Guyana Times - Wednesday, March 10, 2021

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Domestic violence victims to access free legal services in Berbice Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 4591

THE BEACON OF TRUTH THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021

PRICE

Guyana is a sleeping giant for investment — President Ali tells potential investors

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Businessman robbed 6 times in 3 years P11

Page 3

Govt to India pledges increased collaboration with Guyana strengthen legislation to clamp down on property fraud – AG …in fight against COVID, financial sector management Page 9

Page 7

Bank of Baroda looking to expand operations in Guyana …signs agreement to become mortgage lender

Guyana records 210th COVID-19 death, 84 new P14 cases …as more MPs receive vaccines

GDF rank charged for causing death by dangerous P10 driving

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Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh and Bank of Baroda Managing Director Arun Gupta signing the agreement on Wednesday to turn the facility into a mortgage lender

10-year-old boy’s killing

16-year-old P5 murder accused for court today Govt warns of fake “Irfaan Ali” Facebook P16 account Private school director on trial for sexually P8 assaulting female employee

Scrap metal dealers call on Govt to lift ban on export

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2 NEWS

THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Bank of Baroda looking to expand operations in Guyana …signs agreement to become mortgage lender

I

ndia-owned Bank of Baroda is looking to expand its operations locally, a turnaround lauded by Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh, since, only a few years ago, the bank was looking to exit Guyana.

This revelation was made on Wednesday during a ceremony at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) to confirm Bank of Baroda’s status as a mortgage lender. The bank’s Managing Director, Arun Gupta, observed during his presentation that the bank has multiple branches in countries all over the world, but not in Guyana.

“We are in the process of considering expanding our product offerings. And we will be opening a few branches in the near future.

That proposal is also under consideration. The Bank of Baroda is majority-owned by India,” Gupta said. “We have 10 branches in the United Kingdom. We have branches in Belgium, Singapore, Dubai. In African continent we have in Zambia, Kenya, Uganda. (We have) branches in Australia, New Zealand, Fiji.

“So, it’s a very big bank, but in Guyana we are very small in size, just two branches. But shortly we will be expanding that.”

It is a stunning turnaround, considering that the Bank of Baroda was on the

Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh and Bank of Baroda Managing Director Arun Gupta share a handshake following the signing of the agreement to turn the facility into a mortgage lender. Also in photo are India’s High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr KJ Srinivasa and Ministers of Housing, Collin Croal and Susan Rodrigues

verge of exiting Guyana’s market back in 2018.

In his presentation during the event, Minister Singh lauded the bank for its decision to maintain its presence in Guyana.

“I am delighted that we have moved from a place where, just two years ago, the conversation was about whether Bank of Baroda would be closing and withdrawing from Guyana. A bank, mind you, that has been here since Guyana became independent.

“I am delighted that we have moved to a point where the bank is now firmly present in Guyana, and is looking to expand its presence in Guyana, including by introducing new products and engaging in new partnerships,” Minister Singh said.

According to the Minister, the Indian High Commission was integral in

the bank’s decision to remain in Guyana. In fact, the event featured the presence of current High Commissioner of India to Guyana, Dr KJ Srinivasa.

“We’re extremely pleased that the High Commission intervened when it did and made the necessary interventions on how attractive Guyana is from the point of view of potential growth opportunities, and that the senior management and head office of the bank was persuaded to remain open in Guyana,” the Finance Minister said.

With the signing of Wednesday’s agreement, Bank of Baroda will now be able to provide mortgage financing to homeowners by being designated as an approved Mortgage Finance Company in keeping with Section 15 of the Income Tax Act, Cap 81:01.

It was only last week that the New Building Society (NBS), which is already

known for its low mortgage interest rates, announced a reduction in its interest rates. These twin measures are expected to open up increased opportunities for homeowners to get affordable mortgages.

NBS was also presented with approval to raise its loan ceiling from $12 million to $15 million, in keeping with one of the measures outlined in the 2021 budget by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Government.

The increase in the loan ceiling is only one of several measures the Government is pursuing in a bid to re-en-

ergise an economy stunned by the COVID-19 pandemic, while at the same time presenting homeowners with more options in relation to borrowing funds.

Since coming to office, the Government has made it clear that it intends to fulfill its manifesto promise to distribute 50,000 house lots over the next five years. It had allocated $6 billion for enhancing infrastructure in existing housing areas in the 2021 budget. A significant sum has also been set aside for improving water service and developing new wells. (G3)

WCD man hospitalised after drunken driver slams into vehicle

The vehicles that were involved in the La Jalousie, WCD accident

A

25-year-old driver attached to the Wales Community Centre is now hospitalised after a drunken driver collided with his vehicle on the La Jalousie Public Road, West Coast Demerara (WCD).

Police said about 23:55h on Tuesday, motor pickup PPP 5115, driven by the 25-year-old, and motor car PYY 1438, driven by a 31-year-old of Seaview, Cornelia Ida, WCD, were involved in an accident.

Reports are the pickup was proceeding east along the northern side of the road and the car was proceeding west along the northern side of the said road. According to the injured man, when he saw the car proceeding along in his driving lane, he pulled to his left, but the car, nonetheless, collided with the right side of the pick-up.

As a result of the collision, the driver of the pickup received injuries about

his body. He was removed from the vehicle by public-spirited citizens and taken to the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH).

He was examined by a doctor on duty and admitted to the medical facility.

Police said a breathalyser test was conducted on the driver of the motor car and he was over the legal limit of alcohol consumption. As such, he was arrested, with charges pending.

(G9)

NEWS

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THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, March 18 – 04:30h-06:00h and Friday, March 19 – 09:00h-10:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, March 18 – 06:25h – 07:55h and Friday, March 19 – 07:00h-08:30h

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

Sunshine is expected throughout the day, with clear skies at night. Temperatures should range between 20 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-Easterly to North NorthEasterly between 1.78 metres and 4.92 metres.

High Tide: 07:12h and 19:36h reaching maximum heights of 2.59 metres and 2.48 metres.

Low Tide: 13:10h reaching a minimum height of 0.63 metre.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17, 2021

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COMMODITIES Indicators

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$1755.70 +0.38%

Guyana is a sleeping giant for investment — President Ali tells potential investors

W

ith Guyana slated to emerge as one of the most diversified economies in the Region, President Dr Irfaan Ali is encouraging potential investors to look outside the oil and gas industry and at the plethora of investment opportunities that are available here.

“I want to…say to all potential investors that, ‘You need to come, you need to explore, and you need to look holistically at the varied opportunities in Guyana.

Whether it is large-scale agriculture production, whether it is mining, whether it is forestry, whether it is in the healthcare system, the education system; you need to understand the varied potential Guyana offers for different types of investors. It is not only about oil and gas; oil and gas has really brought attention to Guyana, a sleeping giant in investment opportunities’,” he posited.

The Head of State made this remark at the opening of the Guyana Basin Summit 2021 (GBS) – an event held virtually on Wednesday morning aimed at creating investment and development opportunities in the GuyanaSuriname Basin, and bringing together oil and gas leaders and the global energy community during the virtual edition (17-19 March), before a physical conference is held in Georgetown in October.

Guyana is poised to become the most exciting investment destination in the Western Hemisphere, and according to President Ali, his Government’s development plans do not revolve exclusively around the oil and gas, but all sectors of the economy. “[The oil and gas sector] will complement the tradition sectors, which will be modernised and which will maintain their roles as economic mainstays,” he posited.

In the same breath, however, the Head of State outlined that the oil and gas sector will be instrumental in Guyana’s national development framework. He said the development of the country’s abundant natural resources is key to unlocking this planned economic prosperity.

“In this context, the Guyana Basin is an important national resource. In terms of endowment, we have estimated that total Basin potential is around twice our proven reserves. Economically, this is important and further solidifies our position as a lucrative emerging petroleum state,” the President noted.

He added that his Government intends to maximise the many business opportunities that exist along the value chain of the country’s fledgling petroleum sector, while expanding drilling, exploration and production activities.

President Ali further emphasised that while his Government is clear on the fundamental principles which will guide the development of Guyana’s natural resources sector, it is important for prospective and potential investors to have similar clarity.

Moreover, the Head of State acknowledged that the country’s resources are useless if they remain unexploit-

ed. Therefore, he noted that foreign and local capital is necessary to convert these natural resources into wealth and to generate jobs.

“As such, Guyana welcomes private investment…

Investment remains pivotal to shared prosperity. We simply lack the scale of financial, technological and human resources needed for our ambitious economic development plans. We need investment to drive our development,” Ali said.

President Ali pointed out that it is necessary for the local Private Sector to become more involved in the planned economic transformation, and to grow and develop through synergies and partnerships with foreign businesses. To enable this, he pointed to the importance of the draft local content policy and law, which is aimed at spurring a stronger and more robust local business environment.

Model of development

Meanwhile, the Guyanese leader also reassured that his Government remains committed to ensuring a model of development which provides benefits for present and future generations, and “will not sacrifice long-term benefits for short-term gains”.

“We are uncompromising when it comes to respecting our people, especially our workers. We insist that the rights of our workers be respected, and that investors comply with our labour laws,” he declared.

He said it is Government’s intention to work with local and international investors in every dimension of this economy, so as to ensure thriving economic sectors over the next five years and beyond.

The President pointed to the strides made by his administration, since assuming office in the latter half of 2020, to rekindle investor and consumer confidence.

“This year, we will continue to fashion a stronger, more resilient and investor-friendly economy…Our outlook for this year and beyond is extremely promising,” Ali asserted.

He said that while Guyanese can anticipate continuous and progressive improvements in their living standards, so, too, will investors enjoy progressively greater opportunities and rewards.

In regard to their role in national development, President Ali said his Government’s plans stretch from large-scale agricultural investments and related projects to mega infrastructure, which includes bridges, a road to Brazil, a deep-water harbour, housing communities and urban centres, port facilities, digital technology, industrial parks, and energy development.

“As a matter of fact, we have commenced discussions with Suriname, our neighbour, in the development of the Energy Corridor. Brazil and French Guiana too will play important roles in that development, where we’re going to develop one of the most competitive energy corridors along the Guyana Shield,” the Head of State disclosed.

President Ali added that the major catalyst for industrialisation will be the planned gas-to-shore energy project. He further noted that this will afford the econ-

President Dr Irfaan Ali

omy the opportunity to have an enhanced manufacturing sector, and allow Guyana to become an industrial powerhouse, a model energy state, the breadbasket of the region, the Silicon Valley of the Caribbean, and a sustainable tourism paradise.

GBS 2021 is a uniquely global summit that will provide a platform for the industry to forge partnerships, showcase innovation, and drive commerce forward.

Guyana’s representatives at the summit also included Senior Minister with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh; Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat, Public Works Ministers Juan Edghill and Deodat Indar, Governor of the Bank of Guyana Dr Gobind Ganga, CEO of GoInvest Dr Peter Ramsaroop, and Guyana Energy Agency CEO Dr Mahender Sharma.

(G8)

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guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021

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

GECOM must be fixed

W

ith Local Government Elections being constitutionally due this new year, and the hearing of the election petitions pending, the focus will continue to be on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) for quite a long time to come.

It is no secret the general view is that public trust in the GECOM Secretariat has been eroded significantly following the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections, hence there should not even be any question regarding the need for the entire Secretariat to be fixed before it engages in any activity in relation to holding an election; whether it is house-to-house registration, updating the National Register of Registrants’ Database etc.

The President himself – being the candidate who was forced to wait five months before he was declared the winner of the March 2 polls, even though it was clear that his party had won – has stated firmly that GECOM cannot undertake another election without first fixing the system itself, which must deliver those elections to the satisfaction of all stakeholders.

However, the Opposition APNU/AFC coalition is pushing to have the elections held with the current lot of officials at GECOM, whom we understand are still on the job although they are currently before the courts facing electoral fraud charges.

The APNU/AFC coalition has already irresponsibly called on the Government to hold the Local Government Elections in 2021, and promised to increase pressure on the Government to ensure this is done; but, at the same time, that coalition is completely ignoring the widely held view that there is a lack of trust in the Secretariat to run off the elections.

While we acknowledge the need to ensure Local Government Elections are held to allow citizens to choose their local representatives, no right-thinking person would agree to participate in elections with the current crop of leaders at the Secretariat.

Further, like many stakeholders, we believe there is need for electoral and constitutional reforms to avoid “brinkmanship” and a recurrence of the high level of political crisis that gripped the country from March to August of 2020.

However, we support the view that such a process must be driven through consultation, with citizens getting an opportunity to have a say in the changes they would like to see implemented.

The time has come for all stakeholders to seriously commence talks regarding reforming GECOM, meaning its entire operational structure, starting with the manner in which the Chairman and Commissioners are appointed and the way the Secretariat functions.

It is clear that a major stakeholder, the Government, has lost confidence in the current CEO and other senior staff of the organisation. Some have expressed the view that those persons have no role to play in the Secretariat, due to their conduct in the recent elections.

As an independent constitutional body, GECOM enjoys financial, functional and operational autonomy; and, like every agency which is financed with public funds, must be held accountable for its actions.

The President was very much on point when he had outlined that, as a country, Guyana must put the necessary safeguards in place at the Secretariat, since “that is the system that would give you the end product”.

He had highlighted that while the composition of the GECOM Commission is one issue that would have to be addressed, what occurred post-March 2 polls goes beyond the Commission, as the electoral machinery itself was compromised. It was on this basis that the Government announced that it would take steps to have an international Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the events that occurred during and after the March 2 General and Regional Elections.

Because of the nature of the work it does, due to its constitutional mandate, GECOM must always strive to build public trust. Its officers must be seen as credible and working on behalf of the nation in every respect. In essence, every stakeholder in the country must have confidence in that organisation’s ability to carry out its mandate in a manner that could withstand public scrutiny. GECOM must be fixed.

The stupa of the Buddhist temple Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn) is illuminated in green to mark St Patrick's Day in Bangkok (AFP photo)

Protect our ocean “to solve challenges of century”

By Helen Briggs

P

rotecting the ocean has a triple whammy effect, safeguarding climate, food and biodiversity, according to new research.

A global map compiled by international scientists pinpoints priority places for action to maximise benefits for people and nature.

Currently, only seven per cent of the ocean is protected.

A pledge to protect at least 30 per cent by 2030 is gathering momentum ahead of this year's key United Nations biodiversity summit.

The study, published in the scientific journal Nature, sets a framework for prioritising areas of the ocean for protection.

The ocean covers 70 per cent of the Earth, yet its importance for solving the challenges of our time has been overlooked, said study researcher Professor Boris Worm of Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

"The benefits are clear," he said. "If we want to solve the three most pressing challenges of our century – biodiversity loss, climate change, and food shortages – we must protect our ocean."

What did the study look at?

The ocean supports a unique web of life and harbours valuable food resources, while acting as a sink for greenhouse gases.

The researchers developed an algorithm to identify where in the world ocean protections such as marine protected areas and responsible fisheries management

could deliver the greatest benefits across three goals of biodiversity protection, seafood production, and climate mitigation.

Locations were mapped to create a "blueprint" that Governments can use in planning and implementing commitments to protect the ocean from overfishing and habitat destruction.

Rather than a single map for ocean conservation, the researchers created a framework for countries to decide which areas to protect depending on their national priorities.

How much ocean needs protection?

The analysis suggests that 30 per cent is the minimum amount of ocean that the world must protect in order to provide multiple benefits to humanity.

This fits with a pledge to protect 30 per cent of world and land by 2030, to which a growing number of countries have signed up, including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and European countries represented by the European Commission.

Many of the priority

places identified in the research fall under the jurisdiction of countries that can enact proactive and sustainable ocean policies, Jennifer McGowan of the Center for Biodiversity and Global Change, Yale University and The Nature Conservancy, said.

"Often times we think about protection as just being about saving the whales, but the oceans provide so much more to us – they are providing food for the planet, providing refuges for species under climate change, it's a huge carbon sink that really matters to our climate," she told BBC News.

"What this research is suggesting is that with one of our strongest mechanisms, which is ocean protection, we can help deliver good outcomes for all of those things."

Priority areas for protection for biodiversity include the Antarctic Peninsula, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the Mascarene Plateau, and the Southwest Indian Ridge.

What does the ocean do for the climate?

The study revealed for

the first time figures on the amount of carbon released into the ocean through trawling of the ocean floor.

This fishing method, which drags heavy nets across the ocean floor, is pumping one gigatonne of carbon emissions into the ocean every year, equivalent to all emissions from global aviation, the scientists said.

If we're to succeed in stopping global warming, we must leave the carbon-rich seabed undisturbed, said Dr Trisha Atwood of Utah State University.

"Our findings about the climate impacts of bottom trawling will make the activities on the ocean's seabed hard to ignore in climate plans going forward," she added.

The study found that eliminating 90 per cent of the present risk of greenhouse gas release due to bottom trawling would require protecting only about four per cent of the ocean, mostly within national waters.

The study is funded by the National Geographic Society and the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation. (BBC News)

THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021

guyanatimesgy.com

5

News 10-year-old boy’s killing

16-year-old murder accused for court today

T

he 16-year-old prime suspect in the murder of 10-year-old Anthony Cort of Sophia, Greater Georgetown has been arrested and will make his court appearance today.

According to the Police, the teen suspect was arrested based on intelligence received. However, the 72-hour detention period to hold the suspect had expired, but based on evidence and information at their disposal, investigators approached the High Court

for an extension. This was granted by a Judge at the High Court on Monday.

Cort was killed during the execution of a robbery by armed bandits which occurred at ‘C’ Field, Sophia on March 11. Reports are that the child and his mother were assisting his aunt to prepare for her birthday party two houses away from their residence when two males wearing face masks and armed with handguns invaded the property of the 44-year-old businesswoman.

Dead: 10-year-old Anthony Cort

Police have said the 10-year-old Cort was in the upper flat of the home in the company of a cousin, playing video games. The bandits reportedly rushed into the home, held the occupants at gunpoint, and relieved them of two cell phones, two gold bands, two gold rings, one gold chain, and $80,000 in cash.

According to Police, the bandits then ordered the victims into the upper flat of the house. As they made their way into the upper flat, the now dead lad exit-

ed a bedroom and one of the bandits discharged a round which hit the child in his left upper shoulder.

The perpetrators panicked, jumped a zinc fence and fled the scene.

Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) subsequently responded to reports of the tragedy, and pronounced the child dead at the scene. Police recovered a 9mm spent shell near the child’s body.

Two days after the devastating event, President Irfaan Ali visited and con-

soled the grieving family at their home. During his visit, the Head of State promised to do everything in his power to bring the perpetrators to justice.

The Head of State was accompanied by Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn, who also expressed his sympathies and promised justice to the mourning family.

In addition, several Government Ministers and Opposition Members of Parliament also visited the devastated family.

Armed raid and arrests at hotel not warranted Dear Editor, Attention is drawn to the raid and arrest of guests of Sleepin Hotel. There was a clear violation of the laws and of enforcement of COVID rules by the ranks.

A raid was not necessary.

In perusing the laws of Guyana on licensing for hotels and for restaurants and bars operating within those premises, Cap 88:22, Part 4, Sec 21 (3), hotels are permitted 24 hours’ operation and service (travellers) to their guests. As stated in

the Official Gazette (Feb 26, 2021), a document signed by the Hon. Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, hotels are granted 24 hours’ operation, and, by extension, to provide 24 hours of service to guests.

A hotel is not simply a restaurant and bar, and can’t be equated with either or both. One cannot deny guests food and drinks – that is an essential service of hotels, besides lodging. Of course, as stated in the gazette, hotels and

all businesses are mandated to enforce wearing of masks, social distancing, hand-washing stations, sanitising stations, and other health and safety protocols.

The Ministry of Tourism (Police department) is responsible for enforcing COVID protocols and rules.

Enforcement of rules can’t apply to providing service at a hotel; they apply to protocols like masking.

Follow the gazette.

Heavily armed ranks, dressed in military fatigues

and carrying AK-47 rifles, descended on the premises of Sleepin hotel. This was a joint services’ operation. Roads were blocked off. There was no warning. Guests and travellers were simply rounded up and herded and taken to Police lock-up. The very COVID protocols that ranks came to enforce were violated by themselves. gear in, joint services. Who sent the ranks there, and why? Was the PM’s Office informed?

Do the ranks or their su-

Restructuring of NIS Dear Editor, To restructure an organisation, according to Google, is to reorganise that company with the view to achieving greater efficiency and profit; or, simply put, adapt to a changing world. This is exactly what I would like us to focus our attention on today. That is, the restructuring of The National Insurance Corporation, NIS. The NIS in Guyana is a corporation that has been operating as a welfare organisation; that is, strictly based on welfare principles and laws. When an organisation is run along those lines, it means that pretty soon its financial standing would become a problem. Except that institution can receive funding from multi-sources, which in the Guyana situation it is not, its viability would soon be in jeopardy.

Guyana is already in that bankruptcy zone, with much of its inflows being siphoned off into large payouts, this is something that the National Insurance Scheme would not be able to sustain on a long-term basis. Greater still, it does not augur well for the institution. There are two inhibiting factors facing the institution: (a) People are living longer, hence they

would be benefiting longer from the scheme than their contribution years would have afforded them. And (b) the vagaries of cash inflows with situations such as COVID-19 or unscrupulous employers who do not send in workers' contributions. These factors place great strain on the cash inflows to the corporation.

Now, there are several options available to the authorities, which they can explore. First of these is to raise the age of retirement from 55 to 60 years.

In so doing, there will be a surety of many more years of contributions, as well as a buildup of a robust cash base. The simple math of that is: let's say 100 persons would be retiring at the end of this year, it would mean a curtailment of 500 years of contributions. I am talking about 100 x 5 = 500 cumulative years of contributions.

Cash inflows should also be encouraged from the self-employed sector of the economy. An aggressive programme should be embarked upon to get those members of the self-employed to come on board and into the contributing network. Workshops and other such outreaches ought to be held to educate those contributors on the benefits to be accrued from enlisting

into the NIS Scheme.

Finally, the NIS should be restructured to bring it into the modern age, wherein the institution becomes a robust savings bank. There must be the exploration of sound economic investment programmes to cater for additional income. We are here talking about prudent fiscal investments in areas of national development. In this way, we will be moving into the modern era of development.

What I have highlighted above will make the NIS into a strong and healthy financial institution, all geared towards the financial stability of the country on the whole. All it takes is the political willpower of the executive to do it.

Guyana must move forward, and the time for that upward mobility is now.

Respectfully, Neil Adams

pervisor know the laws and rules?

Based on the laws of Guyana, during a raid, the Police or ranks could arrest a guest or those present in a hotel only if he or she refuses to provide name and address, or if the Police believe that guest was untruthful in providing name and address (suspected of providing false information).

It would seem to me that the Police violated the laws when they raided Sleepin hotel last weekend. The hotel was providing legitimate service to guests and travellers. No one was legitimately charged for violating protocols or rules. The Police arrested and charged hotel proprietor Mr Bacchus. He was not defiant, and he did

not provide false information on his identity or address. Mr Bacchus lives at the hotel, and is well known in the public domain.

Clearly, he was wrongly arrested.

Also, guests had a legitimate right to be at the hotel, and if they are not defiant and/or not violating COVID rules and regulations, the Police lack power to quiz them and/or to make arrests.

The State must make amends.

There was wrongful detention. Bacchus and others were humiliated. Should Mr Bacchus seek compensation?

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

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THURSDAY MARCH, 18, 2021

Page

Foundation ◄

Æsop’s Fables

FOR CHILDREN

Question 1:

Wednesday’s answers 1a) The angles in that figure add up to 360o, so Angle a = 360o – the sum of the other angles = 360o – (110o + 19o + 70o + 74o) = 360o – 273o = 87o 1bi) Length of Tile P = 20cm Tile Q is 10cm longer than the length

Materials Pie tin Sand Baking soda (1 tsp) Powdered sugar (4 tsp) Mixing bowl – small Lighter fluid – or ethanol Lighter Instructions

NB: Adult supervision required.

Always be careful when conducting experiments involving fire. Be sure to only light the sand on a safe fireproof base in a wellventilated area. Keep water nearby as a precaution. Remember to tie back long hair and never leave flames unattended or unsupervised by an adult.

Step 1: In a bowl, combine 4 tsp of powdered sugar with 1 tsp of baking soda.

Step 2: Fill the pie tin with sand and create a small mound in the middle. Use your knuckle to make an indent in the middle of the mound.

Step 3: Pour lighter fluid on the mound and in the indentation. Make

of Tile P x = the length of Tile Q x = length of Tile P + 10cm = 20cm + 10cm = 30cm 1bii) Area of Tile Q = 30cm (L) x 16cm (B) = 480cm2

sure that the sand is well soaked.

Step 4: Spoon your sugar and baking soda mix into the centre of the mound.

Step 5: Carefully light the sand near the sugar mixture.

(An adult should perform or carefully supervise this step.) The sugar and baking soda mix will begin to bubble and turn black. As this mixture burns, watch as your snake begins to grow and take shape. It is a slow process so be patient! A snake will begin to form after a couple of minutes and can continue to burn for more than 20 minutes!

What is going on?

Your carbon sugar snake is the product of three chemical reactions that are all dependent on heat.

The first of these reactions occurs when sugar combusts (burns) in the presence of oxygen. This produces carbon dioxide gas and water vapour (also a gas), which pushes more of the sugar/baking soda mixture upwards.

Some of this additional sugar heats up, but doesn’t have access to any

1biii) In order to determine how much more area Tile Q will cover than Tile P, the area of Tile P must be found and then subtracted.

Area of Tile P = 20cm (L) x 20cm (B) = 400cm2 So area of Tile Q – area of Tile P = 480cm2 – 400cm2 = 80cm2

oxygen, so instead of burning, it undergoes thermal decomposition, producing solid carbon and more water vapour. This solid carbon now gives the snake some shape, and also gives the snake its black colour. Lastly, the baking soda also decomposes in the heat, producing solid sodium carbonate, and carbon dioxide gas and water vapour. Altogether, these three reactions produce both the solid components of the snake (carbon and sodium carbonate) and hot gases (CO2 and water vapour) that expand and inflate the snake up and out of the sand bowl.

The sand in this experiment does not chemically react with anything in the growing snake. Instead, it evenly distributes the heat from the burning lighter fluid to the sugar and the baking soda, ensuring a slow, steady burn and the growth of a long carbon sugar snake. (kiwico.com)

A

peasant found an eagle captured in a trap, and much admiring the bird, set him free.

The eagle did not prove ungrateful to his deliverer, for seeing the peasant sitting under a wall which was not safe, he flew toward him and with his talons snatched a bundle from his head.

When the peasant rose in pursuit, the eagle let the bundle fall again.

Taking it up, the man returned to the same place, to find that the wall under which he had been sitting had fallen to pieces; and he marvelled at the service rendered him by the eagle.

WORD SEARCH

7 India pledges increased collaboration with Guyana NEWS

THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

…in fight against COVID, financial sector management

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uyana has long shared a close relationship with India, and on Wednesday, Indian High Commissioner Dr KJ Srinivasa touted increased collaboration between the two countries on a number of key issues, including the COVID-19 pandemic.

The High Commissioner was at the time delivering remarks during a ceremony to formalise the Indianowned Bank of Baroda’s status as a mortgage lender. Hinting cryptically at an upcoming announcement next week that would further cement bilateral ties, he made it clear that India stands ready to help Guyana in its push for development.

“I believe that the collaboration between India and Guyana is in such a phase where we both understand each other, we both respond to each other’s concerns, and we’re ready and willing to work with Guyana in its development,” he said.

“You would have seen recently (that) we donated about 80,000 vaccines to the Guyanese people.

This is just a part of our vaccine friendship that the Government of India has undertaken across the world. We continue to work

Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr KJ Srinivasa

with the Government of Guyana, helping them to procure more vaccines.”

Besides the vaccines, the High Commissioner recalled other instances in which assistance was provided to Guyana. And he touted another area where India could be of assistance to Guyana - financial management.

“Last year we were able to donate US$1 M to help them with COVID infrastructure. They got about 35 ventilators from India.

These are things that go a long way into cementing our relationship,” the Indian High Commissioner said.

“And I want to stress that this occasion will lay the scene for further col-

laboration in the financial sector, and I can strongly emphasise here that the expertise that financial institutions in India have in dealing with such matters will be very helpful. We can share best practices with the Bank of Guyana or the Finance Ministry.

Guyana and India, which established bilateral relations in 1966 following Guyana’s Independence, have strong diplomatic and economic ties that are bolstered by several high-level deals brokered through India’s diplomatic presence in Guyana.

One such project is the Ogle-Diamond bypass road project, which will see construction of a total of 26 kilometres of road linking two of the country’s main thoroughfares. This new road link will also be connected to key communities in Georgetown and along the East Bank of Demerara.

These include Diamond, Mocha and Eccles – all on the East Bank – and Aubrey Barker Road in Georgetown. These connections will prove crucial in diverting traffic.

And it was only in January that the governments of Guyana and India signed a US$12.7 million

A US$12.7 million contract to construct a vessel was signed between India and Guyana

contract for construction of a spanking new ocean-going passenger and cargo vessel to ply the North-West District-Georgetown route.

This is part of a US$18 million project being funded by the Indian Government through a US$8 million grant and US$10 million Line of Credit (LOC).

Public Works Minister Juan Edghill had reminded that former President Donald Ramotar had, under the last PPP/C Administration, secured

funding from the Indian Government for the vessel, but no significant progress had been made in the last five years.

“The money for the ferry was available. We came back to office five years later, no contract was awarded and signed, no ferry was built, and the monies (were) still available,” Minister Edghill had asserted.

It has been noted that the US$12.7 million will be disbursed in three tranches to the contractor, GRES.

An advanced payment of 20 per cent of the contract sum; that is, US$2,253,601, will be paid in the coming days; and then 40 per cent – amounting to US$5,239,901 – will be released later this year at various construction milestone dates.

It was further explained that the final sum of the remaining 40 per cent will be disbursed in 2022 after the installation of the main engines and steering systems, and upon receipt and acceptance of the vessel. (G3)

8 NEWS

THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Private school director on trial for sexually assaulting female employee

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he Director of a city private school, James Bovell, is presently on trial before Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty for allegedly assaulting one of his female employees.

The charge against him states that during February 2020, at Brickdam, Georgetown, he kissed the 25-year-old woman on her cheeks and grabbed her

buttocks without her permission.

He was first charged with the offence last year, but he pleaded not guilty to the charge, and was placed on bail.

According to information, the woman had been working at the school as an accountant for six months before the alleged incident occurred. In January 2020, Charged: James Bovell

she allegedly asked Bovell for a $30,000 loan to buy a mattress, and he gave her the money.

Sometime in February 2020, the young woman went to the canteen at the school, where she saw Bovell, who allegedly asked her to make some coffee for

him. It is understood that the woman made the coffee for her boss, and attempted to repay him some of the money she had borrowed.

But as she was about to exit the canteen, Bovell grabbed her and kissed her on the cheek without her permission.

And on an occasion when she was leaving his office, Bovell allegedly got up from his chair, blocked the door, and slapped her on her left side buttocks without her consent.

It is alleged that the woman confided in two of her workmates and the father of her child, who took her to the Police to make a report. After investigations, Bovell was arrested and charged.

His trial is scheduled to continue on April 20. (G1)

War break...

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…in the PNC hey say “the more things change, the more they remain the same”. Burnham, whose inferiority complex made him “show off” his “learning” to boost his ego, would ostentatiously insist on saying it in the original French, “plus ça change, plus c' est la même chose”! He never saw the irony of using the affectations of the colonial “masters” to prove his worth! Anyhow, your Eyewitness was reminded of the saying when he read that declaration of war circulating in the PNC camp against David Granger’s leadership (or lack thereof).

Reminded him of Winston Jordan’s shrill outburst in front of the faithful at Bartica - with Moses Nagamootoo in olive army fatigues at his side: “From today, comrades, it’s WAR BREAK!” Well, this time the Philippic declaring war was directed internally, and good thing too! The Bartica diatribe didn’t end well for the PNC, since the PPP - targets of that War Break - whupped them so soundly they couldn’t even be sent to bed!

Not a good portent for getting the Sanctimonious Gangster out!

Now, dear reader, don’t tell your Eyewitness you haven’t seen the last that was put on Granger by “Concerned Supporters”. Basically, it says, “It is time for you to go! There is no role for you in the shaping of the future of the People’s National Congress. You lack the political imagination, the strategic thinking and more importantly, you are incapable of considering any ideas other than your own. It is clear that the litany of failures you produced as leader of the People’s National Congress and as President of the Cooperative Republic and your craven, conceited effort to continue to squat on the leadership of the party are a clear and present danger to the continued existence of the party as a viable, respected political organization.” It continues in that vein for another 400+words! BRUTAL! Now these sentiments have been expressed by (even) your no-PNC-skin-in-the-game Eyewitness, who yesterday pointed out the need for a solid opposition to sustain a vibrant democracy. But he’s a tad disappointed that the Concerned PNCites didn’t have the courage of their conviction to put their names to the polemic. That would’ve indicated that there are folks prepared to stand up for their PNC. Right now, all they’ve done is to convince Granger that the best his critics can do is to snap impotently at his heels.

What your Eyewitness will advise (gratuitously!) is that if the PNC faithful want to change their leadership based on his objectionable, undemocratic, and in fact autocratic leadership, they can’t do it in an undemocratic manner.

They’ll have to demonstrate the new political culture they want to introduce, in their actions. …in Parliament We don’t need Winston Jordan to remind us that it’s been “War Break” in the National Assembly, waged by the PNC from the moment the Assembly convened. ‘Cause by then the Sanctimonious Gangster had already crippled the old guard, like Chairwoman Volda Lawrence, by simply not selecting them as MPs! Even Jordan - who was brought in from the paradigmatically nondescript Budget Office back room - wasn’t all owed back!! Clearly, Granger, as an old military man, hadn’t learnt from Napoleon that fighting a war on two fronts can be fatal!

So, the wet-behind-the-ears PNC neophytes were let loose in Parliament to take on the PPP, who had more prudently selected a rather balanced list of old heads and new hands. And to no one’s surprise, it was like Sugar Ray doling out some serious damage to Roberto Duran - without the PNC MPs knowing they could plead “No mas! No mas!”

Yes…we need a new leader of the PNC; but so, too, we need new representatives! …on COVID-19 Competition isn’t just good for business, but politics. No sooner had India donated 80,000 of its AstraZeneca vaccines to us than China’s head honcho called up President Ali. Offering to up the 20,000 shots of their SinoPharm.

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

NEWS

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THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Govt to strengthen legislation to clamp down on property fraud – AG

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n light of an alarming increase in the number of property fraud cases in Guyana, the Government is working on strengthening the various legislation that prevent such occurrences.

This is according to Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall, SC, during a recent appearance on the ‘Government in Action’ programme, in which he addressed the issue and spoke of some of the measures that are being contemplated to protect property owners from fraud.

During the televised programme on Tuesday evening, Nandlall revealed that several persons have already lost their properties through fraudulent acts by mostly unknown persons, coupled with institutional failure on the part of the various state agencies that are involved in the process of the sale of property.

“This type of fraudulent conduct has repeatedly occurred, especially in recent times, with alarming prevalence; having regard to, I guess, the boldness which now endow criminals as well as the fact that you have, I suppose, technological advances made,” he stated.

The Minister went on to outline several such cases, including one wherein an individual was informed by the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) of an attempt to try to register his Public

AG and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall, SC

Road Eccles, East Bank Demerara property in someone else’s name with the intention of having it sold.

“So, this poor, innocent man has lost his property. His property is gone to another person, whom he doesn’t know, via transport.

So, it means that a whole transaction concluded, transport advertised, passed out of his name into this fraudster’s name, and he doesn’t know anything.

“Guyanese do not acquaint themselves with the Official Gazette, where the advertisement is made, so they don’t know. And this gentleman was forced to take legal action and go to the High Court, where the matter is currently engaging, and (he) is trying to get back the transport of the property into his name,” he noted.

According to the AG, the property owner is fortunate that he got wind of what was happening and intervened before the property could have gotten into the hands of a third party, who could be protected as an innocent purchaser.

In addition to the legal proceedings, the matter was also reported to the Police.

According to the Legal Affairs Minister, he believes that there is an integrated conspiracy at work in committing these frauds. He noted that no one person could pull this off.

“I asked the Crime Chief to do a full-blown investigation into this matter, and to examine it at every link of the chain. If there is a Notary Public involved, who may have executed a Power of Attorney, investigate that component of the transaction. Obviously, the matter was filed at the Deeds Registry, investigate that component; investigate the officers at the Deeds Registry. If it was advertised in the Official Gazette, then let the investigation go (there) as well and let us see where the fraud actually took place,” Nandlall stated.

Though property fraud has been happening for some time now, the issue rose to the fore following a recent ruling in another property fraud case by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), which recommended that Guyana’s legal framework be strength-

ened.

“We have now, supported by a call from the CCJ, examined the system; examined both the administrative apparatus as well as the statutory framework; and see how we can improve the system both in terms of the law as well as in terms of the processes. Administratively, (certain processes) have to be executed when a transport moves from one hand to an-

other,” Nandlall noted.

He went on to say, “I hope that this investigation by the Police will be thorough and will unearth the type of evidence which not only can yield a conviction or convictions in the courts, but can assist myself, as a minister with responsibility for the Deeds Registry and responsibility for the legal sector, to strengthen both, because both are critical; that is, the

Law and the agency that administers it.”

Moreover, the Legal Affairs Minister outlined that focus will now be placed on improving access to the Official Gazette, wherein transports are advertised before any transactions are completed and, as such, he has crafted a Cabinet Paper to present to his colleague ministers on the issue.

Nandlall believes the Official Gazette should be accessed at public offices countrywide, and even at some commercial entities; as well as be readily accessed through social media platforms. He also mentioned the need to extend the required timeframe for these advertisements, in order to allow persons to access and scrutinise the Gazette.

Further, the Minister spoke of the need to enhance the quality of persons being made Notaries Public, as well as the processes executed at that level. Strengthening the Deeds Registry Act and the Power of Attorney Act are also on the cards, he added.

(G8)

10 NEWS

THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

“Make the right choices”— Judge advises duo acquitted of murder

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wo men – Shawn Edinboro, a former Policeman, and Michael Bishop – were Wednesday acquitted of a murder charge.

Before the men left the virtual courtroom, Judge Brassington Reynolds said to them, “Make the right choices going forward. I don’t want to read or hear about Bishop or Edinboro in any way or anything to do relating to crime.”

The young men were on trial for close to one

Shawn Edinboro

Michael Bishop

month at the High Court in Demerara. It was alleged that between January 2 and January 3, 2014, in the county of Demerara, they murdered Raphael Campbell, a taxi driver of Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

After deliberations Wednesday, the 12-member jury returned unanimous not-guilty verdicts in relation to both men. Accordingly, Justice Reynolds informed them that they were discharged and free to go. At the announcement of the verdict, Edinboro raised his hands in relief.

When asked by the Judge if he had anything to say, he replied, “I am speechless at the moment. I would like to thank everyone, even the Prosecutor. I would like to thank my Attorney as well.”

Meanwhile, Bishop, who could not hold back tears, echoed similar sentiments.

For his part, Justice Reynolds advised the men to see their acquittal as an opportunity to make something of the rest of their lives. He told them to reflect

Shawn Collins

Dead: Raphael Campbell

on the past seven years of their lives and the experience of having their freedom taken away as a result of incarceration.

“Grab this opportunity with both hands,” the Judge said to Bishop and Edinboro, adding that he trusted that they would ask God to take control over their lives and point them in the right direction.

During the trial, Edinboro was represented by Attorney-at-law Latchmie Rahamat, while Bishop was represented by Attorney-atLaw Bernard DaSilva. State Counsel Seeta Bishundial and State Counsel Tyra Bakker presented the case

for the prosecution.

In November 2020, another man, 23-year-old Shawn Collins was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the taxi driver’s killing.

He was arraigned before Justice Navindra Singh and opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.

Reports are that on January 2, 2020, Campbell picked up a few male passengers at Camp Street, Georgetown, and took them to a village on the East Coast of Demerara, where he was robbed and slain.

His body was found the next day at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown. (G1)

GDF rank charged for causing death by dangerous driving

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ail was granted in the sum of $150,000 to Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Lance Corporal Jason Butters, 23, of Onderneeming, West Bank Demerara, who appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Wednesday on a charge of causing death by dangerous driving.

Butters pleaded not guilty to the charge, which stated that on December 15, 2020, at the McDoom Public Road, Greater Georgetown, he drove motorcar PTT 4166 in a manner dangerous to the public, thereby causing the death of 33-year-old Ameena Sooklall of Providence, East

Dead: Ameena Sooklall

Bank Demerara.

Police, in a statement, said that on December 15, 2020, Sooklall was an occupant of the vehicle being driven by Butters when it crashed into a concrete median. Reports are that the

accident occurred at about 22:45h in the vicinity of the new Gafoor’s access road on the McDoom Public Road.

According to the Police, Butters related that he was heading north along the roadway at a moderate rate of speed when he suddenly felt drowsy. According to the Police statement, “his eyes closed and he lost control of the vehicle and collided with the concrete median at the centre of the road.”

The vehicle sustained extensive damage, leaving the driver and the other occupants with injuries.

Sooklall was later pronounced dead at the scene.

The case involving Butters, who was represented by Senior Counsel Stanley Moore, will be recalled on March 23. (G1)

Security guard found dead at worksite

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he lifeless body of a security guard was found at ‘Drum Yard’ located at David Street, Kitty, Georgetown.

Police said acting on information received, they went to the location, where the motionless body of the man, who was identified as Troy Wiggins, 46, of Lot 490 Kiskadee Drive, South Ruimveldt was seen lying motionless face down under a shed.

When the body was found on Tuesday, it was

clad in a pair of long blue jeans, a black and green long-sleeve jacket, a gray jersey, and black socks.

The body was examined, but no marks of violence were seen. It was taken to the Lyken Funeral Home, where it awaits a post-mortem. Investigations are ongoing.

Investigations so far revealed that Wiggins was suffering from epilepsy, and he was a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital for 20 years.

NEWS

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THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021|| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Businessman robbed 6 times in 3 years

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40-year-old businessman has expressed frustration and fear, as he has been the victim of armed robberies some six times in three years.

Kris Seymour, who operates the Zico Shop at Riverview, Ruimveldt, Georgetown, was robbed by bandits on Tuesday evening.

The incident occurred at his place of business and in the presence of his 16-yearold son, who is now traumatised.

Seymour told Guyana Times that on Tuesday evening he was waiting to take his mother home, when he saw a motorcycle pull up at his shop. The man said he did not take it for anything,

Kris Seymour

since it is a popular area, and persons would usually come to make purchases from his shop.

“All I see is a XR pull up

and a man jump off of the XR and come and pull out a black nine, a brand new one, and he stick me up and snatch off my chain. He see something in me pocket, but it wasn’t nothing, it was an empty plastic bag. I had my car keys in my pocket and he take the car keys,” Seymour related.

The businessman said his chain was worth $450,000. He said the gunman, along with his accomplice, came directly to him, because they passed everyone else who was sitting at the shop, and pointed the gun in his direction, while making demands.

“Every year they would come one or two time at the

same location. We make reports about these robberies, but it doesn’t make no sense really. My son is in shock, because he never experienced something like this… it was two men,” the businessman said.

Seymour told this publication that he was robbed so many times that he has gotten accustomed to it.

He said he was surprised on Tuesday that this time around, the men came to rob him earlier than they usually do.

“I didn’t expect them to come so fast… it’s just so they come up on the bike and rob me. He put he hand in he crotch, pull out a gun and when you look at him [one

The business place that was robbed by bandits on Tuesday

of the bandits], he looked very nervous. I didn’t get to see they face because one of them had on a flap hat and a black mask,” he explained.

Following the robbery, Seymour made a report

at the Ruimveldt Police Station.

The businessman is now fearful for his life and he is pleading with authorities to do more to help protect him and his family. (G9)

12 NEWS Scrap metal dealers call on Govt to lift ban on export T THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

he Guyana Metal Recyclers Association (GMRA) is appealing to the Government to remove the ban on scrap metal exportation which was imposed since September 30, 2020.

On Wednesday, Secretary of the GMRA, Stephen Bourne, called on President Dr Irfaan Ali to intervene, since thousands of Guyanese who depend on

the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) James Singh, a representative from the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), and executives of the GMRA. At that meeting, the members said, they were asked to provide documentation such as their business registration, address of scrap metal yards, and their contact information. The association is saying that all of

since authorities in Belgium unearthed 11.5 tons of cocaine among scrap metal back in November 2020.

The drugs were found in containers that originated from Guyana.

Since that major drug bust, CANU has issued a wanted bulletin for Marlon Primo of Atlantic Ville, East Coast Demerara, the owner of MA Trading which shipped the containers to the

Secretary and Treasurer of GMRA: Stephen Bourne and Shalini Dias

GMRA’s Treasurer, Shalini Dias, said that the association was informed that its closure was to facilitate an audit. She was, however, unable to give an update on the current situation since she was informed that

such information was not made available to the association.

But this is not the first time Government has placed a ban on the scrap metal trade. According to GMRA, under the previous APNU/

AFC Government, scrap metal trading was closed for two years.

Many of the GMRA members have complained that, apart from having families to maintain, they are burdened with loans and mortgages, and the COVID-19 pandemic has made their situation worse.

GMRA says it is a national association that represents an industry that is dedicated to the efficient removal of recyclable materials; namely, ferrous and non-ferrous metals.

According to the association, the scrap metal industry creates jobs for both skilled and unskilled workers, which add up to approximately 1200 persons.

(G12)

Man charged for killing teen mother of 2 A scrap metal yard at Eccles Industrial Site, East Bank Demerara

the trade are suffering.

GMRA said that shortly after the ban, the association, which has 23 members, met with Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister Oniedge Walrond, who assured them that the trade would be reopened no later than December 15, 2020.

According to GMRA, a follow-up meeting was held on January 12, 2021, this time between Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn, Minister Walrond, Head of

the requested information was provided by its members.

However, during the meeting, GMRA said, no date was given for the reopening of the lucrative trade, but they were informed that phased reopening is likely after a new and improved scanner is installed.

Major drug bust

The association noted that the ban continues ever

consignee, Lotraco Recycling BV, in the Netherlands. He is still on the run.

In an interview with Guyana Times, Bourne said the scrap metal trade is being overlooked, since the other traders are getting to export without problems.

According to Bourne, the scrap metal trade is not the only trade that has had cocaine busts in recent times.

In this regard, he believes the GMRA is being treated unfairly.

K

ristophe Stoll of Swan, Kuru Kururu, Linden-Soesdyke Highway was Wednesday charged and remanded to prison for the murder of a 19-year-old mother of two, who he allegedly stabbed to death at a party.

The murder accused was arraigned before Magistrate Sunil Scarce at the DiamondGrove Magistrates’ Courts.

He was not required to plead to the indictable charge. The charge stated that on March 14, 2021, at Swan, he murdered Kameel Calistro. The murder accused will make his next court appearance on April 17, 2021.

Guyana Times previously reported that Calistro of Lot 9 Swan Village, was stabbed to death during the wee hours of March 14 by Stoll, who was intoxicated.

According to Police reports, Calistro had attended

Kameel Calistro

a party in the said village on the evening of March 13, and was drinking and dancing to music being played from a vehicle that was parked in front of a yard.

At the time, several other persons were also drinking and dancing. However, about 02:00h the following morning, an argument broke out about which girl

was the better dancer. The argument was between Stoll and a relative of the nowdead teen.

During the argument, it is alleged that Stoll whipped out a knife from his waistband and attempted to stab 29-year-old Adolph Joseph – a cousin of Calistro who sustained a minor laceration to the left side of his lower abdomen.

Calistro reportedly intervened and requested that both of the men stop. In a fit of rage, Stoll allegedly rushed up to her and dealt her a stab to the left side of her abdomen. The injured woman ran a short distance, but collapsed in front of her home.

She was picked up and taken to the Diamond Hospital. She was later transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where she took her last breath. (G1)

NEWS

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THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

“Dream big and think outside the box” – Tourism Minister tells Bartica students

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ome 150 students of the Bartica and Three Mile Secondary schools in Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) participated in the State of Entrepreneurship Survey which is being conducted by the Tourism, Industry and Commerce Ministry and targets students and business owners.

Speaking with students on Tuesday at the Bartica Secondary School, Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister Oneidge Walrond

Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister Oneidge Walrond

challenged students to “dream big and think outside the box.”

The Minister stressed that small businesses are the drivers of wealth-creation in nations. She added that it is necessary to begin thinking about entrepreneurship from a young age. Walrond emphasised that entrepreneurship must not be considered as simply starting a business, but also about adding value and solutions to our communities outside of resources that might be immediately avail-

Domestic violence victims to access free legal services in Berbice

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omestic violence victims residing in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) now have access to free legal representation and counselling following the opening of a new clinic at Babu Jaan, Port Mourant.

These new services are being offered as a result of a partnership between two NonGovernmental Organisations – the Women Let’s Rise and Dorcas Mending Hearts Ministry.

Dorcas, which was established in 2017, has been working primarily in the Georgetown area while Women Let’s Rise is a newly-formed organisation in Region Six. In fact, Women Let’s Rise is the women arm of the well-established Humanitarian Mission Guyana Inc, which is based in Berbice.

According to Humanitarian Mission President Suresh Sugrim, the launching of the programme came about after a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the two organisations.

“We had decided on three areas which are free counselling, representation in court,

A section of the gathering at the launching of the new legal clinic at Babu Jaan, Port Mourant

and legal advice coming from the legal team at Dorcas,” he stated during a simple launching ceremony this weekend.

Meanwhile, Women Let’s Rise Chairperson Vaneta Romulo noted that the high rate of violence against women in the region was alarming.

“What we have realised is that there isn’t a voice for them. There is not much help.

As much as we would want them to leave abusive relationships; where do they go?

How do they leave? So, myself and some other women with the same interests, we decided to be the voice for these women who cannot speak for themselves,” she explained.

Dorcas Mending Hearts Ministry President, former

Magistrate Kim Kyte says the clinic aims to provide free legal advice and representation for victims of domestic violence.

The clinic will also be providing counselling for victims.

She said there were in excess of 10 lawyers available to provide legal advice and if necessary, provide legal representation to victims.

“We urge every person in the community, any part of Berbice, please access our clinic. Any person who has any issue with domestic violence, we are here to advise, and if necessary represent you in the court system,” Kyte said.

Persons can make contact with the clinic by calling 3366913 and 615-2433. (G4)

able.

Entrepreneurship, she pointed out, is also about meeting a need. She noted that schools are incubators of many ideas that can be monetised. “As your minds are young and agile, don’t get confined to a structure, think solutions. There are problems all around you; there are problems to be solved; that is how you think and how ideas are born,” the Minister told the students.

The Government, she added, is developing an Entrepreneurship Development and Innovation Fund to stimulate new innovation and new businesses.

“We will support the research and development of those ideas. We will fund technical advice for you to bring those ideas into implementation, and possibly into a full-blown business that you can monetise,” she posited.

The Minister added that the Government wants to en-

Some of the students of Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) who participated in the State of Entrepreneurship Survey

courage students to get more involved in developing business and innovative ideas.

Meanwhile, Director of Business and Entrepreneurship, John Edghill, has said Government wants to understand the entrepreneurship aspirations of students. “We have crafted a very specific survey geared at understanding the spirit of entrepreneurship among our students,” Edghill explained.

He noted that informa-

tion gathered from the survey would assist the Ministry in developing programmes and policies that can assist students in becoming entrepreneurs. “We believe that entrepreneurship is a pathway to having that life we want to live, and is also a pathway to developing the lives of other people who reside in our communities, including our families. So, we bring you the message of entrepreneurship,” Edghill declared.

US Embassy launches youth professional development programme

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he United States Embassy has hosted the launching of a professional development mentorship programme that would pair over 200 Guyanese youths between the ages of 15 and 25 with established professionals in their desired field of work.

In his remarks at the launching of the programme, Deputy Chief of Mission Mark Cullinane praised the young attendees for taking the initiative to participate in such a programme, and thanked the mentors who are volunteering their time to develop the next generation.

The six-week project, the embassy said on Wednesday, is managed by alumni of the Department of State Youth Ambassadors Program who were inspired by the challenges they faced to acquire career guidance for jobs or post-secondary school

placements in their fields of interest.

According to the embassy, Rawletta Barrow, André Ramaldo, Manisha Singh, Raquel Meenkum, Naomi Marshall, Ruth Waddell and Daniel Narsaiah recruited and organised over 50 mentors in the fields of international development, medicine, engineering, and economics to provide free mentoring sessions for young people who applied from regions across Guyana.

The programme is part of the US Embassy’s ongoing work to encourage prosperity for all Guyanese.

14 NEWS Guyana records 210th COVID-19 death, 84 new cases THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

…more MPs receive vaccines

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nother person who had tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) died on Wednesday, the Ministry of Health has announced. This now takes the total number of deaths from the pandemic in Guyana to 210.

The latest fatality is a 42-year-old male from Region Three (Essequibo

tected from some 881 tests conducted in the last 24 hours.

According to the updated COVID-19 Dashboard, the total number of confirmed cases in Guyana is now 9322.

However, only 732 of these cases are currently active.

Seven of these patients are in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the re-

since the outbreak of the pandemic here.

New cases

Of the 84 new COVID-19 cases recorded on Wednesday, three were detected in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); 12 in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara); a whopping 54 in Region

of the virus, with frontline health workers being the first to benefit, as well as persons over 60 years old.

Vaccines

Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir (right) and Deputy Speaker Lenox Shuman after being vaccinated on Wednesday

Islands-West Demerara), who died while receiving care at a medical facility.

This is the country’s third COVID-19 fatality for the week, which started with the death toll at 207.

On Monday, an 89-year-old female, also from Region Three, died, and the following day, a 66-year-old female from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) died – both at medical facilities as well.

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry also reported on Wednesday that 84 new COVID-19 cases were de-

maining 725 persons are in isolation as follows: 41 are in institutional isolation and 684 are in home isolation.

There also are 12 persons presently in institutional quarantine.

Meanwhile, the total number of persons who have recovered from the life-threatening virus has increased to 8381 – 22 more recoveries than the figure reported the previous day.

To date, Guyana has tested some 78,308 persons for the novel coronavirus, of which 4804 males and 4518 females have tested positive

Four (Demerara-Mahaica); two each in regions Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and Six (East Berbice-Corentyne); eight in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), and three in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

The figures remain the same in Region One (Barima-Waini), Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).

As the number of positive cases continues to spike, Government has rolled out its COVID-19 vaccination campaign to curb the spread

Parliamentarians and Cabinet Members are also now being inoculated. In fact, several Members of Parliament on Wednesday turned up at Parliament Buildings to receive their COVID-19 vaccines.

In keeping with the protocols established for the national vaccination programme, the recipients were provided information on the vaccine, and had their concerns addressed before being vaccinated, the Department of Public Information (DPI) has said in a report.

Among those vaccinated were Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir, who expressed gratitude to the Government for securing the vaccines for the nation.

“It is important that we tell our people that vaccination is something highly recommended, and as Speaker, I want to be among the first also to be vaccinated. I feel that it’s more than

necessary. It is not sufficient to talk the talk, but we need to do the walk. Today I am pleased to see quite a few Members of Parliament here,” he said.

To this end, the Speaker said the Government would soon be able to provide the vaccine to all Guyanese.

Additionally, Deputy Speaker and Opposition MP Lenox Shuman also received his COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday. He was joined

by Labour Minister Joseph Hamilton, who said vaccination will no doubt change the course of the pandemic in Guyana and across the globe.

“Every Guyanese should utilise the opportunity to get vaccinated, because we are being told by all of the medical experts that the vaccinated population would help to relieve us from this stress that we have had to live with in Guyana and around the world,” Hamilton said.

His colleague, Government MP Dr. Jennifer Westford, agreed with those sentiments.

“The vaccine is like any other vaccine. It was nor-

mal. I didn’t feel when I got it… The registration clerk explained to us what the vaccine is about and how I am going to feel, so I want to encourage every Guyanese to take your vaccines once it is available,” she said.

Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and his wife Mrs. Sita Nagamootoo were also vaccinated on Wednesday. He told DPI that it is an opportunity to get ahead of the third wave of the disease, “…particularly judging by what is going on on our southern border.

We need to protect ourselves, so I want to encourage others to do what I have done and other leaders, to take the vaccine. This gives confidence to our people that it is not the question of safety, but the question is one of protection, and you are better off with the vaccine than if you did not.”

Among others vaccinated were Government MPs Alister Charlie and Sheila Veersammy as well as Opposition MPs Khemraj Ramjattan and Geeta Chandan-Edmond. (G8)

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Opposition talks about constitutional, electoral reforms with Canadian envoy

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pposition Leader Joseph Harmon on Wednesday led a delegation which met with Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Mark Berman, to discuss a number of matters pertaining to the country’s affairs.

The meeting, which was held at the Office of the Leader of the Opposition, was attended by Leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Khemraj Ramjattan, as well as party members Amanza Walton-Desir and Geeta-Chandan Edmond.

Harmon, in a brief video statement following the engagement, noted that the meeting was a significant one.

“It is important that the High Commission understands the way we see things, and understand the way our supporters feel,” the Opposition Leader expressed.

He noted that the discussion with the Canadian envoy comes on the heels of similar engagements the APNU/AFC Opposition have had with United States and United Kingdom diplomats.

Harmon said that in the meeting with the Canadian diplomat, they spoke about “the need for a new voters list before any elections, and we felt that the house-tohouse way of producing the voters list is, in our view,

where he remained until recently, when he returned to Guyana.

Chatterjee and her fellow diplomats from the United States, United Kingdom and the European Union also played an integral role in the restoration of democracy in Guyana following the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections after the APNU/ AFC Government’s refusal to demit office, having lost the elections.

Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon and a team have met with Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Mark Berman. Also in the photo are Leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Khemraj Ramjattan, as well as party members Amanza Walton-Desir and Geeta Chandan-Edmond

the best way for doing so.”

Discussions were also focused on “constitutional change, and how we go about changing the Constitution, and we emphasised that it has to be a grass-roots approach.”

Meanwhile, Ramjattan also hailed the meeting with the Canadian envoy as a “significant step”.

According to Ramjattan, the Opposition spoke about matters relating to the overall development of Guyana, including topics of climate change, constitutional and electoral reforms, and the

murder of the three teenagers on the West Coast of Berbice (Haresh Singh and Joel and Isaiah Henry).

Ramjattan said Canada has always been a friend of Guyana’s, even under the APNU/AFC administration.

Against this backdrop, he said, “We want to maintain that contact and communication”.

In December 2020, Harmon had refused to meet with outgoing Canadian High Commissioner Lillian Chatterjee, denying her request for a farewell courtesy call.

Following the December 21, 2018 vote of no confidence against the then APNU/AFC Government, the Canadian High Commissioner played an instrumental role in getting Charrandas Persaud out of Guyana after he voted against his party in Parliament.

Persaud, a Canadian citizen, had expressed fear for his life after he voted against the then incumbent Government. He sought refuge at the High Commission, and was subsequently transported out of the country to Canada,

Former Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Lilian Chatterjee

Lusignan Prison escapee recaptured

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Recaptured: Taje Singh

aje Singh, 45, who escaped from the Lusignan Prison on Wednesday morning, has been recaptured.

He was found at a location at Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo (EBE), some 12 hours after he had escaped.

Singh, who was serving a

The Lusignan Prison fence which Taje Singh scaled

sentence for unlawful wounding and larceny of a water pump, escaped at about 07:10h from the penitentiary by jumping a fence.

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THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Govt warns of fake “Irfaan Food For the Poor hands over 10 houses …launches 2021 programme Ali” Facebook account

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he Office of the President is advising the general public to be aware of a fake account on Facebook purporting to be the official account of President Dr Irfaan Ali. According to the Office of the President, the fake “Irfaan Ali” account is soliciting funds and requesting personal information from unsuspecting persons.

“The public is therefore advised that the Facebook account is fraudulent, and that they should NOT engage the page,” the Office of the President has said

The fake Facebook profile portraying President Dr Irfaan Ali

Tourist boat operators benefit from river navigation competency training

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Tour operators during the training

team from the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) visited Iwokrama and Annai in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) last week to train and certify boat operators in accordance with the River Navigation Act. A total of 24 operators from Annai renewed their licences, while nine persons were trained and certified in river navigation competency.

In Iwokrama, 14 operators had their licences renewed, while three (3) persons were trained and certified in river navigation competency.

The department will continue its efforts to ensure op-

erators across the country are trained and certified to operate vessels safely on the waterways. This training has been a collaborative effort between MARAD and the Guyana Tourism Authority.

The team comprised of the Director of Maritime Safety, Captain John Flores; Registrar of Seafarers, Examination and Certification Officer, Katina Benn-George; and two other employees from the Maritime Safety Division.

Captain Flores and team facilitated training in the areas of collision avoidance, river navigation regulations, emergency drills, and emergency safety equipment.

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Beneficiaries of the 10 FFTP homes share a photo with executives of the organisation

ood For the Poor (Guyana) Inc has launched its 2021 General Housing Programme with the handing over of ten houses to vulnerable families in Region Six (East Berbice/ Corentyne).

Each house is equipped with two bedrooms, indoor sanitary facilities, and a rain harvesting component to secure safe water; and is semi-furnished, with a gas stove, two cots (beds), a plastic folding table and 4 folding chairs.

Moreover, a solar panel system to power three bulbs and charge their cellular phones is included, and Food For the Poor (FFTP) is aiming to construct an additional 240 houses this year.

Speaking at the launch of its 2021 General Housing Programme, Senior Project Manager Andrea Benjamin said the houses will be constructed in Region One (Barima-Waini); Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); Region Three (Essequibo Islands- West Demerara), Region Four (DemeraraMahaica), Region Five

(Mahaica-Berbice), and Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne).

“We have ten houses under construction at Bethany village, Supenaam Creek, Region Two, and we are preparing to start constructing ten additional houses in Region Six and ten on the Essequibo Coast,” the project manager said at the launch, which took place at St Francis Community Developers headquarters at Port Mourant, Corentyne.

She said FFTP remains committed to improving housing conditions for poor and vulnerable families in Guyana, and contributing to the achievement of the 2030 United Nation Sustainable Development Goal of equal access to safe and affordable housing for all.

According to Benjamin, in order to ensure that the homes provided to the families are of a high quality and provide the necessary safety and comfort for the families, FFTP (Guyana) has been actively upgrading the structures.

“Over the years, we have

increased the dimension of the houses, included indoor sanitary facilities and a rain-harvesting component, changed wooden windows to glass, and included partial furnishings.

“This year, we’ll be shedding the side steps and painting the exterior of the home with oil-based paint instead of flat paint. We are open to partnerships to extend our programme to hinterland communities, where there is also need for access to improved housing conditions,” she said.

Meanwhile, the ten persons who received new homes were vetted by St Francis, and the information was passed on to FFTP. Head of St Francis, Alex Foster, noted that the new homeowners were from the New Amsterdam area, with special focus on Angoy’s Avenue. In that community, he noted, the need is there but there is an issue with the ownership of the land.

That community was recently regularized, and the Housing Ministry is currently in the process of issuing land tittles to owners.

FFTP Chief Executive

Officer Kent Vincent noted that FFTP has been providing assistance to Guyanese for more than three decades. The organisation, he noted, has been providing food, clothing and household items. among other things.

“But the housing aspects of Food For the Poor is very special to us. Today, we are very happy to be able to hand over the ten houses to the recipients,” he declared.

He noted that the housing programme had to be suspended last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused funds to be diverted into other areas of need.

Since commencing the housing programme, in excess of 1700 homes have been built by FFTP and given to Guyanese at no cost to the owners.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the FFTP Board, Paul Chana-Sue, has said he was moved by the stories of the beneficiaries and what FFTP has done.

He also encouraged the new home owners to take care of their homes and to develop them. (G4)

PM installs new Board of Directors at Linden Electricity Company

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rime Minister Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips on Wednesday installed a new Board of Directors at the Linden Electricity Company Incorporated (LECI).

The Prime Minister was accompanied by Public Works Minister Juan Edghill for the simple ceremony, which occurred in the boardroom of the Watooka Guest House at Linden.

According to a DPI report, the new Board of Directors would be chaired

by Andrew Forsythe, and its directors are Aubrey Major, Joan Monkhouse, Orin Wilson, Hazelyn Luther, Audwin Rutherford, Nizamudin Allie and Abdoul Majid.

The report stated that Phillips thanked the directors for offering their services, and encouraged them to serve with distinction as the Government continues with its development agenda.

“Power generation is directly linked to development, you cannot do anything without energy, and

Prime Minister, Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips speaking to the members of the new Board of the Linden Electricity Company Incorporated (LECI) on Wednesday

therefore, in our budget this year, we allocated $2.3B for the operation of this company… We expect you to meet as early as possible after this installation, and to also meet frequently. If you fail as a board, you fail the people of Linden; and if you succeed,

you bring them comfort, as our Government continues to work to develop this town,” he is quoted as saying.

Immediately following the meeting, the Prime Minister and Edghill met with the staff of LECI in the auditorium of the

Watooka Guest House, where they introduced the new board and listened to the concerns of the staff.

On Tuesday, the Prime Minister also installed a new board and a new General Manager at the Kwakwani Utilities Incorporated

NEWS

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BBC contributing to damage Atlanta shootings: Suspect charged Antigua’s tourism industry with murder as victims identified T - Sir Ronald Sanders

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ntigua and Barbuda diplomat Sir Ronald Sanders on Wednesday accused British Broadcaster, the BBC, of contributing to the damage of the island’s nation’s tourism industry.

Sanders says the BBC continues to carry a story first posted on Public Health England (PHE) website, that wrongly claimed “an Antigua variant” of the coronavirus had been discovered in the UK. “The BBC, by continuing to carry a false story on their news website about an Antiguan variant of COVID-19 is significantly harming our tourism industry,” Sanders told Caribbean News Service. Sanders, Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United States and the Organization of American States, said all of this is being done despite the fact that Public Health England has redacted the story from their website.

“The British High Commission has apologised for the story, and the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne, has written to the Prime Minister of Britain, Boris Johnson, a letter, which was made available to the BBC and they have chosen to ignore,” Sanders said.

“The BBC at this point is now contributing to the damage to our tourism industry.” In his letter on Monday, the Antigua and

Antigua and Barbuda diplomat Sir Ronald Sanders

Barbuda leader said his country was already “reeling from the almost complete shutdown of tourism caused by the pandemic” and asserted that the PHE posting has “eroded confidence in the gains Antigua and Barbuda made in its management of the virus”.

“We now have to redouble our efforts at great expense”, he said.

The Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister drew Johnson’s attention to the fact that “no British visitor to Antigua had contracted COVID-19” in his country. He affirmed that his government has enforced strict protocols for managing the pandemic and has a comparatively low level of infections and a high level of recoveries.

Browne also stressed that the British High Commission to Antigua and Barbuda explicitly stated on March 13 that “there is no scientific evidence to determine where this variant first emerged” and that it

regretted “any misunderstanding that may have arisen from the matter”.

However, Browne said that “the damage was done from the moment that PHE erroneously published the claim on its website. He has suggested to Prime Minister Johnson that “consideration should be given to recompensing Antigua and Barbuda with a donation of 100,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccines”.

Antigua and Barbuda is one of over 150 nations that are struggling to secure vaccines at a time when the costs are high and more than 80 per cent of them have been bought by rich countries, including the UK. Prime Minister Browne remarked to Johnson that “Antigua and Barbuda has always cherished its close relationship with Britain” and he “looked forward to a favourable response to his proposal.” (Caribbean News Service)

COVID may become ‘seasonal’ - UN

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OVID-19 appears likely to develop into a seasonal disease, the United Nations said, cautioning though against relaxing pandemic-related measures simply based on meteorological factors.

More than a year after the novel coronavirus first surfaced in China, a number of mysteries still surround the spread of the disease that has killed nearly 2.7 million people worldwide.

In its first report, an expert team tasked with trying to shed light on one of those mysteries by examining potential meteorological and air quality influences on the spread of COVID-19, found some indications the disease would develop into a season-

al menace.

The 16-member team set up by the UN’ World Meteorological Organization pointed out that respiratory viral infections are often seasonal, “in particular the autumn-winter peak for influenza and cold-causing coronaviruses in temperate climates.”

“This has fuelled expectations that, if it persists for many years, COVID-19 will prove to be a strongly seasonal disease,” it said in a statement.

Modelling studies anticipate that transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 disease, “may become seasonal over time”.

But COVID-19 trans-

mission dynamics so far appear to have been influenced mainly by government interventions like mask mandates and travel restrictions, they said, rather than the weather. The task team therefore insisted that weather and climate conditions alone should for now not be the trigger for loosening anti-COVID restrictions.

“At this stage, evidence does not support the use of meteorological and air quality factors as a basis for governments to relax their interventions aimed at reducing transmission,” said task team co-chair Ben Zaitchik of the earth and planetary sciences department at The John Hopkins University in the United States. (AFP)

he alleged gunman who killed eight people at massage parlours in Atlanta, Georgia, has been charged with murder as police begin to identify victims.

Officials cannot yet confirm if the attack, in which six Asian women were killed, was racially motivated. Four victims were named on Wednesday.

The suspect faces multiple counts of murder as well as aggravated assault.

Cherokee County Sheriff Frank Reynolds said the suspect may have been a patron and claimed to have a “sex addiction”.

The attack comes amid a sharp uptick in crimes against Asian-Americans.

Four of the victims have been identified as Ashley Yaun, 33; Paul Andre Michels, 54; Xiaojie Tan, 49; and Daoyou Feng, 44.

Elcias R Hernandez-Ortiz was identified as having been injured.

In a news conference on Wednesday, investigators said suspect Robert Aaron Long admitted to the shooting spree, and said that he denied that the attack was motivated by race.

Mr Long has been charged with four counts of murder and one count of aggravated assault, according to the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department.

“He apparently has an issue, what he considers a sex addiction, and sees these locations as a temptation for him that he wanted to eliminate,” said Capt Jay Baker, adding that Mr Long was caught with a 9mm handgun and did not resist arrest.

Massage parlours are known to sometimes provide prostitution services, but authorities say there is no indication yet that this is the case at the targeted locations.

Robert Aaron Long

“These are legally operating businesses that have not been on our radar,” said Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who added that the city would not engage in “victim shaming, victim blaming”.

Police also noted it is still too early in the investigation to definitively state a motive and that the suspect appeared to have been acting alone.

Ms Bottoms said that he was on his way to Florida, possibly to commit more shootings, when he was arrested.

The suspect’s parents helped to identify him, officials told reporters.

According to CBS News, the suspect told investigators that “he loved God and guns”.

The first happened at about 17:00 (21:00 GMT) on Tuesday at Young’s Asian Massage in Acworth, Cherokee County.

Two people died at the scene and three were taken to hospital, where two more died, sheriff’s office spokesman Capt Baker said. He later confirmed the victims were two Asian women, a white woman and a white man, and said a Hispanic man had been wounded.

Less than an hour later, police were called to a “robbery in progress” at Gold Spa in north-east Atlanta. In the recording of the 911 call released on

Wednesday, a woman tells the dispatcher that she’s hiding from the assailant.

“Do you have a description of the male?” the operator asks.

“We’re hiding right now,” the woman replies.

“They have a gun.”

“Please come, ok?” she says.

When authorities arrived at the spa, “officers located three females deceased inside the location from apparent gunshot wounds”, police said.

While there, officers were called to a spa across the street, called Aromatherapy Spa, where they found another woman shot dead.

On a second 911 call, a woman tells the operator that she got a call from a friend who said a man had entered the spa and fired a gun.

“They said some guy came in... We heard a gunshot and the lady’s passed out in front of the door,” she says. “And everybody is scared and everybody is hiding.”

Investigators who had studied CCTV footage then released images of a suspect near one of the spas. Police said that, after a manhunt, Robert Aaron Long, of Woodstock, Georgia, was arrested in Crisp County, about 150 miles (240km) south of Atlanta. (BBC)

Kidnapped, slain British woman has Jamaican heritage

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arah Everard, the 33-year-old British woman whose kidnap and murder have triggered outrage and protests in London demanding action on the burning issue of violence against women, has Jamaican heritage.

Her grandmother, Pamela, was born in Jamaica and had migrated to England where, working as nurse, she met her husband Ken Everard.

The family lineage was explained to the Jamaica Observer yesterday by Sarah Everard’s cousin, Captain Marlene Smith, a former Air Jamaica pilot for 21 years who, for the past nine years, has been flying for Spirit Airlines where

Dead: Sarah Everard

she is also an instructor and check airman.

Captain Smith, who lives in Florida, remembered her cousin as “a very lovely, beautiful and talented young lady”.

“She was very jovial, had

a great sense of humour and was just loving and caring and was always putting people first,” Smith told the Observer, adding that she had been to the Everard family home in York on a number of occasions in the past.

Asked if Everard had ever visited Jamaica, Smith said she was not sure; however, she knows that Everard loved to travel.

Everard, a marketing executive, was last seen on closed-circuit television (CCTV) walking alone on a street, but she never made it home. Police report that she was on her way home from a friend’s flat in south London on the evening of March 3.

(Jamaica Observer)

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Regional

US asks for life in prison for PAHO: COVID-19 rising rapidly in half the Americas brother of Honduran President

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he Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) said on Wednesday that COVID-19 cases have risen rapidly in half of the countries of the Americas.

PAHO Director, Dr Carissa Etienne gave as an example some islands in the Caribbean where deaths have doubled in recent days.

During a webinar, Etienne said in Brazil the situation was worrying, with record numbers.

“During the last week, almost 1.3 million people fell ill with COVID-19 in the Americas and almost 31,000 died from this virus,” Dr Etienne said. “We are seeing the virus accelerate in about half of the countries in our region.

“The situation in Brazil is a warning that keeping this virus under control requires continued attention by authorities and public health leaders to protect people and health systems from the devastating impact of this virus.”

In recent weeks, Brazil has reported the highest number of new infections in the

“During the last week, almost 1.3 million people fell ill with COVID-19 in the Americas and almost 31,000 died from this virus” – PAHO

Americas and the second highest number of daily deaths from coronavirus in the world.

Several areas of Brazil are experiencing record infections, and available hospital beds are nearing full capacity in half of the country’s states.

In addition, Etienne reported that in countries such as Ecuador, Uruguay, and Venezuela the cases have risen recently. In Paraguay, for example, hospitals are at full capacity with COVID-19 patients.

The US and Mexico have been reporting a drop in new infections, but cases in Canada are accelerating, particularly among young adults aged 20-39.

On the up side, Etienne reported that almost 138 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in the Americas, although only 28 million of these doses have been administered in Latin America and the Caribbean.

(Excerpt from Trinidad Newsday)

of travel to this wonderful region by shining a light on the many places to see and things to do,” said Carlos Munoz, Airbnb Policy Manager for Central America and the Caribbean. “We’re also excited to promote the important economic impact driven by hosting on Airbnb.”

The partnership is one of several initiatives in the CTO’s ongoing programme to help its members rebuild tourism in their destinations.

“The partnership with Airbnb will help us to promote the Region responsibly

by providing our members with a platform to showcase their destinations while at the same time highlighting the health safety measures that each has implemented to ensure that visitors can enjoy a safe Caribbean experience during this time,” acting CTO Secretary General Neil Walters said.

Airbnb has also pledged to share data with the CTO, including travel trends, to facilitate informed marketing decisions during this recovery period. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

brother of Honduras President Juan Orlando Hernandez should be sentenced to life in prison for running a “Statesponsored drug trafficking conspiracy” with the nation’s current leader, US federal prosecutors say in documents filed before a sentencing hearing scheduled next week.

Juan Antonio “Tony” Hernandez, a former Honduran Congressman, was convicted in October 2019 of participating in a conspiracy to traffic in cocaine to the United States that involved the use of machineguns.

His sentencing, which has been delayed multiple times, is scheduled for Tuesday in New York.

Documents filed by Prosecutors in the Southern District of New York late on Tuesday, lay out Tony Hernandez’s criminal history, as well as the points where it overlapped with his brother, who served as the leader of Honduras’s National Congress before assuming the presidency in January 2014.

“The defendant was a

US Prosecutors say Tony Hernandez corrupted the democratic institutions of Honduras to enrich himself by transporting cocaine into the US and selling weapons to drug traffickers [File: Fernando Antonio/AP Photo]

Honduran congressman who, along with his brother Juan Orlando Hernandez, played a leadership role in a violent, State-sponsored drug trafficking conspiracy,” Prosecutors wrote.

The US Government wants Tony Hernandez to give up US$138.5 million in “blood money” from his drug trafficking and pay an additional US$10 million fine.

“Over a 15-year period, the defendant corrupted the

democratic institutions of Honduras to enrich himself by transporting at least 185,000 kilograms of cocaine – a staggering amount of poison that he helped import into the United States,” Prosecutors wrote.

They say he also sold weapons to drug traffickers, some of which came from Honduras’s military, and controlled drug laboratories in Colombia and Honduras.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Airbnb and CTO collaborate More regional countries receiving to promote tourism in 2021 vaccines through COVAX

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irbnb on Wednesday announced a partnership with the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) that is aimed at amplifying the Region’s recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic by promoting safe, responsible travel to the Region.

As part of the collaboration, Airbnb is launching a marketing campaign that will see it promoting CTO member countries across its vast global community.

“With the Caribbean continuing to reopen, we’re helping to usher in the safe return

OECS to celebrate 40 years

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he Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission on Monday unveiled planned activities for the 40th anniversary of the OECS, with Dominica’s Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit saying the last four decades in the sub-region have been marked by resilience and transformation.

Activities to commemorate the June 18, 2021 milestone will include a virtual thanksgiving service; a series of public sector consultations and business-focused webinars; the launch of an OECS teachers resource booklet on regional integration; the launch of an OECS Youth Assembly; a development partners symposium; and the premiere of a special bilingual production dramatised by the Che Campeche theatrical group.

“This 40th year is a historical marker on a road

of increasing convergence, greater anticipation and unyielding possibility,” said Skerrit, who is Chairman of the OECS Authority.

“Notwithstanding the bad weather through which we have journeyed, there have been bursts of sunshine. Notwithstanding the pain we have endured, we have also enjoyed the blessings of rain and we have reached this milestone for one simple reason – we have always focused on the things that unite us rather than the things that divide us.”

OECS Director General, Dr Didacus Jules, in his remarks, noted the need to celebrate past success but also look to the future.

“Our celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States will involve not just looking back at the road already travelled, but, importantly, also looking

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an American Health Organisation (PAHO) Director, Dr Carissa Etienne, says the delivery of vaccines to the Region through the Global Access (COVAX) Facility is increasing.

Speaking during PAHO’s COVID-19 digital briefing on Wednesday, Dr Etienne said that nearly 400,000 vaccines, procured through COVAX, have been delivered to countries through the regional body’s Revolving Fund Facility since last week.

These include an initial 14,400 AstraZeneca vaccines allocated to Jamaica, which arrived on Monday.

Dr Etienne indicated that PAHO has, so far,

PAHO Director, Dr Carissa Etienne

placed orders for 3.4 million vaccines and advised that nearly 728,000 doses will be delivered to five countries over the next several days.

“Next week, we expect that many countries in the Caribbean will start to see the first COVAX shipments arriving on their shores,” she noted.

The Director assured that PAHO is working through the Fund to ensure that countries know the quantity of doses they will be receiving and the delivery timelines each month, “so that they can organise their immunisation campaigns”.

“Our goal is to ensure that every country in our region that is participating in COVAX receives their first shipment before World Health Day 2021 [on] April 7,” she noted. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

Polls show Brazil’s Bolsonaro faces record disapproval, pressure from Lula

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OECS Director General, Dr Didacus Jules

forward to the road ahead.

In doing this, we will be acknowledging the incalculable contributions of many who walked before us and the significant accomplishments on this journey to regional integration laid out in the road map of the Revised Treaty of Basseterre,” he said. (Excerpt from CMC)

razilians’ disapproval of President Jair Bolsonaro’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis is at a record high and he may face a tough campaign for re-election next year, according to new polls, as Brazil struggles with its worst pandemic surge yet.

A Datafolha survey, released late on Tuesday, showed 54 per cent of Brazilians regard Bolsonaro’s handling of the crisis as bad or awful. A separate poll by PoderData showed two leftist rivals could beat Bolsonaro in a potential runoff vote in October 2022.

Support for Bolsonaro

has eroded as Brazil faces a brutal second wave of coronavirus cases, with a record 2841 deaths in 24 hours reported on Tuesday and a record 90,303 new confirmed infections reported on Wednesday.

The President’s prospects have also dimmed since his political nemesis, former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, had his corruption convictions overturned this month by the Supreme Court, allowing him to run in the 2022 election.

Lula and leftist former lawmaker Ciro Gomes would have more support than Bolsonaro in a hypo-

thetical runoff vote, according to the PoderData survey, which showed both of them five percentage points ahead of Bolsonaro in simulated match-ups.

In 2018, Bolsonaro beat Fernando Haddad, the Workers Party candidate handpicked by Lula, by 55 per cent to 45 per cent in the runoff vote.

The Datafolha poll of 2023 people, carried out this week, showed a further decline in confidence in Bolsonaro over the pandemic since the previous poll on January 20-21, when 48 per cent respondents expressed disapproval. (Excerpt from Reuters)

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021

19

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS Oil dips with US crude supplies topping half a billion barrels

O

il fell to the lowest in a week after US crude stockpiles topped half a billion barrels and the International Energy Agency (IEA) said global supplies are plentiful.

Futures in New York slipped 0.3 per cent on Wednesday, closing out the longest stretch of declines in more than six months. A US Government report showed domestic oil supplies rose for a fourth straight week. Further adding to downbeat sentiment, the IEA said that oil markets are not on the verge of a new price supercycle and any concerns of a supply shortfall are misguided.

Late in the session, prices pared some losses alongside a weaker dollar after the Federal Reserve continued to project near-zero interest rates at least through 2023 and upgraded its economic outlook.

“We’re still working through the ramifications of the freeze-off and it’s going to cause odd storage levels in different locations,” said Quinn Kiley, a portfolio manager at Tortoise, a firm that manages roughly US$8 billion in energy-related assets. At the same time, “there’s the overhang of spare capacity from OPEC+.”

While OPEC+ output cuts and vaccine breakthroughs have spurred a strong rally this year, prices have wavered in recent weeks as the demand rebound continues to be patchy and supply risks linger. Consumption is roaring back in some regions including the US, but parts of Europe are struggling.

OPEC and its allies could quickly deploy their stalled production spare capacity to quash oil price rallies, the IEA said. Meanwhile, the agency said in a separate report that demand won’t return to previrus levels until 2023.

While refinery outages from last month’s polar blast and a faster recovery in US crude production have played a role in backing up domestic oil inventories, a decline in foreign demand for US crude exports has also helped drive stockpile gains.

Meanwhile, crude processing at refineries ticked higher last week with many of the plants impacted by the freeze coming back online, EIA data showed. Gasoline and distillate supplies also rose last week.

Recovering refineries are coming back to some of the best margins in years. The refining margin for gasoline, a rough profit gauge for processing crude, has held above US$20 a barrel since late last month, at the highest seasonal level since 2015.

“We are more or less returning back to normal here,” said Tom Finlon of Brownsville GTR LLC, a trading and logistics firm based in Houston. “Production of gasoline versus demand and production of distillate versus demand should be on a fairly even keel going forward.” (Bloomberg)

Russia recalls envoy after Biden remarks about Putin

Russia says it has called back its ambassador to the US, Anatoly Antonov, for consultations

R

ussia has recalled its Washington Ambassador for talks to prevent the "irreversible deterioration" of relations with the United States.

The Russian Government said Anatoly Antonov had been called back to Moscow as US ties had reached a "blind alley".

The move came after President Joe Biden said President Vladimir Putin

would "pay the price" for alleged election meddling.

In an interview with ABC News, Biden confirmed he thought the Russian President was "a killer".

Biden had been commenting on an American intelligence report that suggested Putin had authorised an interference campaign in last November's presidential election in the US. The report accused Russia of trying to sway the election in favour of former Republican President Donald Trump, who was defeated by Biden, a Democrat.

Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said the accusations were not backed by evidence and would further harm bilateral ties.

The US is expected to impose sanctions on Russia as soon as next week over the report's conclusions.

Russia, it added, was interested in "preventing an irreversible deterioration in relations". (Excerpt from BBC News)

Tanzania's President dies aged 61 after health rumours

T

anzania's President John Magufuli has died aged 61, the country's Vice President has announced.

He died on Wednesday from heart complications at a hospital in Dar es Salaam, Samia Suluhu Hassan said in an address on state television.

Magufuli had not been seen in public for more than two weeks, and rumours have been circulating about his health.

Opposition politicians said last week that he had contracted COVID-19, but this has not been confirmed.

Magufuli was one of Africa's most prominent coronavirus sceptics, and

The 61-year-old President died from heart complications on Wednesday

called for prayers and herbal-infused steam therapy to counter the virus.

"It is with deep regret that I inform you that today... we lost our brave leader, the

President of the Republic of Tanzania, John Pombe Magufuli," Vice-President Hassan said in the announcement.

She said there would be 14 days of national mourning and flags would fly at half-mast.

According to Tanzania's Constitution, Hassan will be sworn in as the new President and should serve the remainder of Magufuli's five-year team which he began last year.

Magufuli was last seen in public on February 27, but Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa insisted last week that the President was "healthy and working hard".

He blamed the rumours of

the President's ill-health on "hateful" Tanzanians living abroad.

But Opposition Leader Tundu Lissu told the BBC that his sources had told him Magufuli was being treated in hospital for coronavirus in Kenya.

Magufuli declared Tanzania "COVID-19 free" last June. He mocked the efficacy of masks, expressed doubts about testing, and teased neighbouring countries which imposed health measures to curb the virus.

On Monday, Police said they had arrested four people on suspicion of spreading rumours on social media that the President was ill.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

India, UAE vow to Italy, France to resume strengthen energy AstraZeneca rollout once cooperation – Minister regulator gives all-clear

I

India's Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan

I

ndia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday discussed ways to strengthen energy cooperation, Indian Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said, despite the South Asian nation asking its refiners to reduce their reliance on Middle Eastern oil. “(We) discussed about new areas of cooperation in the hydrocarbon sector and beyond, and agreed to remain committed despite the challenges presented by COVID pandemic,” Pradhan said on Twitter af-

ter a virtual meeting with Sultan Al Jaber, the chief executive of Abu Dhabi National Oil Co (ADNOC).

UAE is a key oil supplier to India and a partner in an Indian joint venture that plans to build a 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd) refinery and petrochemical complex on the country’s west coast.

Last month, the UAE was the fifth biggest oil supplier to India, which itself is the world’s third biggest oil importer and consumer. (Excerpt from Reuters)

taly and France will "quickly" resume giving out the Oxford/ AstraZeneca vaccine once the European regulator gives the all-clear.

They were among 20 European countries to suspend the use of the jab over blood clot fears – even though regulators say it is safe.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi spoke to French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday – and the two leaders agreed they were ready to begin vaccinating with the Oxford jab again.

They said they are waiting on the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to give the green light on Thursday.

"The preliminary statement today from EMA was positive," a statement from Draghi's office said.

France and Italy have also admitted their ban on the AstraZeneca vaccine is polit-

ical – as the EU was accused of "sulking" over Brexit.

It comes amid growing anger across the Continent at the snail-pace vaccine rollout compared to the UK and US. The EU Commission, which was blamed for bungling purchases, declared war on the Anglo-Swedish drug firm by accusing it of withholding doses.

On Wednesday Nicola Magrini, who runs Italian medicines regulator AIFA, said politicians in Italy were pressured to ban the COVID jabs after Germany and France did.

Magrini told La Repubblica: "We got to the point of a suspension because several European countries, including Germany and France, preferred to interrupt vaccinations... to put them on hold in order to carry out checks. (Excerpted from The Sun)

COVID: EU plans rollout of travel certificate before summer, warns UK over exports

A

digital certificate to kick-start foreign travel should be given to citizens across the European Union "without discrimination", officials say.

The aim is to enable anyone vaccinated against COVID-19, or who has tested negative or recently recovered from the virus to travel within the EU. The 27 member states will

decide how to use the new digital certificate.

Vaccine passports have faced opposition from some EU Member States over concerns they might be discriminatory.

Some argue that they would enable a minority to enjoy foreign travel without restrictions while others, such as young people who are not seen as a priority for in-

oculation, continue to face measures such as quarantine. European Commission officials have made clear they want to avoid discrimination.

Another issue raised has been that data on the efficacy of vaccines in preventing a person from carrying or passing on the virus is incomplete.

European Commission President Ursula von der

Leyen has said that if COVID vaccine supplies in Europe do not improve, the EU "will reflect whether exports to countries who have higher vaccination rates than us are still proportionate".

Post-Brexit disagreements between the EU and the UK have been heightened by the diplomatic row over the export of the vaccines. (Excerpt from BBC News)

20

THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021

guyanatimesgy.com

ARCHIE

Take the initiative and pick up the pace. Reach out to (March 21- people who can help you reach April 19) your goal. Discipline and hard work will lead to an opportunity. Refuse to let emotional matters slow you down.

ARIES

Make up your mind and keep moving forward. Making (April 20a premature move will end up May 20) slowing you down. Keep your thoughts and feelings to yourself. You must be cheerful, optimistic and hardworking.

TAURUS

DILBERT

Gather knowledge, listen GEMINI (May 21- to experts and dismiss peoJune 20) ple who are pushy and uncompromising. Don’t pass along information you have yet to verify. Facts, truth and integrity matter.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

PEANUTS LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Take a moment to think matters through. Before you repeat someone’s words, make sure they are accurate.

Don’t believe everything you hear or offer something you cannot deliver.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Address contractual, financial and legal matters calmly. If you try to use force, you’ll meet opposition.

Intelligence and knowledge will encourage others to bend to your wishes.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Put everything in its place, prepare to bring about changes that will improve your financial situation and engage in activities that will encourage better health and fitness.

CALVIN AND HOBBES

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

SUDOKU

Do your own thing. Use your imagination and look for new ways to utilize old ideas to fit trends. Invest time and money in self-improvement, education and personal growth. Romance is on the rise.

An open mind will encourage talks that will help you manage your emotions and meaningful relationships.

Looking at both sides of an issue will help you develop solutions.

Stay calm, regardless of SAGITTARIUS what others say. Don’t lose (Nov. 23sight of what’s authentic and Dec. 21) meaningful to you. Observe more and speak less until you are sure of how you feel and what you want to do.

A change looks promis-

CAPRICORN ing. Watch things unfold, and (Dec. 22you’ll come up with a plan Jan. 19) that will encourage you to up-

date your surroundings to fit your lifestyle. Don’t be afraid to start something new.

TUESDAY'S WORD - SPOOKIER

SOLUTION FOR TUESDAY'S PUZZLE

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

You aren’t likely to see eye to eye with a friend, relative or co-worker. Emotions will surface, causing conversations to turn rancorous if you don’t choose your words wisely.

Live and let live. Stay out PISCES of other people’s business, (Feb. 20- and keep others from interMarch 20) fering in yours. Distance yourself from aggressive and unpredictable situations, and focus on making positive changes.

THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021

India Legends in final of Road Safety World Series – through blitz from Yuvraj, help from Tendulkar – top knocks from Smith and Lara in losing effort Brian Lara scored 46 but could not carry on

Dwyane Smith scored an aggressive 63

Sachin Tendulkar was in top form

SCOREBOARD Yuvraj Singh on the go

I

ndia Legends and West Indies Legends faced each other in the first semi-final of the Road Safety World Series (RSWS) tournament 2021 at Raipur on Wednesday, March 17.

In a high-scoring clash, former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh once again turned back the clock, as he smashed four sixes in an over.

During the penultimate over of India Legends’ innings, Yuvraj whacked Mahendra Nagamootoo over the rope four times, with three of them coming in consecutive deliveries. Notably, Yuvraj had done the same against South

Africa Legends last Saturday (March 14). In that game, the southpaw took Zander De Bruyn to the cleaners, hitting him for four back-to-back sixes.

Coming to the semifinal, India Legends posted a mammoth 218/3 in 20 overs on the back of skipper Sachin Tendulkar’s 42-ball 65 and Yuvraj’s unbeaten 49 off 20 deliveries.

In reply, West Indies Legend fell 12 runs short of the target.

While Dwayne Smith (63 off 36 balls) and Narsingh Deonarine (59) slammed half-centuries, captain Brian Lara scored a delightful 46 runs off 28 balls.

INDIA LEGENDS INNINGS (20 OVERS MAXIMUM) Virender Sehwag c & b Best . . 35 Sachin Tendulkar (c) c Edwards b Best . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Mohammad Kaif c Nagamootoo b Austin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Yusuf Pathan not out . . . . . . . 37 Yuvraj Singh not out . . . . . . . . 49 Extras (lb 2, w 3) . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 TOTAL (20 Ov, RR: 10.90) 218/3 Did not bat: Naman Ojha †, Irfan Pathan, Manpreet Gony, Vinay Kumar, Pragyan Ojha, Munaf Patel Fall of wickets: 1-56 (Virender Sehwag, 5.3 ov), 2-109 (Mohammad Kaif, 11.5 ov), 3-140 (Sachin Tendulkar, 14.1 ov) BOWLING: Sulieman Benn 4-0-43-0; Dwayne Smith 4-055-0; Mahendra Nagamootoo 4-0-48-0; Tino Best 4-0-252; Dinanath Ramnarine 1-07-0; Ryan Austin- 3-0-38-1.

WEST INDIES LEGENDS INNINGS (TARGET: 219 RUNS FROM 20 OVERS)

Dwayne Smith c YK Pathan b IK Pathan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 William Perkins lbw b Gony . . . 9 Narsingh Deonarine run out (Vinay/†NV Ojha) . . . . . . . . . . 59 Kirk Edwards st †NV Ojha b PP Ojha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 Brian Lara (c) b Vinay Kumar . 46 Tino Best c †NV Ojha b Vinay Kumar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Mahendra Nagamootoo not out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Sulieman Benn not out . . . . . . . 2 Extras (lb 7, nb 2, w 15) . . . . . 24 TOTAL (20 Ov, RR: 10.30) 206/6 Did not bat: Ridley Jacobs †, Ryan Austin, Dinanath Ramnarine Fall of wickets: 1-19 (William Perkins, 1.1 ov), 2-118 (Dwayne Smith, 10.5 ov), 3-120 (Kirk Edwards, 11.2 ov), 4-200 (Brian Lara, 18.3 ov), 5-202 (Tino Best, 18.6 ov), 6-204 (Narsingh Deonarine, 19.3 ov) BOWLING: Irfan Pathan 4-048-1; Manpreet Gony 4-0-351; Munaf Patel 4-0-46-0; Vinay Kumar 3-0-26-2; Pragyan Ojha 3-0-24-1; Yusuf Pathan 2-0-20-0.

Sir Clive Lloyd angry at Jason Holder article carried by Guyana Chronicle

L

egendary West Indies captain Sir Clive Lloyd has said he was filled with anger after reading a “libellous” article published by the Guyana Chronicle under the headline “Holder has outlived his usefulness in the position, says Lloyd.”

Appearing on the most recent Mason and Guest radio programme, Lloyd declared he had never said anything of this sort, and his lawyers have taken up the matter.

“Never said anything like that! I find it so disrespectful that people can do as they like, put your name to something and say you have said that. No, that is wrong! I have never said anything like that!

“A friend of mine spoke to the Sports Editor at the Chronicle, and he didn’t even come back and explain anything really, so I am very disappointed, because I never spoke to that reporter,” Lloyd said on Tuesday’s Mason and Guest programme.

Lloyd declared that Jason Holder is a

guy for whom he has great regard. “I sort of promoted him as captain. I will never go out to say anything like that to anyone. I don’t have anything against Holder,” Lloyd clarified.

Asked if he had made contact with the reporter, Lloyd replied in the negative.

An incident of this nature is nothing new to the legendary captain, as a Trinidadian journalist had said he had spoken with Sir Clive and in fact he had not. That matter is currently in court.

Meanwhile, former West Indies player Philo Wallace has said he was shocked and in disbelief when he read that article.

“Knowing Sir Clive, he would not have said those things.

I think he is doing the right thing to protect his reputation, and journalists need to respect the former greats. You cannot use people’s names because

of their greatness,” Wallace said. He added that he hopes Sir Clive goes full steam ahead.

Sir Clive has said he left a message for Jason Holder, and noted that he has never said those things that were written in the article.

21

Former racing driver and Top Gear presenter

Sabine Schmitz dead at age 51

F

ormer Top Gear presenter Sabine Schmitz - famous for being the only woman to win the Nurburgring 24 Hours - has died at the age of 51.

Schmitz said last year that she had been diagnosed with cancer in 2017.

Schmitz had become synonymous with the Nurburgring Nordschleife, the 14-mile circuit in Germany that is renowned as the toughest in the world. She won the 24hour touring car race at the track twice, in 1996 and in 1997, driving a BMW M3. She became known as the “Queen of the Nurburgring”, and estimated she had driven around the track more than 20,000 times.

Schmitz later gained acclaim for an appearance on Top Gear in 2004, in which she drove a van around the track, and subsequently became a presenter on the show alongside Chris Evans in 2016.

This Sunday’s episode of Top Gear will be dedicated to Schmitz, with Clare Pizey, executive producer, saying: “Sabine was a beloved member of the Top Gear family and presenting team since 2016, having first appeared on the show in 2004, and everyone who had the pleasure of working with her on the team is in shock at this news.

“Sabine radiated positivity, always wore her cheeky smile, no matter how hard things got - and was a force of nature for women drivers in the motoring world.

“Like everyone else who knew her, we will truly miss her. Sabine really was one of a kind. Our thoughts are with her partner Klaus, who was always by her side, and whom we welcomed to Dunsfold many times, and her family in Germany.”

Top Gear presenter Chris Harris said Schmitz was a “wonderful, powerful, hilarious person”, while the show’s former presenter Jeremy Clarkson paid tribute by tweeting she was “such a sunny person and so full of beans”.

Formula 1 said Schmitz was “a force of nature”, who inspired “a new generation of motorsport enthusiasts”. (BBC)

Klopp clarifies stance on Germany job

L

iverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has clarified his stance on the Germany job.

Klopp ruled himself out of contention for the international role last week after incumbent Joachim Low announced he would depart after Euro 2020.

That remains the case, with Klopp committed to Liverpool.

But after seeing some of the reaction to his comments, the 53-year-old stressed he was not ruling himself out forever, and that it was simply a question of timing.

“The important thing is: I didn’t say that I didn’t want to become a national coach, but that I couldn’t – that is a huge difference,” Klopp said to Sport Bild.

“It would, without question,

be a great honour [to take on the legacy left by Low], but this is my sixth year in Liverpool, and there is a very clear commitment. I have an important role here, and I’ve built incredible relationships with people I work with on a daily basis.

We rely on each other. Can I say, ‘I’ll be gone by then’ [a specific time]? That won’t work.

“The timing is not right. I am very sorry if I’ve let people down with it, but I can’t just step out of my responsibilities,” he said.

Asked who should replace Low – who took the job in 2006 – Klopp felt Bayern Munich head coach Hansi Flick “would fill the role excellently”, if interested, but Ralf Rangnick stands out as his favourite candidate.

“I think Ralf Rangnick is an extraordinary coach, especially for an association [the DFB] in which they have been trying to change things for years,” said Klopp. “Ralf could push a lot of things. I think he is a very good choice.

“He is a great coach, who was always ready to think outside the box and to tweak structures.” (Sportsmax)

22

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021

B/ball icon Delroy James to arrive in Guyana on March 31 T

– for FIBA Basketball World Cup Americas Pre-Qualifier training

eam Guyana will now receive a further boost as Delroy James, the country’s most successful professional basketball player, is confirmed to arrive in Guyana on Wednesday, 31 March 2021.

In 2019, the 6’10” Power Forward won both the FIBA Basketball Champions League (BCL) and FIBA InterContinental C u p with the

Greek Athlitikí Énosis Konstantinoupóleos (Athletic Union of Constantinople) AEK Basketball Club (BC) based in A t h e n s , Greece.

T h e Berbicianborn and Rhode Island University (Rhode Island, USA)

educated James has since played for the Tulsa 66ers – NBA G-League, Jersey G-Force - IBA, Atlanta Hawks and Utah Jazz - NBA S u m m e r League before joining the European

Delroy James on the go

a n d Asian basketball circuit, where he played for Basket Ferentino (Italy LegaDue), and was n a m e d M V P in the

LegaDue All-Star Game.

James has since played with Yenisey Krasnoyarsk BC (Russia - VTB United League), Pallacanestro Reggiana BC (Italy - Lega Basket Serie A), Best Balkesir BC and Gaziantep BC (Turkey - Turkish Basketball Super League), Seoul Samsung Thunders (South Korea - Korean Basketball League), UCAM Murcia BC (Spain – Liga ACB), Meralco Bolts (Philippines, Philippine Basketball Association), AEK BC and Promitheas Patras BC (Greece - Greek Basket League), and most recently played for Real Esteli (Nicaragua – BCL Americas).

The GABF extends its gratitude to Nigel Hinds Financial Services for the timely sponsorship that would allow Delroy James to travel and train in Guyana with the local players in order to build team chemistry.

Delroy’s older broth-

er, Gordon James, is a professional basketball player with stints in Japan and Argentina, and has represented Guyana in the 2015 CBC Senior Championships in Tortola, BVI and FIBA AmeriCup 2022 PreQualifier in 2019 in Tunja, Colombia. He will join the team in Guyana in early April.

The Guyana Men’s National Team is expected to arrive in San Salvador on April 12th and depart April 19th. The competition format will be Round Robin, and the top three (3) teams would advance to the second round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup - Americas Pre-Qualifier in July 2021.

FIBA Basketball World Cup Americas PreQualifier 1st Round participating National Teams are: • Costa Rica (CRC) • Guyana (GUY) • El Salvador (ESA) • Nicaragua (NCA)

CWI President’s XI dominate Sri Lanka on opening day

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Anderson Phillip Roston Chase

Kemar Roach (Photos: CWI Media/ Phillip Spooner)

2237230-1

(Ext 55)

NOW!

C

ricket West Indies (CWI) President’s XI took charge on the opening day of the two-day practice match against Sri Lanka at the Coolidge Cricket Ground.

Skipper Roston Chase bagged 4-12 to rock the Sri Lankans to 172 all out in 49.5 overs. In response, CWI President’s XI were on top at stumps with the score at 103-1 with

out-of-favour Test batsman Shai Hope scoring an unbeaten 60.

Earlier, Sri Lanka won the toss, and elected to bat first after the rains came. The experienced Kemar Roach rocked the Sri Lankans early with the score on 13-2. The Sri Lankan batsmen struggled to bat long, and only Dinesh Chandimal and Osheda Fernando made decent contributions.

Fernando scored 47 from 90 balls, while Chandimal made a 76ball 40 in their 53-run partnership.

In addition to Chase’s 4-12 in seven overs, Anderson Phillip took 3-47 while Roach had 2-41. Shannon Gabriel (0-23) and Veerasammy Permaul (0-13) went wicketless.

In response, CWI President’s XI lost Sheyne Moseley for six at 9-1, but the experienced Darren Bravo

joined Hope and the duo ensured the Sri Lankans toiled. Hope’s classy innings of 60 came off 72 balls, while Bravo’s composed knock of 30 came off 68 balls.

The second and final day will resume today, Thursday March 18 from 10:00h, and the Test series bowls off on Sunday March 21 in North Sound, Antigua.

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Jeremy Garrett

Kelsey Benjamin

Omari Glasgow

Job Caesar

23

Akel Clarke

12 locals in Golden Jags 23-man squad …Danns gets the boot, no consideration for Kellman

“

Nicholas McArthur

“We know Trinidad and Tobago are tough opponents.

We’ve got a rich history with them. We know they’re going to offer and present a real challenge.

We are preparing ourselves for that by coming into camp a couple of days earlier, just to give ourselves that extra preparation and to bond within the team. That’s going to be invaluable” – Sam Cox

Ryan Hackett

By Jemima Holmes

I

t was a bittersweet day for local football, as the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) finally announced the team for the FIFA 2022 World Cup Qualifiers, scheduled to begin next week.

A moment of bliss reigned when it was discovered that 12 local players were given the nod for the Senior Men’s National Team, giving the local group the majority in the 23-man squad. But then shock and disbelief lingered as it was realised that the opportunity to select other young and ‘old’ talents was evaded.

Goal-keepers Akel Clarke and Shawn Adonis; Defenders Jeremy Garrett and Nicolai Andrews; Midfielders Ryan Hackett, Job Caesar, Pernell Schultz and Daniel Wilson; and forwards Omari Glasgow, Nicholas Mc Arthur, Kelsey Benjamin and Trayon Bobb are local names in the Golden Jaguars squad.

Of this group, the GFF took time to celebrate the selection of eight players who are products of the Academy Training Centre (ATC) Youth Development Programme. Those are: Adonis, Andrews, Benjamin, Caesar, Garrett, Glasgow, Hackett, and Mc Arthur.

UK-based midfielder Sam Cox will steer the Golden Jags’ ship. Kai McKenzie-Lyle, Miguel Scarlett, Matthew Briggs, Kadell Daniel, Bayli Spencer-Adams, Terrence Vancooten, Nathan Moriah- Welsh, Callum Harriott, Keanu Marsh-Brown and Emery Welshman are the other internationally-based players.

In that group, Watford’s Bayli Spencer-Adams, Bournemouth’s Nathan Moria- Welsh and Miguel Scarlett who is currently ‘un-

attached’ are newcomers to the Golden Jaguars’ lineup.

“Coach Maximo giving first team call-ups to Bayli SpencerAdams, Miguel Scarlett and Nathan Moriah-Welsh highlights the coach’s willingness to give youth a chance in competitive internationals,” Head of Recruitment, Faizal Khan, said about the new recruits.

“With continued guidance on and off the field from experienced Jaguars’ players that know how to win technical and tactical battles, and who took Guyana to backto-back Gold Cups, I’m confident each

Sam Cox intent to finish with victories by stating, “Then, of course, we have the Bahamas on the 30th, so we have two good fixtures that we will be looking to take wins in.

We’ve got a good couple of weeks ahead of us, we just have to prepare correctly.”

Additionally, the Golden Jags captain expressed his regret at not being able to play in Guyana, but vowed to make the Guyanese football fans proud.

“It’s a shame we couldn’t be in Guyana for the second game against the Bahamas,” he said. “It would

something has caused Danns’s allure to look dull before the GFF technical staff, because he has been overlooked for the international stint.

And to put it mildly, he is quite disappointed.

“Disappointed not to be selected for the up-and-coming World Cup qualifiers due to age and non-performance. And Coach Marcio Maximo refusing to take a call from me. I do not wish to cause any more distractions, so that is all I will say for now,” Danns wrote on his social media (Facebook) page following the team announcement on Wednesday.

He continued to pledge “Disappointed not to be selected his support for the up-and-coming World Cup for Guyana qualifiers due to age and nonfootball. “I wish my performance. And Coach Marcio brothers on Maximo refusing to take a call the field the from me. I do not wish to cause any best of luck. more distractions, so that is all I I know they will say for now” – Neil Danns can do this. I’ll be wearing my Neil Danns Jaguars top with of these young players has a sol- have been great pride and supporting the id future in our Guyana National to interact with the fans; team with you guys, much love.”

Team,” Khan continued. but, obviously through coronaviWhile there has been no direct Upon his departure from the rus, that’s not possible. We know reasoning for the exclusion of forUK, Captain Cox shared that the that the fans will be there in spir- mer Captain Neil Danns, Head team’s preparation through bond- it with us, and we will look to do Coach Marcio Maximo last week ing would be invaluable. them proud, as we always do.” spoke about his criteria for se“We know Trinidad and Tobago lection, which, coupled with age, are tough opponents. We’ve got a No place for Danns is assumed to be the reason why rich history with them. We know In the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Danns did not get a call-up. they’re going to offer and present Cup, Neil Danns, at 36, had no “I don’t select the players bea real challenge. We are prepar- problem producing the goods for cause (of) their CV or because (of) ing ourselves for that by coming the National Team, having scored what they did, I select the players into camp a couple of days earli- all three of Guyana’s goals in that what we doing and what they did er, just to give ourselves that ex- competition - 2 against Panama for me, what I saw by my eyes by tra preparation and to bond with- in a 4-2 encounter, and 1 against my evaluation, despite it be this in the team. That’s going to be Trinidad and Tobago in a 1-all player or that player,” the Head invaluable,” Cox said. draw.

Coach stressed.

Cox continued expressing his This time around, it seems that “Also, we have a lot of poten-

“

Trayon Bobb

tial players here that if you don’t give it the chance to show. You should give a chance for our youth to play a show themselves.”

He elaborated on his reasoning by saying, “I don’t select the players because the players select with this club or selected with that club. I select the players because the performance, I should select the players that is more adapted to my system. And the system today should be quick, should be fast, offensive transition defensive transition. And should have players that can do it.

“I’m not going to analyze particular players, because I respect all of them,” the Golden Jags head Coach concluded.

Another promising player that was left off the roster is local midfielder Curtez Kellman. The Daytona State College student allegedly was available for selection.

This publication was reliably informed that Kellman’s Coach had already given the ‘okay’ for him to participate in the international games, since it is Spring break and he would not have missed any classes.

So far, no word from the local Federation has sought to clarify why Kellman was overlooked.

On Thursday, March 25, Guyana will take on Trinidad and Tobago in their first Group F game, while their second will come against the Bahamas on March 30. Both fixtures will be played in the Dominican Republic at the Felix Sanchez Olympic Stadium.

In the next window, Guyana will battle St Kitts and Nevis and Puerto Rico. The venue of those games is yet to be determined.

The Golden Jaguars will need to top their group in order to advance to the next level of the competition.

THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021

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

12 locals in Golden Jags 23-man squad Pg 23

…Danns gets the boot, no consideration for Kellman

CWI President’s XI dominate Sri Lanka on opening day Pg 22

B/ball icon Delroy James to arrive in Guyana on March 31 Pg 22

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