that it had met all the requirements of the Act, including being a local company incorporated under the Companies Act and beneficially owned by Guyanese nationals, Ramps Logistics filed judicial review proceedings against Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat, Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC, and Director of the Local Content Secretariat, Dr Martin Pertab (respondents).
The Act defines beneficial ownership as owning 51 per cent of the company. Also, a local company is expected to have Guyanese in at least 75 per cent of executive and senior management positions, and at least 90 per cent in non-managerial and other positions.
In its application, the company had said that it is a “Guyanese company”, and had contended that the Natural Resources Minister’s decision to refuse its application was not only “unlawful, unreasonable and arbitrary”, but breached the Local Content Act.
“Guyanese company”
Finding that the company had indeed met the requirements for being a “Guyanese company”, the Chief Justice had ordered Pertab to certify the company by noon on November 14, failing which would have resulted in him being held in contempt of court and fined.
Besides finding that Minister Bharrat had no authority under the Local Content Act to decide whether to grant or refuse certification, Justice George had found that Pertab had considered irrelevant matters in deciding to refuse the company’s application.
Particulars of the charges stated that between 2021 and 2022, at GRA’s Camp Street, Georgetown Headquarters, the company had made several false declarations for consideration of a customs officer on an application presented for tax exemption on items.
Representing the respondents, whom the Chief Justice held had fallen “woefully short” of countering the company’s application, was Solicitor General Nigel Hawke and other counsel from the Attorney General’s Chambers.
Hawke had conceded that Ramps Logistics had indeed satisfied the requirements for registration in the Local Content Register, but had said that consideration of the company’s resubmitted application was halted pending the hearing and determination of those criminal charges.
While the law does not stipulate that a criminal charge is a ground upon which a company can be refused certification, Hawke had argued that considering this goes towards the company’s conduct, especially since the allegations levelled against Ramps Logistics involved tax evasion.
He had submitted that not being Local Contentcertified does not prevent the company from operating in the oil and gas sector, but rather just limits what it can and cannot do.
The Chief Justice, however, in her ruling, had questioned the Local Content Secretariat’s rationale for refusing to grant the company the certificate.
“It’s just a charge; it hasn’t been proven,” she had told Hawke while reminding him of the presumption of innocence principle in the Constitution of Guyana.
Justice George had reasoned that the company cannot be denied a Local Content Certificate on a basis that is not set out in the Local Content Act and given the above constitutional parameters. According to her, the Local Content law provides a simple regime for registration once a company
satisfies the criteria.
After reviewing the relevant documents submitted by Ramps Logistics, the Chief Justice had ruled that the company had satisfied all the requirements and preconditions required by the law -- in this case, being a Guyanese company — for the issuance of the certificate.
“There is no evidence submitted by the respondents to counter the information provided by [Ramps Logistics], which I have concluded satisfies the requirements of the Local Content Act. Mr Pertab, from his Affidavit in Defence, refers to a Form C — a list of requirements that have no statutory basis. He also refers to charges by the Guyana Revenue Authority, which are irrelevant to the determination of an application under the Local Content Act,” Justice George had held.
As a “Guyanese company”, the Chief Justice had declared, Ramps Logistics is entitled to be issued with a certificate, and to be entered into the Local Content Register. She had found that Minister Bharrat had breached the Local Content Act when he refused to certify the company.
The Government had signalled its intention to appeal the Chief Justice’s decision.
Divested ownership
At a press conference, Shaun Rampersad, Chief Executive Officer (CEO)of Ramps Logistics (Guyana), had related that the company divested 51 per cent ownership of its Guyana operations to Trinidad-based investor Deepak Lall, who has Guyanese parentage, to bring its operations in compliance with the Local Content Law.
Lall’s grandfather and father are both Guyanaborn, but migrated in 1961, and the family now operates an oil and gas company in the Caribbean out of Trinidad. (G1)
15 THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2023| GUYANATIMESGY.COM NEWS
The views expressed in this column are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Guyana Times’ editorial policy and stance
Guyana is a world leader – it’s not just us, the whole world is saying so
Ramps Logistics (Guyana) Chief Executive Officer Shaun Rampersad
Chief Justice(ag) Roxane George, SC
Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat
THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2023| GUYANATIMESGY.COM
Govt dialysis support programme
“I feel without this, I would have already been in my box”– recipient …as
over $50M paid out to 84 patients
In keeping with its commitment to provide annual cash disbursements to assist persons with their dialysis treatment, Government on Tuesday distributed cheques to the tune of $600,000 each to 84 haemodialysis patients to help subsidise their expenses this year.
The Administration has allocated $863 million in Budget 2023 to support those in need of this critical medical treatment under its Dialysis Support Programme.
Tuesday’s distribution exercise, which saw the payout of some $50.4 million at the Health Ministry on Brickdam, Georgetown, was the first for this year. Of the 84 beneficiaries, 15 are new patients.
According to Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony, this initiative is geared at providing financial support to persons suffering from kidney failure who require dialysis, a much-needed treatment for the management of their condition.
Previous statistics indicate that 50 per cent of di-
alysis patients are admitted to hospitals owing to various treatment constraints. Some persons would require such a procedure three times per week.
“Last year we introduce a programme, where persons who are affected by kidney failure and have end-stage kidney disease receive an annual subsidy of $600,000, and I am very pleased that we will soon be paying out over $50M which will benefit some 84 patients,” Dr Anthony said.
While appealing to the general public to get registered if they require dialysis support, the Minister indicated that more persons were expected to benefit during the year.
“As far as I am aware, the reaction from most of the patients is that this has been quite helpful to most of them, because, with the amount of money we are now giving them, they can now access dialysis treatment in the various regions,” Dr Anthony pointed out.
The Health Minister highlighted that through
close collaboration with Private Sector agencies, dialysis services have now been expanded to Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara), Four (Demerara-Mahaica) and 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) compared to previous years where patients requiring dialysis were forced to travel to the capital city to seek treatment.
Meanwhile, 27-yearold Christopher Sukha was pleased to have uplifted his cheque from the Ministry’s accounts department earlier Tuesday morning.
“This $600,000 will help me out a lot, because I lost both my parents and I currently live with my aunt who cannot support me, because this is an expensive procedure,” Sukha said.
Another dialysis patient, Neville Porter, 56, credited the kind gesture from the Government of Guyana as the reason he was still alive today.
“This subvention is a major help; I feel without this, I would have already been in
Guard feared drowned after falling into Demerara River
Asecurity guard that is attached to a private security firm is feared dead after he slipped into the Demerara River on Wednesday morning while on duty.
The missing man is Zephyr Stanislaus, a father of one, of Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara (WCD).
Guyana Times was informed that Stanislaus was guarding a vessel and was stationed at the Guyana Rubis Incorporated, located at Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD) when the incident occurred.
Reports are that around 04:00h, Stanislaus, who was on guard inside the vessel, was seen climbing down the ladder to board a marine boat.
It was during that process that the security guard accidentally slipped and fell into the Demerara River. The man shortly after went underwater and did not surface.
Up to press time on
Wednesday, officials said that they were still searching for Stanislaus.
Meanwhile, in an interview with this publication, the man’s aunt said that they were praying that he was found alive. She said that based on her knowledge it was her nephew’s first
night on the job, and the incident was unfortunate.
“We are in hope that his body will be found soon…the speculations leave us with many unanswered questions, we don’t exactly know what went wrong causing this tragedy,” the woman said. (G9)
my box (casket) already,” he stressed.
For Rajdai Rafikan, a 69-year-old widower, “the money is needed because the cost of taking dialysis is very expensive”. This initiative, she said, will ease the burden on her only daughter, from whom she would usually solicit financial assistance to meet her weekly dialysis needs.
If a person has Chronic
Kidney Disease (CKD), the kidneys are unable to filter the blood to remove harmful waste products and excess fluids which are turned into urine to be passed out of the body. Dialysis treatment then becomes an alternative procedure to remove waste products and excess fluids from the blood when the kidneys stop working properly.
It is a process that involves diverting blood to a machine
to be cleaned.
Last year, some 327 patients benefited from the annual $600,000 payout. This initiative was first announced in Budget 2022. At the time, some $180 million in support for dialysis patients were set aside.
Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh had stated that, there were a “…the number of persons currently receiving dialysis treatment, many of whom are young people still in the prime of their lives, but oftentimes struggling to meet the cost of their treatment. To this end, we will introduce a Dialysis Support Programme under which we will finance up to $600,000 per annum worth of dialysis treatment for each and every dialysis patient in Guyana.”
Persons requiring support for dialysis treatment can contact the Ministry’s Medical Treatment Department on 225-0113 for more information on how they can receive financial assistance. (G8)
CANU busts Mahaicony man with $643,200 worth of cannabis
Ranks of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) on Monday intercepted a motorcar in the vicinity of Hill Street in Lodge, between Durban and Norton Streets, Georgetown, and found therein some five pounds of marijuana. The driver of that car, a 31-yearold man of Fellowship, Mahaicony, ECD, has consequently been arrested.
Reports are that CANU officers intercepted motorcar PZZ 2006, and a subsequent search of the vehicle revealed two brick-like parcels suspected to be cannabis. The driver was arrested and escorted to CANU Headquarters along with
the suspected narcotic, which tested positive for cannabis weighing approximately 5lbs (2.144 kg) and having a street value of $643,200.
Investigations are ongoing.
Only a few days ago, CANU ranks intercepted a man in Albert Street Georgetown, between Regent and Charlotte Streets, with a quantity of cocaine. The suspect, 44-yearold Eduardo Alexander Moore of Lusignan, East Coast Demerara, had previously been convicted of trafficking marijuana.
CANU said its officers were conducting an opera-
tion in the vicinity of Albert Street, Georgetown when they intercepted a male carrying a backpack. A search of the backpack led to the discovery of two brick-like parcels suspected to be cocaine. The suspect was arrested and the narcotic, when weighed approximated 5.3lbs (2.382kg) , which has a street value of $2.3 million.
According to CANU, Moore is no stranger to the anti-narcotics agency, having been arrested and charged in 2019 for trafficking 117 pounds of marijuana, and later being sentenced to three years’ imprisonment therefor. (G9)
16
NEWS
The marijuana found by CANU ranks
A dialysis patient receiving his cheque from Chief Medical Officer, Dr Narine Singh
Missing: Zephyr Stanislaus
Science 23) D 24) D 25)A 26)A 27)B 28)A 29)D 30) B 31) B Last published Anwsers Last published Anwsers Social Studies 23) B 24) D 25) C 26) A 27)C 28)C 29) A 30) B 31) C 32) D 33) B
Permission needed for exclusive use of USD to do business in Guyana – AG
…says businesses cannot demand payments in USD for local transactions
With the increase of overseas-based businesses in Guyana, persons or companies operating here cannot insist on the use of foreign currency for transactions in the country unless permission is granted by Government.
This is according to Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall during his weekly programme “Issues In The News”.
Commenting on the fact that some companies are demanding that all transactions be done in United
States dollars, the Attorney General said this is unlawful.
“There are businesses in Guyana, whatever services they are offering or whatever they are selling, they are insisting that the transactions be done only in US dollars. Ipso facto and prima fa-
Montevideo Consensus on Population & Development
Guyana preparing 2nd report with civil society stakeholders' consultations
cie that is not permissible,” he contended.
According to Nandlall, under the laws of Guyana, the Guyana dollar remains the valid legal tender for transactions being done in Guyana.
In the same breath, however, the AG explained that there are provisions in the law that permit persons or businesses to trade in either Guyana dollars or US dollars converted at a rate agreed upon by the parties.
tenants insist on paying in US dollars.
AG Nandlall went on to outline, nevertheless, that the exclusive use of foreign currency can only be done with special permission from the Finance Minister under the Foreign Exchange (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act. These persons/businesses will have to submit an application to the Minister.
been dismissed by Bank of Guyana (BoG) Governor, Dr Gobind Ganga, who contends that there is enough. In a statement from the Department of Public Information (DPI), it was noted that “…the banking system, with an average monthly turnover in excess of USD500 million, has an adequate supply of US dollars to meet demand. As of February 22, 2023, the banking system had USD 99.5 million available for transactions.”
According to the BoG, while the available funds are not evenly distributed among the banks, there is enough to cover the cash flow needs of transactions arising from businesses in Guyana.
Gail Teixeira
Guyana is present-
ly preparing its second report for the United Nations Montevideo Consensus on Population and Development, with the consultative aspect of that preparation ongoing.
Consultations on the Montevideo Consensus on Population and Development got underway at the Cara Lodge on Wednesday.
During the consultation, the Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Ministry hosted civil society stakeholders.
It was explained by the Ministry in a subsequent statement that they were presently preparing Guyana’s second report on the consensus. As such, they have to engage key stakeholders in a participatory and inclusive way. The whole process is being supported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
“The Ministry is currently in the process of preparing Guyana’s second report on the Consensus. This report is being composed through a participatory and inclusive approach, in which all key actors are being engaged through a series of consultations.
“State party report-
ing on the Montevideo Consensus on Population and Development is one of the numerous human rights treaty reporting responsibilities of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance. This process is being further supported by UNFPA Guyana,” the Ministry added.
The Montevideo Consensus draws its name from the fact that the first regional conference on the Consensus was held in Montevideo, Uruguay in 2013. The Consensus was adopted by countries in Latin America and the Caribbean since then.
The Consensus is an agreement to prioritise various development areas from the perspective of the population. These areas include reaffirming Indigenous rights, increasing gender quality and eliminating gender-based violence.
Only last year, Guyana was favourably ranked on the Global Gender Gap Report 2022 produced by the Switzerland-based World Economic Forum, with the report listing Guyana at 35 out of 146 countries and second in the Caribbean for reducing gender inequality.
According to the report, Guyana received a score of 0.752. The report notes that Guyana’s score is a 0.024 improvement on its 2021 index score. Barbados, ranked at number 30 with a score of 0.765, was the only Caribbean country to be ranked above Guyana.
Meanwhile, Jamaica, which was ranked at 38 with a score of 0.749, was the next closest country. When it comes to the entire Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region, Guyana is
ranked number six.
The report notes that in Guyana, men and women have near equal rights when it comes to access to financial services, as well as access to land and non-land assets. Meanwhile, there are equal rights to inheritances for widows and daughters.
When it comes to education and skills, there were only three categories where more men than women existed in the workforce. For instance, 38.2 per cent of the workforce in agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary sciences are women, compared to 61.7 per cent men.
In Information and Communications Technology (ICT), 73 per cent of the workforce are men and 26.5 per cent, women. And in engineering, manufacturing and construction, 77.6 per cent of the workforce are men and 22.3 per cent, women.
However, in health and welfare, the report lists the workforce as 84.4 per cent women and 15.5 per cent men. In education, the workforce was listed as 88.5 per cent women and 11.4 per cent men. Business, administration and law had a 68.7 per cent female to 31.2 per cent male workforce, and in arts and humanities, the workforce was 89.6 per cent female and 10.3 per cent male.
The social sciences, journalism and information sectors meanwhile have a workforce that was 81.7 per cent female and 18.2 per cent male. And significantly less skewed was the natural sciences, mathematics and statistics sector, with 53.3 per cent of the workforce female and 46.6 per cent male. (G3)
“So, one can transact business in either Guyana Dollar or its equivalent in US Dollar, so that is permissible. What is not permissible, however, is the insistence on the exclusive use of a foreign currency to conduct a transaction in Guyana,” Nandlall noted.
Further explaining this, he pointed out to <<<Guyana Times>> that this provision goes both ways. Using the example of rental of properties, the AG stated that the landlords usually quote the rates in US dollars but they cannot insist on being paid in that currency nor can the
“It is indeed permissible, but one must get the approval, one must get the permission of the Minister of Finance to deal exclusively in foreign currency. To insist that transactions must be done exclusively in foreign currency without an approval from the Minister of Finance would be unlawful,” the Attorney General stressed.
But even as reports surface of some businesses insisting on the use of foreign currency for transactions here, there have been several complaints over the past weeks by local companies of a shortage of US dollars in Guyana.
This claim, however, has
It noted that cash flowing to the banks is cyclical; as such there will be periods of excess liquidity and periods when there will be a limited supply. Nevertheless, the central bank said it would continue to monitor the foreign currency position in Guyana to ensure there was no disruption nor adverse impact on economic activities.
Dr Ganga had previously indicated that some banks could be “hoarding” their foreign currency which could be the cause of the apparent “shortage”.
Only last week, key Private Sector players said they wrote the Guyana Association of Bankers Inc (GABI) to have discussions on this matter. (G8)
DNA test confirms decomposed body found in trench is Reonol Williams’
Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum has revealed that overseas DNA testing corroborates that the decomposed body found in a trench in the vicinity of Coldingen Koker, East Coast Demerara (ECD) in June 2022 was that of Reonol Williams.
In May 2022, Williams, 50, a construction worker of Lot 5 Church Road, Enmore, ECD, could not be located after he was involved in an accident along the Enmore Public Road, ECD.
The badly-decomposed body was in June 2022 recovered by a team of investigators from Criminal Investigations Department headquarters, and later examined by a pathologist.
An autopsy was conducted and the cause of death was established to be that of multiple injuries as a result of a motor vehicular accident.
However, owing to the advanced state of decomposition of the body, DNA testing was necessary to confirm its identity.
As a consequence, on September 19, 2022, investigators took bone samples
from the body.
Also, swab samples were taken from family members of Williams for DNA testing to be conducted.
These samples were tested overseas, and the results confirmed that the body was that of Williams.
It was reported that Williams was missing since May 23. He was struck down by a motor car along the ECD Public Road.
The driver of the vehicle had picked up the injured man under the pretext of taking him to a hospital, but he was not seen nor heard from since the accident.
Family members had checked all the hospitals along the East Coast of Demerara
and in Georgetown, but the man was not found.
The owner of the vehicle, Daniel Melbourne, was questioned and released by Police but as public pressure mounted, ranks of the Major Crimes Unit picked up the case, and Melbourne was rearrested.
It was the car owner who led detectives to the scene where the decomposed body of the man was found.
Under further questioning, the owner of the vehicle admitted to dumping the man’s body.
Melbourne was remanded to prison after he was charged with several offences in relation to the death of Williams.
18 THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM NEWS
Dead: Reonol Williams Charged: Daniel Melbourne
Governance and Parliamentary Affairs Minister
A section of the stakeholders that participated in the session
Oil settled up as rising supplies face Chinese demand hopes
Oil prices settled up slightly on Wednesday as signs of ample supply, including growing US crude inventories, offset growing hopes for higher demand after a jump in manufacturing in top crude importer China.
Brent crude futures settled up 86 cents, or one per cent, to US$84.31 a barrel. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) settled up 64 cents, or 0.8 per cent, to US$77.69.
US crude inventories rose by 1.2 million barrels last week to 480.2 million barrels, the highest level since May 2021, Government data showed, beating analyst expectations of a 457,000-barrel rise. It was the 10th straight weekly increase.
"Until this supply overhang is able to narrow amidst some decline in Cushing, US crude supply trends could further limit additional price upside," said Jim Ritterbusch, President of Ritterbusch and Associates in Galena, Illinois. Cushing, Oklahoma is the hub for US crude storage.
A widening discount of WTI to Brent contributed to a jump in US crude exports last week to a record high 5.6 million barrels per day, which resulted in a smaller build than in previous weeks, according to UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo.
In other signs of ample supply, Russia's oil production reached the pre-sanctions level for the first time in February, the Kommersant business daily reported. The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries' production also rose in February, a Reuters survey showed.
"China's economy is rebounding now, and this can only be a positive driver for oil prices," said Stephen Brennock of oil broker PVM, adding that resilient Russian supply is keeping buying interest at bay.
Russia's second-largest oil producer Lukoil has set up shipto-ship (STS) loadings of Urals oil near the western port of Kaliningrad, Refinitiv Eikon data showed and trading sources told Reuters.
STS loadings of Russian Urals crude hit a record high in the Mediterranean in January as traders moved cargoes onto larger vessels to make long-haul shipments to Asia more costeffective.
An official index showed China's manufacturing activity expanded in February at the fastest pace in more than a decade, feeding hopes for a boost in oil demand.
While China's official manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) climbed to 52.6 last month from 50.1 in January, a Private Sector survey also showed activity rising for the first time in seven months.
"Another round of upside surprise in China's PMI further provides conviction of a stronger-than-expected recovery, which supports a more optimistic oil demand outlook," said Yeap Jun Rong, market strategist at IG. (Reuters)
Around the World
38 dead in Greek train crash; Transport Minister resigns
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has blamed human error for a collision between two trains that killed at least 38 persons, in the country’s worst rail tragedy that triggered the resignation of the Transport Minister.
The crash took place outside the central city of Larissa late on Tuesday, when a passenger train heading from the capital, Athens, to Thessaloniki collided with a cargo train travelling from the northern city.
Some of the passenger carriages exploded in flames from the impact.
“Everything shows that the drama was, sadly, mainly due to a tragic human error,” Mitsotakis, who is seeking re-election this year, said in a televised address on Wednesday.
Rail operator Hellenic Train reported about 350 people had been on the passenger train, which left Athens at 19:22h.
Greece’s Transport Minister, Kostas Karamanlis resigned after visiting the site of the crash, saying he felt it was his “duty” to step down.
“The pain is unspeakable,” he said. “When something so tragic happens, it is not possible to carry on as if nothing happened.
“I consider it a necessary element of our democracy that the citizens of our country trust the political system. This is called political responsibility.”
At least 66 people were injured in the crash, including six in intensive care, while about 250 passengers, some with minor injuries, were evacuated safely by bus to
Thessaloniki, about 130 kilometres (80 miles) away.
Hospital units used to treat burn victims in the area were alerted and dozens of ambulances were dispatched to the scene.
“We heard a big bang, [it was] 10 nightmarish seconds,” said Stergios Minenis, a 28-year-old passenger who jumped to safety from the wreckage. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)
FBI Director Christopher Wray has said that the bureau believes COVID-19 most likely originated in a Chinese Governmentcontrolled lab.
"The FBI has for quite some time now assessed that the origins of the pandemic are most likely a potential lab incident," he told Fox News.
It is the first public confirmation of the FBI's classified judgement of how the pandemic virus emerged.
Many scientists point out there is no evidence that it leaked from a lab.
And other US
Government agencies have drawn differing conclusions to the FBI's.
Some of them have said – but with a low level of certainty – that the virus did not start in a lab, but instead jumped from animals to humans.
The White House has said there is no consensus across the US Government on the origins.
A joint China-World Health Organisation (WHO) investigation in 2021 called the lab leak theory "extremely unlikely".
However, the WHO investigation was deeply criticised and its Director
US authorities believe it is "very unlikely" that a mysterious illness dubbed "Havana Syndrome" is caused by a hostile foreign power.
Since 2016, US diplomats around the globe have reported feeling symptoms, fuelling suggestions that Russia, China or other countries could be behind it.
While the US now discounts that theory, no other explanation has been given.
The phenomenon gets its name from Cuba's capital,
where the first case was detected.
On Wednesday, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) released an unclassified assessment reflecting the view of seven Government agencies which reviewed more than 1500 "anomalous health incidents" across over 90 countries. The victims have included intelligence officers, military and State Department staff and high-level aides
FBI Chief says COVID origin most likely lab leak
General has since called for a new inquiry, saying: "All hypotheses remain open and require further study."
Wray's comments come a day after the US Ambassador to China called for the country to "be more honest" about COVID's origins.
In his interview on Tuesday, Wray said China "has been doing its best to try to thwart and obfuscate" efforts to identify the source of the global pandemic.
He said details of the agency's investigation were classified, but the FBI had a team of experts focusing on the dangers of biological
threats.
In response, Beijing accused Washington of "political manipulation".
"The conclusions they have reached have no credibility to speak of," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning.
Some studies suggest the virus made the leap from animals to humans in Wuhan, China, possibly at the city's seafood and wildlife market.
The market is near a world-leading virus laboratory, the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which conducted research into coronaviruses.
(Excerpt from BBC News)
to Government figures such as Vice President Kamala Harris.
Of the seven participating agencies, five agreed that "available intelligence consistently points against the involvement of US adversaries in causing the reported incidents" and that it is "very unlikely".
Levels of confidence between participating agencies, however, varied. The report noted that two agencies have "moderate-to-high" confidence in the assessment, while three have
"moderate" confidence.
"One agency judges it is only unlikely a foreign adversary played a role and has only low confidence in this judgement," the assessment noted.
American personnel that have been struck by "Havana Syndrome" have reported dizziness, headaches and an intense and painful sound in their ears. In addition to Cuba, cases have been reported in Geneva, Berlin and elsewhere. (Excerpt from BBC News)
Havana Syndrome unlikely to have hostile cause, US says US seeks allies' backing for possible China sanctions over Ukraine war – sources
The United States is sounding out close allies about the possibility of imposing new sanctions on China if Beijing provides military support to Russia for its war in Ukraine, according to four US officials and other sources.
The consultations, which are still at a preliminary stage, are intended to drum up support from a range of countries, especially those in the wealthy Group of 7 (G7), to coordinate support for any possible restrictions.
It was not clear what specific sanctions Washington will propose. The conversations have not been previously disclosed.
The US Treasury Department, a lead agency on the imposition of sanctions, declined to comment.
Washington and its allies have said in recent weeks that China was considering providing weapons to Russia, which Beijing denies. Aides to US President Joe Biden have not publicly
provided evidence.
Meanwhile, the leaders of China and Belarus have expressed their "extreme interest" in a peaceful resolution in Ukraine.
Chinese President and Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russia's Vladimir Putin, issued the statement after talks in Beijing.
Lukashenko said his country "fully supports" a Beijing plan for ending the war in Ukraine.
China announced a plan for peace talks last week, calling for the respect of national sovereignty.
The visit also comes days after China sent its top diplomat Wang Yi to meet Putin.
China and Belarus "expressed deep concern" about the conflict and "extreme interest in the soonest possible establishment of peace in Ukraine", the Belarus state-run news agency Belta reported.
(Excerpts from Reuters and BBC News)
OIL NEWS 19 guyanatimesgy.com THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2023
Rescue efforts are continuing at the scene of the crash with firefighters saying they had never seen anything like it [Alexandros Avramidis/Reuters]
Havana Syndrome was first reported at the US Embassy in Cuba in 2016
DAILY HOROSCOPES
Ego, overindulgence and poor communication will cause problems. Think twice before you challenge someone who doesn’t play fair. Rethink your game plan, open your mind and look for alternatives.
(March 21-April 19)
Avoid disruptions by doing your best to get along. Refuse to let stubbornness hold you back. Look for ways to appease others and get what you want. Don’t be your worst enemy when the stakes are high.
(April 20-May 20)
Turn the tables on someone who asks for too much by requesting something in return. Even out the playing field, set standards and deal only with those willing to abide by the rules.
(May 21-June 20)
Stop living in a dream world; make what you desire a reality. It’s up to you to do the legwork if you want to be successful. Let your intuition guide you, and you’ll find your true calling.
(June 21-July 22)
Keep your plans secret until you iron out the wrinkles. Limit your spending, but increase your efforts to ensure everything goes according to plan. Financial changes are apparent.
CALVIN AND HOBBES
(July 23-Aug. 22)
Check out the competition and adjust your plans to offset anything that may jeopardize your position. Don’t fear doing things differently. Innovation will make you stand out.
(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
High energy is the key to getting things done. Turn your angst into the driving force that spurs you to do your best. Look for any opportunity to travel or spend time with loved ones.
(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)
Take a unique path and rid yourself of things that drag you down. Make amends, clear your conscience and stop worrying about situations that make you feel ill at ease.
(Oct. 24-Nov. 22)
Tending to your personal life will help enhance your relationships. You can make improvements at home, but don’t go into debt to please someone who already expects too much from you.
SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE
(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)
Don’t feel obligated to take sides; be a friendly observer and offer unbiased suggestions. Distance yourself from those who embellish the truth, and you will bypass problems.
(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
Honesty is essential when dealing with personal matters. When it comes to business and finance, take a back seat, listen to the experts and make decisions based on facts and figures.
(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)
Keep an open dialogue with loved ones. Pour your heart into helping others, and avoid indulgence. Don’t hold back when it comes to talking about what you want and how you plan to get it.
(Feb. 20-March 20)
guyanatimesgy.com 20 THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2023
ARCHIE PEANUTS
DILBERT SUDOKU
2nd WSUCC “One Guyana” Bartica Cycling Classic…
Trophy Stall donates trophy for winner in Senior category
T
Ms. Saleema Hussain, a representative of Trophy Stall owner Ramesh Sunich, on Wednesday, March 1, handed over a trophy that would be presented to the winner of the Elite/Senior category of the race.
Ms. Hussain expressed delight that Trophy Stall and Mr. Sunich are keep-
he Trophy Stall at Bourda Market, a long-time supporter of all sports, has again stepped in to assist, this time coming on board the 2nd edition of the We Stand United Cycle Club’s “One Guyana” Cycling Classic which is set for staging on Sunday, 5th March, in association with the Mayor and Town Council of Bartica.ing the tradition of support for this event alive. She noted that the entity was very much a part of the inaugural event in March 2019, which was a huge success.
“So, we did not hesitate to continue this support, as we are well aware of the positive impact the first event had, not only on the community from a cycling perspective, but the fact that many of the youths from Bartica are now holding their own at the higher levels,” she said.
We Stand United CC President Franklin Wilson, in thanking Mr. Sunich and Trophy Stall for their unwavering commitment to this event, and to sports in general, informed the prin-
cipals that their partnership, along with that of other corporate entities, has silently ignited a positive developmental drive in the sport in Bartica.
“The Trophy Stall is very much a part of this new momentum in cycling that started two years ago, when, for the first time, a major cycling event was held there. As a club, we have answered the call to decentralise sports, and will continue to work with you and all other major stakeholders to see that our youths are given the opportunity to show what they’ve got, and to aid in taking them to the next level, so that Guyana can be dominant in the sport once again,” Wilson has said. This Bartica event is an-
WSUCC President Franklin Wilson receiving the trophy from Trophy Stall Representative Ms. Saleema Hussain
ticipated to be very explosive, given that the country’s
best cyclists have all indicated they would be participating. The likes of defending champion Briton John (We Stand United), Romello Crawford (Unattached), Aaron Newton (We Stand United), Robin Persaud (KFC Evolution), Alexis Mendes (Kaieteur Attack Racing), Warren McKay (We Stand United), Curtis Dey (KFC Evolution), and Paul Nobrega (KFC Evolution), among others, will be battling in the senior as well as Masters Under- and Over50 classes.
Registration is being done at the Professional Key Shop at Carmichael Street, or at Chin Chan Cycle Store on Robb Street, Georgetown.
Khawaja gives Australia the lead after India collapse against spin
On a pitch that was bare at both ends with a green patch in the middle, Rohit Sharma had no hesitation in batting after winning a toss for the first time in the series. However, with plenty of turn and variable bounce on offer, Australia’s spinners Kuhnemann and Nathan Lyon bundled India out for 109 in 33.2 overs.
Kuhnemann, playing only his second Test, took 5 for 16 while Lyon picked up three wickets. Todd Murphy took one and the remaining batter, No. 11 Mohammed Siraj, was run out.
Mitchell Starc, replacing Pat Cummins in the side, went wicketless, but he could have dismissed Rohit twice in the opening over of the match. Starc found Rohit’s outside edge with the first ball of the Test, but umpire Nitin Menon was unmoved; Australia decided against a review for caught behind, only for Ultra Edge to show a spike. Three balls later, Starc beat Rohit’s inside edge and the ball brushed the back leg on its way to the wicketkeeper. Menon once again denied the appeal; Australia once again chose not to review and ball-tracking indicated the ball would have gone on to hit the stumps.
Rohit, though, failed to cash in on those reprieves. Australia introduced the leftarm spin of Kuhnemann in the sixth over and Rohit tried to take him on. He skipped down the track, but got beaten by the turn, and Alex Carey
atthew Kuhnemann’s maiden five-wicket haul and Usman Khawaja’s hard-fought half-century gave Australia their best day of the tour, as they finished the first day in Indore 47 ahead of India’s 109 with six wickets in hand.Usman Khawaja’s half-century gave Australia the lead (Getty Images)
completed the stumping. In Kuhnemann’s second over, Shubman Gill pushed at one, but failed to account for the turn and Steven Smith held a straightforward catch at slip. Cheteshwar Pujara was bowled off his fourth ball, a ripping offbreak that pitched on the edge of the green patch and shot through his back-foot defence.
Ravindra Jadeja and Shreyas Iyer fell to the slowness of the surface. Jadeja failed to keep a cut down against Lyon and Iyer chopped Kuhnemann onto his stumps. By the end of the first hour, India were reeling at 45 for 5.
Virat Kohli was arguably the only top-order India batter who looked comfortable in testing conditions. He was decisive in his footwork and defended with soft hands, but Murphy had him lbw for 22 –India’s top score – while playing across his front pad.
KS Bharat tried to counterattack, slog-sweeping for a four and a six, but he too was trapped lbw by Lyon for 17. At 82 for 7, India were in danger of falling short of 100, but Axar Patel and Umesh Yadav took them past that mark.
Given the assistance Australia’s spinners got, Rohit
opened the bowling with R Ashwin and Jadeja, who pinned Travis Head lbw in his first over. Head had gone back and across to a length ball, but failed to connect with the flick. Umpire Joel Wilson was unmoved but India successfully overturned the decision.
Jadeja had Marnus Labuschagne playing on in his second over but, unfortunately for India, he had overstepped.
In the next six overs, India burnt two reviews. On
both occasions, Jadeja pinged Khawaja on the pads and the on-field verdict of not out proved to be the right one. So when Ashwin appealed for lbw against Labuschagne in the 11th over, Rohit was not prepared to gamble on using up the third review. If he had, Labuschagne would have been dismissed.
From there on, Ashwin and Jadeja struggled to hit the ideal length on this pitch, which was just fuller than good length. Ashwin erred on the shorter side almost right from the start, while Jadeja was too fast and too full. While batting remained challenging, Khawaja and Labuschagne capitalised during this period to add 96 for the second wicket.
Khawaja did the bulk of the scoring with Labuschagne still looking circumspect.
Labuschagne was given another reprieve when Bharat failed to take a tough chance off Ashwin, the outside edge brushing his pads
SCOREBOARD
India 1st Innings
Rohit Sharma (c) st †Carey b Kuhnemann 12
Shubman Gill c Smith b Kuhnemann 21
Cheteshwar Pujara b Lyon 1
Virat Kohli lbw b Murphy 22
Ravindra Jadeja c Kuhnemann b Lyon 4
Shreyas Iyer b Kuhnemann 0
Srikar Bharat †lbw b Lyon 17
Axar Patel not out 12
Ravichandran Ashwin c †Carey b Kuhnemann 3
Umesh Yadav lbw b Kuhnemann 17
Mohammed Siraj run out (Head/Lyon) 0
Extras 0
TOTAL 33.2 Ov (RR: 3.27) 109
Fall of wickets: 1-27 (Rohit Sharma, 5.6 ov), 2-34 (Shubman Gill, 7.2 ov), 3-36 (Cheteshwar Pujara, 8.2 ov), 4-44 (Ravindra Jadeja, 10.5 ov), 5-45 (Shreyas Iyer, 11.2 ov), 6-70 (Virat Kohli, 21.4 ov), 7-82 (Srikar Bharat, 24.5 ov), 8-88 (Ravichandran Ashwin, 28.3 ov), 9-108 (Umesh Yadav, 32.2 ov), 10-109 (Mohammed Siraj, 33.2 ov)
Bowling: Mitchell Starc 5-0-21-0,
Cameron Green 2-0-14-0, Matthew Kuhnemann 9-2-16-5, Nathan Lyon 11.2-2-35-3, Todd Murphy 6-1-23-1.
Australia 1st Innings Travis Head lbw b Jadeja 9
Usman Khawaja c Shubman Gill b Jadeja 60
Marnus Labuschagne b Jadeja 31
Steven Smith (c) c †Bharat b Jadeja 26 Peter Handscomb not out 7 Cameron Green not out 6 Extras (b 9, lb 4, nb 4) 17
TOTAL 54 Ov (RR: 2.88) 156/4
Yet to bat: Alex Carey †, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Todd Murphy, Matthew Kuhnemann Fall of wickets: 1-12 (Travis Head, 1.4 ov), 2-108 (Marnus Labuschagne, 34.3 ov), 3-125 (Usman Khawaja, 42.3 ov), 4-146 (Steven Smith, 48.5 ov)
Bowling: Ravichandran Ashwin 16-2-40-0, Ravindra Jadeja 24-6-63-4, Axar Patel 9-0-29-0, Umesh Yadav2-0-4-0, Mohammed Siraj 3-0-7-0.
and flying over Kohli at first slip. He eventually fell for 31 when Jadeja bowled him with an arm ball.
Jadeja took two more wickets in the last half hour before stumps. Khawaja would be unhappy with his top-edged slog sweep to deep midwicket, while Smith would rue giving away yet anoth-
er start. Bharat had dropped Smith too, off Jadeja, in an almost action replay of the Labuschagne let-off, but latched onto the chance in the spinner’s next over. Those late wickets meant the door, although closing, was not completely shut on India as early as day one of the third Test. (ESPNcricinfo)
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GCB Senior Inter-County 4-Day tournament 2023…
Rain dominates opening day of Essequibo vs Select XI clash
Constant rainfall highlighted the opening day of the Essequibo vs Select XI contest at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence in the Guyana Cricket Board’s (GCB’s) Senior Four-Day InterCounty tournament.
Essequibo won the toss after a 45-minute delayed start, and had opted to bat first, but rain ended the day with the boys from the Cinderella County on 57-3 after 20.2 overs.
Former Guyana
Under-19 fast-bowler Sylus Tyndall, a Berbician playing for the Select XI, got the ball to swing away from the right-handers. He claimed
the first wicket when he trapped the left-handed Avinash Persaud at the crease for a duck, without a run on the board.
Axed Guyana Harpy
Eagles seamer Demetri Cameron failed to control the swing on offer early, and ended up spraying down the leg-side.
With the weather being a threat, the Select XI skipper introduced medium pacer Carlos La Rose into the attack, and he made an immediate impact, removing Kevon Boodie for 17 by uprooting the right-hander’s stumps when the score was at 32-2 in 11 overs.
Senior batsman Kemol
Savory then partnered Ronaldo Renne, and the duo kept the Select XI bowlers at bay briefly.
The heavens opened and early lunch was taken, but upon resumption, Cameron finally got it right. Cameron, who made his first-class debut last year in Trinidad before now finding himself out of the team, bowled a good length delivery to remove Renne, caught at the wicket by Nathan Persaud.
Renne had looked promising in scoring 22, which included five fours. After that wicket, the rain began to fall and that was all she wrote.
At stumps, Savory was unbeaten on 16 and Keemo
Paul was yet to score. The senior duo will resume the second day at Providence. For the Select XI, Tyndall was the pick of the bowl-
Archery Guyana elects new Board after 2023 AGM
The Annual General Meeting of Archery
Guyana Inc. was successfully held at the National Resource Centre on Woolford Avenue, Georgetown on Monday 27th February, 2023, and members were therein given opportunity to discuss the activities and plans for the way forward to promote the Olympic sport of Archery in Guyana.
At the AGM, outgoing President, Mr. Mohamed Gamal Khan, delivered a detailed report and background to the membership, from its establishment in August 2014 to date. This was followed by the delivery by the outgoing SecretaryGeneral of a comprehensive Annual Report on all of the activities of the Federation, which was well received.
The Elections for the new Board of Directors then commenced under the duly elected Returning Officer, Attorney-at-Law and Honorary Consul to Japan, Mr. Kashir Khan, who officially released the following information after the democratic and transparent electoral process.
bership, and was duly approved. Two motions were unanimously passed to amend the Constitution accordingly.
Thanks were expressed to the following persons and entities who assisted in one way or the other during the reporting period: Honourable
Youth & Sport; Director of Sport, Mr. Steve Ninvalle - National Sports Commission; Mr. Ryan McKinnon - Neutrino Inc.; Mr. Julius Simon; Commissioner General Mr. Godfrey Statia - Guyana Revenue Authority; Mr. Harryram ParmesarParmesar Accounting
ers with 1-23 in eight overs, while Cameron had 1-11 in 6.3 overs. La Rose had 1-14 in his four-over spell.
These Select XI bowlers
will be aiming to make inroads on day two, while Savory and Paul will be aiming to bat Essequibo to a strong position.
(Brandon
Corlette)
Sexual misconduct allegations case… GFF receives official decision from Independent Disciplinary Committee
The Guyana Football Federation (GFF)on
Monday, February 27th received the official decision from the Independent Disciplinary Committee regarding sexual misconduct allegations made by female referees in 2018 against former FIFA Referee Roy McArthur.
The Financial Report was presented to the mem-
Minister Charles Ramson Jr. - Ministry of Culture,
Firm; Members and the Board of Archery Guyana
Inc., Guyana Beverages Inc., Mr. Umasankar Madray, Mr. Robert Singh, Mr. Ray Beharry, Seven Seas, Massy Industries, Brand Manager of Guyana Beverages Inc, Raymond Govinda; General Manager of Guyana Beverages Inc, Samuel Arjoon; and to the general management of Guyana Beverages Inc., International Business Services, Mr. Courtleigh Rodrigues, Ms. Roshini Boodhoo, Woodpecker Products, The Board of Directors of the Muslim Youth Organisation; Massy Distribution (Guyana) Inc; General Manager of the National Stadium, Mr. Azad Ibrahim; the Media and all of its members.
East Coast, G/town lead Tiger Rentals U13 tourney
Two lopsided victories in favour of the East Coast and Georgetown Academy Training Center (ATC) teams on Saturday last have ensured those teams maintain their dominance atop the points table in the Tiger Rentals U13 National Developmental tournament.
Now both on 13 points, East Coast is just ahead of Georgetown on the basis of goal difference, with East Coast having 15 goals compared to Georgetown’s 8.
The Upper Demerara
ATC is trailing the front runners, as it currently has 9 points in the league.
Meanwhile, Bartica TC, East Bank ATC and West Berbice ATC are all tied on 6 points. What separates the trio, once again, is goal difference. While Bartica and East Bank have evened out their goals for and against, West Berbice has -6.
To maintain their position at the top, East Coast pulled off a 5-0 victory over West Demerara FA on Saturday last at the Guyana Football Federation’s
(GFF’s) National Training Centre (NTC) at Providence.
Mark Glasgow opened the East Coast’s account in the 8th minute, and added to it again in the 15th for a brace. Another double came from Malaki Washington’s strikes in the 20th and 40th minutes, while Kemuel Welcome added the cherry on top in the 50th.
Meanwhile, Georgetown revelled in a 4-1 victory over West Berbice. Enzo Matte led the charge for the capital city outfit with a brace, while Matheus Ramos and Fabio Kowlessar each netted one. West Berbice’s con-
solation goal came off the boots of Jeremiah Bremmer.
The other clash of the day saw young Samuel Tashem paving the way for a 5-1 victory for East Bank when they opposed East Berbice.
Tashem found the back of the net in the 41st and 58th; while Clifton Sampson, Michael Correira and Wayshawn Forde each added one goal to bring East Bank to 5.
The inter-association aspect of the Tiger rentals U13 league is on course to continue next Saturday at the same venue.
The four-member Disciplinary Committee, headed by Attorney-at-Law Eusi Anderson, unanimously agreed to dismiss the case due to a lack of evidence, as none of the accusers was willing to give evidence before the Committee. All efforts were made to facilitate their testimonies over the last four years.
Apart from Attorney Eusi Anderson, the Disciplinary Committee was comprised of State Counsel Shawnette Austin, former Guyana Trades Union Congress Vice-President Lancelot Baptiste, and Project Manager Joshua Griffith.
It is, of course, extremely disappointing that any information on this highly sensitive case has come to light prematurely and before the Federation’s official response. This has raised the risk of misinformation and distortion in the communication of the verdict and the circumstances of the case.
In 2018, female referees accused McArthur of encouraging and participating in sexual harassment and predatory sexual behaviour.
As with all matters of this nature, all the appropriate procedures and processes were followed by the GFF, in accordance with FIFA regulations and in line with international best practice, good governance, accountability, and transparency.
At all times, the welfare and rights of the female referees and McArthur were treated with the utmost importance.
In fact, given the weight of the matter, a special five-member Board of
Inquiry (BoI) was set up to conduct an initial investigation. The BoI was chaired by Vice President of the Guyana Olympic Association, Dr Karen Pilgrim, and included University of Guyana lecturer Dr Melissa Ifill, Human Resources Expert Karen Joseph, and Karen De Souza and Joy Nichola Marcus-Reid of women’s rights advocacy group Red Thread.
The BoI submitted its findings on November 19, 2018, and on January 7, 2019, McArthur was suspended pending an official decision by the Disciplinary Committee, which is part of the GFF’s judiciary apparatus, established in line with FIFA regulations and operating independently of the GFF administration and executive.
The GFF has a zero-tolerance sexual harassment policy, and takes any accusations of misconduct extremely seriously, as it seeks to promote football development for all across Guyana.
The Federation’s Code of Conduct Policy outlines clearly acceptable behaviours of individuals in an organisation, including directors, employees, officials and associates.
GFF will continue to conduct regular sensitisation workshops for all staff and officials, to ensure that all members of the football community understand the importance of professional boundaries, the rights of others, and the importance of the code of conduct.
22 GUYANATIMESGY.COM THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2023
Rain dominated day one
From left to right: Secretary-General Mr. Nicholas Hing, President Mrs. Vidushi Persaud-McKinnon, and Treasurer Mr. Robert Singh
WI Tour to SA 2023: Test 1 of 2…
West Indies roar back in 11-wicket session
- after South Africa’s 179-run lead
Both teams suffered collapses in the final session, but it was West Indies slumping to 212 all out that turned the game around.
Eleven wickets fell in the final session of the day, as both teams suffered collapses in the 28.1 overs that were bowled. But it was West Indies slumping from
quiet over later, a safe end to the day was in sight. But Jason Holder came in and took his 150th Test wicket off his first ball. It hit a length and stayed low to trap Petersen lbw to end the day.
Earlier, Anrich Nortje, with 5 for 36, was the chief destructor with the ball for South Africa. He oversaw
soft dismissal of Joshua Da Silva, who found point on the cut shot. Jason Holder was also squared up and caught at slip for a duck. Sixteen balls of frenetic action accounted for four wickets, and at 179 for 7, put the visitors in an irrecoverable position.
Nortje had Alzarri Joseph caught at point in a dismissal similar to that of Da Silva’s. Kyle Mayers looked to counterattack, but it came too late. He creamed a cover drive and nailed a couple of pulls, but almost found deep point on the cut shot before holing out to deep fine leg on the pull. It completed Nortje’s five-for and was the third ‘c Jansen b Nortje’ that appeared on the scorecard.
A frustrating 31-ball stand between Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel kept the hosts out for a few extra minutes, but the innings was wrapped up in 69 overs.
percentage play earned him 22 runs and allowed Reifer to settle in before it cost his wicket. He slashed an off drive to Senuran Muthusamy at gully.
But Blackwood joined Reifer to put up 64, the highest partnership of the innings.
169 for 3 to 212 all out that turned the game around after two sessions of slow burn.
South Africa started their second innings with a 130-run lead, and Aiden Markram continued from where he left off in the first innings, this time with more aggression from the start. He drove, cut, and pulled with ease to finish the day on 35 not out off just 33 balls.
His flyer took the hosts to 31 in under four overs, but Alzarri Joseph had Dean Elgar fall into the deepthird trap for the second time in this game, to reopen the wicket flow gate. Kemar Roach and Joseph went jaffa for jaffa in the next two overs to have Tony de Zorzi and Temba Bavuma - who bagged a pair on captaincy debut - caught behind.
Keegan Petersen got one of the two boundaries in the seventh over, and another
West Indies go from 136 for 3 at tea to 212 all out, including a collapse of 7 for 43. South Africa’s pacers ripped through the middle and lower order, with every batter after the top six dismissed for single-digit scores.
Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen were responsible for drying up the runs, particularly in the second session, when the hosts picked up just one wicket.
Jansen initiated the second final-session collapse in two days by getting Raymon Reifer - the highest scorer of the innings - to knick off for 62 with a length ball that straightened off the pitch.
Rabada had Roston Chase caught in the crease and squared up to find the outside edge off the next ball.
It was then Nortje’s time to strike. A short and wide loosener from him led to the
Before their collapse, West Indies did get a decent start to their innings. Kraigg Brathwaite saw through six overs of the new ball before getting knocked over by a
The pacers continued to apply pressure in the second session to ensure only 65 runs were scored. Rabada started and Nortje took over the aggressor’s role in the afternoon. Nortje cut Blackwood in half to beat the bat in the 35th over. Twentyone balls and six runs later, he did it again. This time,
meant only one wicket fell, but with a session run rate of 2.24, the game was still in the balance.
Reifer reached fifty early in the session, Chase was beaten and hit by Rabada in the 52nd over, but moved forward. He got two boundaries in successive overs and the singles and twos came by
to ease the pressure. That was until collapse 2.0 took over proceedings.
South Africa had started the day on 314 for 8. Rabada, Coetzee and Jansen made 28 in 27, they punished full balls but could not stop Joseph from registering his first Test five-for. (ESPN Cricinfo)
SCOREBOARD
South Africa 1st Innings
Dean Elgar c Blackwood b Joseph 71
Aiden Markram b Joseph 115
Tony de Zorzi run out (Chanderpaul/†Da Silva) 28
Temba Bavuma (c) lbw b Joseph 0
Keegan Petersen lbw b Mayers 14
Heinrich Klaasen †c Joseph b Gabriel 20
Senuran Muthusamy lbw b Roach 3
Marco Jansen not out 23
Kagiso Rabada c Blackwood b Holder 8
Gerald Coetzee c Holder b Joseph 17
Anrich Nortje c Chanderpaul b Joseph 14
Extras(b 8, lb 9, nb 10, w 2) 29
TOTAL 86.3 Ov (RR: 3.95) 342
Fall of wickets: 1-141 (Dean Elgar, 35.3 ov), 2-221 (Tony de Zorzi, 56.3 ov), 3-221 (Temba Bavuma, 56.5 ov), 4-236 (Aiden Markram, 60.4 ov), 5-262 (Heinrich Klaasen, 66.5 ov), 6-271 (Senuran Muthusamy, 69.6 ov), 7-290 (Keegan Petersen, 76.1 ov), 8-300 (Kagiso Rabada, 79.4 ov), 9-326 (Gerald Coetzee, 84.1 ov), 10-342 (Anrich Nortje, 86.3 ov) • DRS
BOWLING O-M-R-W
Kemar Roach 17-1-71-1
Alzarri Joseph 18.3-0-8-15
Kyle Mayers 10-2-23-1
Shannon Gabriel 12-1-49-1
Jason Holder 14-1-64-1
Roston Chase 14-0-33-0
Jermaine Blackwood 1-0-4-0
delivery that straightened off the pitch.
Tagenarine Chanderpaul mixed compact defence against good balls with an opportunistic attack of the looseners. Chanderpaul’s
the full ball took the inside edge of the full-faced drive, and Heinrich Klaasen took the catch.
Compact defence and resilience from the batters
West Indies 1st Innings
Kraigg Br athwaite (c) b Rabada 11
Tagenarine Chanderpaul c Muthusamy b Coetzee 22
Raymon Reifer c †Klaasen b Jansen 62
Jermaine Blackwood c †Klaasen b Nortje 37
Roston Chase c Elgar b Rabada 22
Kyle Mayers c Jansen b Nortje 18
Joshua Da Silva †c Jansen b Nortje 4
Jason Holder c Markram b Nortje 0
Alzarri Joseph c Jansen b Nortje 4
Kemar Roach not out 4
Shannon Gabriel lbw b Coetzee 7
Extras(b 5, lb 8, nb 3, w 5) 21
TOTAL 69 Ov (RR: 3.07) 212
Fall of wickets: 1-22 (Kraigg Brathwaite, 6.4 ov), 2-58 (Tagenarine Chanderpaul, 16.4 ov), 3-122 (Jermaine Blackwood, 38.3 ov), 4-169 (Raymon Reifer, 56.6 ov), 5-169 (Roston Chase, 57.1 ov), 6-179 (Joshua Da Silva, 59.1 ov), 7-179 (Jason Holder, 59.4 ov), 8-190 (Alzarri Joseph, 61.4 ov), 9-201 (Kyle Mayers, 63.5 ov), 10-212 (Shannon Gabriel, 68.6 ov)
BOWLING O-M-R-W Kagiso Rabada 16-4-44-2
Marco Jansen 17-3-64-1
Anrich Nortje 16-5-36-5 Gerald Coetzee 12-0-45-2
Senuran Muthusamy 8-2-10-0
South Africa 2nd Innings
Aiden Markram not out 35 Dean Elgar c Reifer b Joseph 1 Tony de Zorzi c †Da Silva b Roach 0 Temba Bavuma (c) c †Da Silva b Joseph 0 Keegan Petersen lbw b Holder 7 Extras (b 4, nb 2) 6 TOTAL 8.1 Ov (RR: 6.00) 49/4
Fall of wickets: 1-31 (Dean Elgar, 3.6 ov), 2-33 (Tony de Zorzi, 4.6 ov), 3-34 (Temba Bavuma, 5.3 ov), 4-49 (Keegan Petersen, 8.1 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Kemar
MVP Sports, Petra locked in for 2023
…MVP Sports to become title sponsor of U11 Girls’ tournament
MVP Sports is staying true to its ‘Corporate Sponsor of the Year (Small)’ National Sports Commission (NSC) Award, as they will now be a staple supporter of all Petra Organization tournaments this year.
The company, during the latter half of 2022, had supported several school tournaments, and even took the lead on the Organization’s Futsal tournament in December.
Now MVP Sports has committed to year-long sponsorship, which would encompass almost 10 tournaments at both the school and senior levels, starting with the Milo U18 tournament this weekend.
The announcement was made at a press confer-
ence on Wednesday afternoon at the Brandsville Hotel in Campbellville, Georgetown.
Public Relations Officer Selvin Apple expressed the company’s elation at being a part of such a massive collaboration, highlighting that it is the company’s corporate social responsibility.
“On the behalf of MVP Sports, we are happy to be a part of the Milo competition, and part sponsorship of the Petra Organization as well, in sponsoring these series of football tournaments like Mr. Troy would have said, for the remainder of 2023,” Apple told media operatives on Wednesday afternoon.
“Also, we, as a corporate organization, recognize the importance of playing a
corporate social role in the developing of sports in the country,” Apple added.
It was later announced that MVP Sports would be the title sponsor of the Girls’ Under 11 Pee-Wee football tournament.
On that note, Petra CoDirector Troy Mendonca articulated his gratitude to the company, reflecting on the trust that the company has placed in the organization.
Mendonca stated, “First of all, it reflects the trust that they place in us. I can say that the leadership of Petra, we fight very hard to present our programmes because we understand where we’re at and where we want to go in terms of what we do for the sport. And I think that they would’ve recog -
nized that also, and I’m very proud to know that a company would’ve shown that kind of confidence and trust in us to give that commitment at this time of the
year, which is at the beginning of the year,” the Petra Co-Director related.
“So, on behalf of Petra, a massive ‘thank you’ to MVP Sports,” Mendonca added.
The Milo tournament will commence this Saturday, March 4, with an opening ceremony and four games on the cards.
(Jemima Holmes)
GUYANATIMESGY.COM THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2023 23
Roach 4-0-28-1 Alzarri Joseph 4-0-17-2 Jason Holder 0.1-0-0-1
West Indies fight back again
Notje claimed five wickets
Reifer scored his third fifty
MVP Sports’ Selvin Apple
According to a release out of Barbados, Dr. Kishore Shallow confirmed he has accepted the nomination for President of Cricket West Indies (CWI), and will contest the March 25, 2023 elections, to be held at the CWI’s 24th Annual General Meeting in Antigua.
“I wish to express gratitude to the territories for reposing confidence in me, understanding that the continued effort to reinvigorate our beloved cricket is a mammoth of a task, which requires capable and progressive leadership,” said Dr. Shallow, who presently serves as CWI Vice President.
He added, “My experience in cricket administration at the various levels has positioned me uniquely to understand the re-
quirements to advance West Indies cricket, and I remain committed to this while serving all stakeholders in the pursuit of sporting excellence”.
In addition, Dr. Shallow announced his “Pushing the Boundaries” manifesto will be launched on Monday, March 6, 2023 across the region, and published across various international platforms.
He noted, “This manifesto represents new, innovative leadership, and demonstrates strategic and practical planning, with alignments culturally.”
A graduate of Walden University in Minnesota with a Doctorate in Business Administration specializing in Financial Management, Dr. Kishore Shallow also attained a Master’s Degree in
Business Administration from the University of Wales, Cardiff, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Business Computing from the University of Sunderland.
In addition to serving as President of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Cricket Association from 20142020, he has served with distinction as President of Windward Islands Cricket Board from 2019.
Dr. Kishore Shallow served as Vice President of CWI from 2019, and chaired the taskforce which developed the first West Indies Selection Policy. Further, he chaired the Franchise Review Committee and played an integral role in stabilizing the financial state of the organization during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sport is no longer our game, it’s our business
…MVP Sports to become title sponsor of U11 Girls’ tournament Pg 23 GUYANA TIMES - www.guyanatimesgy.com, email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, NEWS HOTLINE: 231-8063 EDITORIAL: 223-7230, 223-7231, 231-0544, 225-7761 SPORT: sport@guyanatimesgy.com SALES AND MARKETING: 231-8064 - marketing@guyanatimesgy.com - PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY GUYANA TIMES INC.
Pg 22
Dr. Kishore Shallow is set to contest the CWI Presidency later this month