Kaieteur News

‘Show us the feasibility and EIA studies done by US EXIM Bank for Gas-to-Energy project’ - Dr. Adams

Former Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr Vincent Adams, has challenged Vice President BharratJagdeotopublishthe studies reportedly done by the United States Export Import(USEXIM)Bankfor the Gas-to-Energy (GTE) Project.

On Thursday, the Vice President at his weekly

u s e , Georgetown,arguedthatthe Bank conducted its own f e a s i b i l i t y a n d environmental studies beforearrivingatitsdecision to provide financing for the Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) facility and the 300megawatt (MW) power plant, currently being constructed at Wales, West BankDemerara.

He said, “So suddenly, the United States of America, the U.S. EXIM Bank did its own feasibility s t u d y , i t d i d a n environmental study and it made the loan to the government of Guyana so they were wrong on all counts...for years we took a beating for one, it’s not

feasible; two, there’s no environmental impact study and three, the loan will not happen - all three were provenwrong.”

To this end, Dr Adams argued,“Wellshowusthose documents and first of all, EXIM Bank cannot do an EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment).”

He was at the time delivering remarks during the Alliance For Change’s (AFC’s) first press conferenceof2025.

The former Head of the Agency explained that Guyana’s Environmental Protection Act is clear in terms of the protocol that must be followed for the conduct of an EIA Consequently, he said, “So don’t come he’s coming with this foolishness that EXIM did an EIA and we saidtheyneverdidanEIA.”

K a i e t e u r N e w s understands that the EIA processnotonlyinvolvesthe review of impacts from a project but also critically

involves Guyanese to allow for comments, feedback and questions at almost each stage. An EIA is usually conducted following a decision by the EPA. The public is usually then engaged to inform the consultant of issues that should be addressed in the study

Upon completion of the study, it is published for publiccommentsagain.

Dr Adams also pointed out that the EIA conducted by ExxonMobil for the gas pipeline clearly stated that a separate environmental study would be done for gas plants.

He recalled that governmentsaidtherewould benoEIAfortheprojectbut is now claiming that the US EXIM Bank not only conducted an EIA but a feasibility study for the project.

“Whatwasinterestingis thatheisgivingusallkinds of numbers, show us those numbers,yousaidyouwere gonna produce at 22 cents per kilowatt now you are producing at four cents, but you are selling at 22 cents Everything is what he makesupinhismind Show us those numbers where it came from a credible source,” the former EPA bossurged

Former EPA Head, Dr. Vincent Adams

KaieteurNews

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EDITORIAL

Money and more money

ItisrainingmoneyinoilrichGuyana. Catsanddogs

rain down in big chunks of cash that knock Guyaneseofftheirfeet. Thereismoneyfloatingin theairandmoneycomingwitheveryannouncementoutof thePPP/CGovernment. PresidentIrfaanAliisfirstonthe floorandhavingthetimeofhislife. Heislivingthegood life, the type of life, that he may have always dreamed about, viz., a political Santa Claus, a Father Christmas leader WhatstartedonOctober10thhasnowspilledinto December Guyanese are dancing in the streets, not even bothering that it is raining sporadically, often heavily There is so much money, according to the government’s way of thinking, that what began in October has done the next to impossible. It has pushed Christmas carols and trafficwoesfromthefrontburnerofanxietiestothedustbin ofunconcern.

Allcitizensover18get$100,000(US$500)fromtheir trillion-dollar oil sector It is a fraction that would cause much distress to one of those high-powered supercomputers that is the awe of the world. The denominatorissimplytoolarge,allthewaytoinfinity,and this is even when US$500 is placed on that over US$5B collectedfromthisgreatnationaloilwealth. Someinthe localpopulationaresoecstaticthattheyblanktheirminds from dealing with poor oil leadership and cheap politics and their US$500 (GY$100,000) gimmicks. Blame it on the money that is pouring out of the PPP/C treasury to strappedanddistressedcitizens. Thereisnomistakemade there with PPP/C treasury, for that is how the sacred oil money of Guyanese is treated. It is not the money of the State,itisnotthepropertyofcitizens. Itisanassetanda weapon that the leaders in the PPP/C Government use to holdGuyaneseinlineandbeatthemintosubmission. All this oil and what would it matter, if there is no political leadership guile? Guyanese were made to wait for more thanfouryears,whilethoseenjoyingpreferentialstatushad the freedom to help themselves lavishly Meanwhile, the ordinarycitizenwasforcedtocopewithadevastatingcost oflivingplague.

Everywhere they turned everything was out of reach, withpricesbeinganessentialcomponentofthepolitics,but whichgovernmentagenciesandgovernmentleadersswore did not exist. The PPP/C Government’s rolled out its statistics (low inflation, not to worry as prices are under control). Thosewhocouldnotaffordtobuyasmallloafof breadhadenoughstreetsensetoknowthatsome‘bigone’ was wrapping a big one around their heads. The PPP/C Government next presented a proven winner, which took theformof‘thereisnomoney.’ Teachersheardthatwhile thesunandrainbatteredthemintosurrender,asloppyone. Now, money is not the problem that it used to be, compliments of some magical mystery wand suddenly in the hands of the policy czar, the moneybag man, and the SantaClausangel.

Public servants just heard a sweet rhyme: ten per cent now,eightnextyear ThisprovesthatGodexists,andheor shetakestheshapeofthemerciesofthedecisionmakersin the PPP/C Government. Sugar workers in a sector that crawlsonitskneesgottheirnicetasteoftheholidays,itis alsotenpercentforthem. Withallthismoneyflowingto them, Guyanese get to experience what a currency-filled Christmas is. It is the same story for those who walk the line and hold it, for the men and women in protective uniformsgettheirhandsandpocketsenrichedwithcash. What is all this money about, caring leadership? Or about elections and how to twist Guyanese minds in the directionofschemingleaders? Orabouttheschemesthat those in the government and opposition have worked out with miserable (‘No Renegotiation’) Scrooges at ExxonMobil? Oraboutthehustlesofthosepretendingto bethebestfriendsofGuyanese? Moneywasscarce,now money is in everyplace. These trickles are a beginning; Guyanese must be ready to struggle for much more for themselves.

Honouring promises

DEAREDITOR

, While defending the billions allocated to the gasto-shore project in 2022, 2023 and 2024, the Prime Minister, when asked, committed to provide the National Assembly with copies of the agreements signedwithExxonandother partiesontheproject.

On April 2, 2024, the Parliament Office wrote to the Prime Minister reminding him of his commitment to the National Assembly to provide copies of the contracts, something which he has refused to do forthelastthreeyears.

On November 2024, during the parliamentary

session to examine the request for an additional G$25.3Bforthisproject,the Prime Minister was again reminded of his outstanding commitment to the National Assembly

Thiswashisresponse:

“Mr Chair,ifIhadfailed in offering my response as requested by the honourable member,letmeapologizeto this honourable House and I will seek to, in the shortest possible time, honour that request,” – a commitment which once again has not beenhonoured.

The election season has already commenced, and I am sure you will hear the Prime Minister saying that

the party he represents is committed to transparency andaccountability He is also going to say his government has always honoured it promises to the people - I trust that the Nation will know that they onlyplaylipservicetothese virtues.

The gas-to-shore project isthecountry’ssinglelargest capitalprojecttodate.When it was originally launched, the budget was US$810M withaconstructionperiodof twoyears.

Theprojectcosthasnow spiralled to over US$2.4B andclimbing,whilethetwoyear construction period has long expired – yet the PPP

has steadfastly refused to handoveranydocumentson the various studies, they claimed to have been executed,orcontractssigned with the various parties – a sure sign that this is a failed andcorruptproject.

So once again in grand fashion,thePPPcontinuesto fail to honour its promise of t r a n s p a r e n c y a n d accountability

Everyoneknows,evenif they don’t say so – that PR andsuccessfulexecutionare twodifferentthings.

In Guyanese parlance and as old people say, “Moutar and Guitar is two differentTar”.

DavidPatterson

75 years of innovative and imaginative policies

DEAREDITOR

,

“The wheel of the world swings through the same phases again and again Summer passed and winter thereafter, and came and passed again ” - Rudyard Kipling,

Kipling’s words like everything else has to be contextualized In a Guyanese context, the seasonsshouldbeviewedas cycles with just two examples to suffice elections and efforts at overcoming centuries of underdevelopment in the broadersense.

The PPP never claimed to be a perfect organization inoroutofgovernment.Like any political organization, it has its imperfections and moments when those imperfections manifested themselves in the annals of the Party’s 75 years old history Suffice it to say that from its inception the Party was confronted by splitters and factiona

,

acists, extremists and agents of foreigngovernments.

Butontheoccasionofits 75thanniversary,nowisnot the time to focus on perfection or imperfections of the PPP After all, the Atlanticisbeautifulbutsalty anddarkinitsdepth;andthe sky is always infinite, but often cloudy; as politics sometimes appear to be Now is the time to ask big questions, to explore deep issues and to conjure up original ideas pregnant with high success rates with their implementation.

During its 75 years of existence, notwithstanding what some continue to claim, the PPP continues to beapractitionerofeveryday politics, involving people who embrace, comply with, adjustandcontestnormsand rules regarding authority over production of, or allocationofresources.They do so in quiet, mundane, subtle and at times by noisy expressionsandactionsallin t h e c o n t e x t o f a parliamentary and liberal democracy

To those who claim the PPP was and still is sterile andbankrupt,itisnecessary to recall that it advocated first for internal selfgovernment then for independence, and voting at the age of 18 it won electionsin1953and held government for one hundred days and later, for seven years from 1957 to 1964.

OneofthePPP’sgreatest achievements was the forgingofunitybetweenthe two major ethnic groups when that unity resulted in its victory of 18 out of 24 seats at the 1953 elections. SincethenthePPPhasdone the heavy lifting required to realize the ‘One Guyana’ aspiration within the meaning of our national motto.

Atonetime,thePPPwas theonlypartyinGuyanathat opposed the Burnham dictatorship and fought on several fronts for free and fair elections; it made strenuous efforts for national, racial and working

classunity;itopposedarmed struggle to overthrow the Burnham dictatorship and chose the path of mass protests and electoral struggle, launching in 1973,

a campaign of civil resistance and noncooperation with the PNC regimefollowingtheGDF’s seizureoftheballotboxesin the 1973 election and the shooting to death of three partysupporters.

Injusttwoyearsafter,in August 1975, the party changed its political line from civil resistance and non-cooperation and extended ‘Critical Support’ tothePNCgovernment;two years later, in August 1977 the PPP called for the establishment of a National Patriotic Front and National Front Government And following the August 1994 LocalGovernmentElection, the PPP called for shared governanceatthelevelofthe GeorgetownCityCouncil.

Prior to the election due tobeheldin1990,theParty formulated a platform for alliances with farmers, the patriotic business class and t h e p r o g r e s s i v e intelligencia; and political p a r t i e s w i t h t h e establishment of the Committee for Defence of Democracy(CDD)andlater, the Patriotic Coalition for Democracy(PCD).

In August 1990, it took the initiative to create the CivicComponentofthePPP to contest elections, to constitute it’s parliamentary representation and to form thegovernment.

ThePPPhasapreference toengageinhonestdialogue thatitconsidersaprocessof mutually picking the beams andmotesoutofeachother’s eyeshopingthatbothcansee clearly We witnessed this process in last year’s negotiations between governmentandtheGuyana Teachers Union. Debates on governance of the energy sectorandethnicsecurityare part and parcel of that process.

The PPP may not be perfect, but in a Guyanese context it is special in many ways since it is known to have formulated and implemented policies that have impacted almost every facet of political, economic and social life of Guyana. Sinceitsfoundation,thereis not a single political, economicorsocialissuethat has not attracted the attention of the PPP In fact, itisthemostcommentedon party in main stream and social media almost on a dailybasis.

Some people make the mistakeofthinkingthatpast outstanding political leaders ofthePPPincludingCheddi Jagan, Janet Jagan, ‘Boysie’ Ram Karran; EMG Wilson, HJM Hubbard, CR Jacob, BHBenn,AshtonChaseand CV Nunes must have faced fewer political choices and had fewer political skills than the current leaders of the PPP do. But if we think about politics in a broader sense – as encompassing all of the diverse interactions betweenacolonialstate,its (Continuedonpage06)

Azruddin Mohamed is the only viable candidate Jimmy Carter and Bharrat Jagdeo

DEAREDITOR

,

As Guyana approaches another critical juncture in its democratic journey, it is imperative that we consider theneedforfreshleadership to break the entrenched political monopolies of the PPP and PNC. For decades, these two parties have dominated our political

n d perpetuating a cycle of governancethatleavesmuch tobedesired.Inthiscontext, Azruddin Mohamed emerges as the only viable c a n d i d a t e p o s tindependence capable of shattering this duopoly and ushering in a new era of inclusive governance and accountability

T

President Irfaan Ali has demonstrated a glaring lack of leadership Despite numerous efforts to refine his public image, Ali has struggled to project a presidential demeanour His governance style appears self-serving, characterized by a preference for personal aggrandizement over collective decision-making within his Cabinet By embarrassing others to elevatehimself,hehasfailed toinspireconfidenceandhas instead cultivated an environmentofmistrustand poor morale among his peers.

If PPPC wants to win, againstMohamed,theyneed tostopfakinghumility They need a new Presidential Candidate, not only who is obsessed about looking ‘cool’ and in reality, is somethingelse.PPP/Cneeds to have space for all even those who criticise them. Importantly, they need to listen.

The government’s major projects are riddled with inefficiencies and allegations of corruption

The Amaila Falls Hydro

Project, touted as a transformativeinitiative,has seen repeated delays and a lack of transparency in its contract awards, raising concerns about who truly benefitsfromsuchventures.

The new Demerara Harbour Bridgeprojecthasalsofaced criticismsoverinflatedcosts and irregularities in the b i d d i n g p r o c e s s

A d d i t i o n a l l y, t h e government’shousingdrive, while ambitious, has been plagued by reports of favouritismandsubstandard construction, leaving many

citizens frustrated and underserved. Look at the chaos with the cash grant distribution.

Moreover, under

President Ali’s watch, the i n t e g r i t y o f k e y constitutional institutions has been systematically undermined The Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC), tasked with promoting harmony among G u y a n a ’s d i v e r s e population, has been reduced to a toothless entity due to political interference.

The Human Rights Commission, essential for safeguardingcitizens’rights, h a s s e e n i t s recommendations ignored and its funding slashed, rendering it ineffective. The Integrity Commission, meant to hold public officials accountable, is side-lined, with delayed or incompletedisclosuresfrom key government figures

A d d i t i o n a l l y, t h e Procurement Commission, established to ensure transparencyintheawarding ofgovernmentcontracts,has been bypassed in favour of politically connected contractors, further fuelling allegations of corruption Despite the appointments at the Public Service Commission,itisuselessas, whiletheLocalGovernment Commission remains a shadow of its intended purpose, unable to operate independently due to undue influence from the executive.

The judiciary remains in limbo,withnoappointments of judges to bolster the justice system. The fiasco s u r r o u n d i n g t h e appointment of a Police Commissioner further e x e m p l i f i e s t h e administration’s disdain for due process and good governance. In addition, the treatment of the press under Ali’s leadership is alarming, marked by hostility and a disregardfortheroleoffree mediainademocracy

The president’s lavish lifestyle, coupled with

extravaganttoursandparties hosted by his wife, adds insult to injury for the ordinary citizens who struggle daily to make ends meet. Such excesses only deepen the divide between the ruling elite and the people they are supposed to serve. Meanwhile, essential public services remain underfunded, and there is little progress in addressing pressing issues such as healthcare, education, and job creation. Oil and gas sectorisanothermess.

Equally troubling is the influence of Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, who has shown an unhealthy obsession with silencing critics of his administration. Freedom of expression, a cornerstone of any democratic society, is increasingly under threat in Guyana. Those who dare to voice dissent or critique government policies face intimidation and reprisals, creatingaclimateoffearand stifling constructive d i a l o g u e T h e administration’s hostility toward opposing views has eroded public trust and alienated the very people it claims to represent. How can Guyanese to govern again who rig their own internal party elections yet have the audacity to always talk about APNU rigging 2020elections.

Amidst this dismal state of affairs, Azruddin Mohammed offers a breath of fresh air His candidacy represents a much-needed departurefromthepoliticsof patronage and polarization. Azruddin’svisionfor

(Continuedonpage06)

DEAREDITOR

, ThelatePresidentCarter is credited with helping to restore democracy in Guyana. Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo held Carter in high regard and paid laudatory tributes to him.

ThelatePresidentmayhave playedaroleinJagdeo’srise frombeingaJuniorMinister of Finance to his promotion to Minister of Finance and ultimatelyPresident.

Carter led the observer mission to Guyana in 1992 for the first democratic elections post-independence that led to Jagan becoming President. Carter became familiar with improvement in Guyana’s economy Jagan had continued the economic liberalization programme(ERP)embraced by Desmond Hoyte. The policy was continued by Asgar Ally who was replaced by Jagdeo. Carter creditedMinisterJagdeofor improvement in the economy WhenCartermet President Cheddi Jagan, he showered accolades on the young Jagdeo for his stewardshipoftheeconomy He told Jagan he was quite impressed with the young man’s handling of the economy and stated there was a bright future for him.

Jagan had put Jagdeo in chargeofnegotiationofdebt repayment that was sucking some 92% of the revenues justtopaytheinterestonthe debtofUS$2.2billionleftby thePNCregime.

Jagdeo was credited withgainingdebtrelieffrom the Paris Club nations that

was cancelling debts of heavily indebted countries likeGuyana.

Over US$1 billion was cancelled.Mostoftherestof the debt was subsequently either cancelled or paid off; Trinidad and Tobago, India, and some Middle Eastern countries cancelled debts as well. Jagdeo’s handling of the economy created a solid reputation with the Jagan’s that led to his endorsement by Janet Jagan as a ‘youth’ figureofthe‘A’Teamforthe December 1997 election following Cheddi’s sudden passingearlierthatyear

Unfortunately, the opposition rejected Janet Jagan as Presidentresultinginviolence and political instability Janet resigned in August 1999 and Jagdeo succeeded her Carter was a friend of freedom in Guyana,andGuyaneseinthe diasporaaswellasinGuyana remember him for his contributiontodemocracy He waslobbiedbythediasporain USA as well as by Cheddi Jaganandoppositionpartiesin Guyanatohelpsecurefreeand fair elections Without his involvement, there would not have been democratic elections

And without his presenceinGuyanatodouse the flame of violence stirred upbyathuggishstrongman, there would not have been a change in administration in October1992.CheddiJagan honoured Carter with the country’s highest award for his role in restoring democracy in Guyana and

for being a champion of human rights and peace globally Carter had recommended a number of constitutional changes to address ethnic issues and conflict. Regrettably, these werenotimplemented.

But the late American President left his mark on the Guyanesenationwithfreeand fairelections

He inspired Guyanese to have democratic elections Rigging was rejected as was attempted in March 2020 Carter’s grandson, Jason, whom I had the honour of meeting almost daily late February2020andforalmosta weekaftertheMarch2election duringdailypressconferences to condemn manipulated voting counts, continued the greatworkofhisgrandfather

The Carter Center, through Jason’s presence in Guyana and his role from Atlanta,helpedtoprotectthe democratic outcome of the March2,2020votealthough it took five months. Jason was denied a request during Covid to return to Guyana for the recount of votes, but he stayed in touch with observers who remained behind.Thankyou,Jason! Jagdeo and Irfaan Ali were (are) beneficiaries of Carter’s legacy in Guyana and the role of the diaspora from USA that lobbied the Carter Center to take up the cause of free and fair elections in the homeland. They and the country owe the late President a debt of gratitude.

Yourstruly,

VishnuBisram

Azruddin Mohamed is the only viable... Pres.Ali’sNewYear’sDay messagemisconstrued

Frompage05

Guyana prioritizes unity, transparency, and theempowermentofallcitizens. Hehasconsistentlydemonstratedacommitment toethicalleadershipandanabilitytoriseabove thepettyrivalriesthathaveplaguedourpolitical system for far too long Guyana stands at a crossroads Wecaneithercontinuedownthe path of dysfunction and division, or we can

embrace the opportunity for real change. AzruddinMohammedisnotjustacandidate;heis theembodimentofhopeforanationyearningfor progressandequality Itistimeforthepeopleof Guyanatorallybehindaleaderwhowillputtheir interests first and pave the way for a brighter future

Sincerely, B.Singh

DEAREDITOR, Sectionsofthemediahavemisinterpreted asectionofthePresident’sNewYearaddress, concerning the government’s infrastructure projects.

Themisreadingcentresonthephrase“By the end of 2025,” which has been wrongly construed to mean that the new Demerara RiverBridgewillbecompletedattheendof theyear

In fact, the President did not even speak about a completion date. He was simply

saying that by the time the year ends, the bridgewouldhavealreadybeeninoperation. In the preceding paragraph, the phrase “By the end of 2025” is also used to discuss thegoalofdistributing50,000houselots. Doesthisimplythateveryhouselotwill be handed over exactly in the final days of 2025?Clearlynot.

The phrase serves as a marker, a way to communicate a broader timeline and the progressexpectedwithinthatperiod.

HarryHanoverjeet

75 years of innovative...

Frompage04 representatives and its populace–wemayconclude thatthoseleadersoperatedin complex political arenas, and often developed sophisticated political skills to address the challenges of theirtime.

And though they did not liveinamoderndemocracy, as we do, should recognize how their contributions reshaped their social world, and changed Guyana’s history politically and culturally.

The PPP has an assailable track record. It made its mark with the launching of the Malali, the Makouria and the Torani ferries to cross the Berbice, Demerara and Essequibo rivers.While in government between 1957 to 1964, The PPP developed low-cost housing schemes at Ruimveldt, LaPenitence, Lodge and Campbellville. The government established agricultural schemes at Black Bush and Canals Polders, and at Brandwagt Sari.ThePPPcarriedoutthe f i r s t s u c c e s s f u l nationalization in Guyana taking over the Demerara Electric Company; it initiated improvements in public health services and establishedtheUniversityof Guyana It laid the foundation for the establishmentoftheBankof Guyana in October 1965 –seven months before the country gained political independence.

‘THUNDER’ was established on January 1,

1950astheofficialorganof thePPP

The PYO youth arm of thePPPpreviouslyknownas the Pioneer Youth League waslaunchedin1952.

In May 1953, the Women’s Progressive Organization (WPO) the women’s’ arm of the PPP was formed; ‘The Michael Forde Bookstore was established in the 1960’s ‘THE MIRROR’newspaper was established in December 1962 as a daily evening newspaper reflecting the views of the PPP on topical issues in the localandinternationalnews.

For the PPP ‘walking between raindrops’ represented lessons learnt and the ability to navigate the ideological contest that existed globally at the time with a view to avoiding government being branded one way or the other unnecessarily

ThePartywasperceptive enoughtoadoptapostureof realpolitik recognizing that, it can still safeguard its core values while adhering to ideologically pluralistic convictions.

In November 1994, the Party’s call for a ‘New Global Human Order’ was adopted after collective consideration of and consultations at the leadershiplevel.Tomarkthe 75th anniversary of the foundation of the PPP it is p r o p o s e d t h

S P O N S O R E D b y GOG/UG/UNDP/CJRC be

organized.

1.To consider promoting global collaboration as a means of fostering international cooperation, facilitating improved dialoguebetweentheGlobal North and South to avoid growingfractureswithinand between countries; 2 To promote partnerships and actions that can help to contain the widening ripple effects of geopolitical instability and build a more resilient global economy; 3 . To h a r n e s s t h e revolutionary potential of ArtificialIntelligence(AI)to meet the present and future challenges at home and abroad; 4.To consider the future of geo-and regional politics.

And how the Caribbean region can build a viable path towards world peace a n d i n t e r n a t i o n a l cooperation;

The holding of such an international symposium can prove useful, if not critical to Guyana in demonstrating its intellectual capacity and international awareness as well as its reach on global issues such as energy, food andclimatesecurity

The outcome of the symposium can assist in placing Guyana’s stamp on knowledgeandawarenessof the above-mentioned issues within the intellectual and knowledge-seeking community at home and abroad.

ClementJ.Rohee

F o r m e r G e n e r a l SecretaryPPP

Unemployed man jailed for armed robbery

Ezekiel Kevin Grant, also known as Kevin Charles, 20, was on Friday sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty torobberyunderarms.

Grant made his initial court appearance on December 6, 2024, at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court before Acting Chief MagistrateFaithMcGusty

On November 30, 2024, o n Wa t e r S t r e e t , Georgetown, Grant stole a Samsung phone valued at $45,000, a black wallet worth $2,000, and $10,000 in cash, totalling $57,000 fromDavindraSingh.

He, accompanied by others, and armed with a knife relieved Singh of his valuables.

During the court proceedings, Grant admitted to committing the crime while under the influence of alcohol.

At the time of his court appearance, Grant, who had

no fixed place of residence, wasremandedtoprisonafter MagistrateMcGustyordered a probation officer’s report.

Thereport,whichwasmade available

he subsequent court hearing, r

hardships in Grant’s early life, contributing to his criminalbehaviour

The probation report detailed that Grant grew up in an abusive home with a mother who struggled with alcoholism.

Due to financial difficulties and family issues, Grant dropped out of secondary school in second form and began using substances such as alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana

The report further revealed that Grant had a history of stealing and engaging in petty crimes from an early age.

Afterleavinghisfather’s home, Grant occupied an abandonedhouseinC’Field

Sophia, Georgetown and worked as a semi-skilled c

However, he continued to abuse substances and eventually became unemployed.

“ W h e n h e w a s unemployed, he used to be engaged in petty crimes to make ends meet,” the probationreportnoted.

Investigationsalso Continued on page 13

T&T PM Rowley to bow out of elected politics before general elections

Days after Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) declared a state of emergency due to heightened criminal activity – the twin island Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley announced that he will be stepping down before the end of his presidency bringingthecurtaindownto 45 years of service to his country

Within hours of a massacre at Prizgar Lands, Laventille bringing the country’smurdertollto623, the Prime Minister on Mondaymorningauthorised the declaration of a state of emergency

“The circumstances warrantingthedeclarationof the public emergency are based on the advice of the TTPS to the National Security Council of heightened criminal activity which endangers the public safety,”itwasannounced.

During a briefing with local media on Friday, Dr Rowleysaid,“Idon’twantto gothroughanotherCovid...I will not be offering myself again to represent anyone either in Trinidad or in Tobago, 45 years is a long time.”

He also thanked those who have supported his politicalcareer

Dr Rowley said he will remain the leader of the People’s National Movement (PNM) party as preparations are ongoing for nominations.

Hesaid,“Irepresentthe peopleofDiegoMartinWest who have supported me resolutelyfrom1991tonow

and I will thank them appropriately and I will assure that they are not left adrift.”

However, the Prime Ministeroutlined,“Thisyear wouldbe45yearsthatIhave been in public life in Trinidad and Tobago I offered myself for serve in Tobago in 1981 and in Trinidad in 1987, to now And at the last election, 2020, when I announced the PNM victory in Baliser House,Isaidtothiscountry, Iwillnotbedoingthatagain. AndImeantit.AndI’vekept it.”

Hecontinued:“ButIwill not be offering myself as I have just said…before the end of the legal limit of this term I will resign this office andgoofftomyfamily.”

The prime minister said his first job on the public payrollwastoplantgrasson theHopeEstateinTobagoat sevendollarsaday,andthen he taught school before enteringthepoliticalarenain 1980.

He said that he brought into the political area a numberofyoungpeoplewho are still in government and about to complete a second term.

He said these people were now prepared to take thecountryforward.

Rowleysaidhewouldbe at the PNM’s Parliamentary retreatthisweekend.

The Prime Minister walkedawayandentertained no questions after his statement about his retirement.

Rowley has served as Prime Minister for two consecutive terms since winning the general election in2015.

Hesaidofthecountry“I could see a deterioration of the quality of the society fueled by the availability of the mechanism to spread your bile, the absence of certain kinds of civilities, andofcourse,moremethan us”.

(ModifiedfromTrinidad Express)

Businessman robbed at gunpoint in front of Alexander Village home

A 52-year-old businessman was allegedly robbed, on Friday, in front of his Second Street, Alexander Village, Georgetownhomebytwoidentifiablemales onamotorcycle.

The victim has been identified as Riffi Doodnauth,aresidentofLot51FirstStreet, Alexander Village. He was robbed of one Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra cellphone valued $200,000, $40,000 cash, one identificationcard,andhisdriver’slicence.

Police reported that the incident occurred around 08:50h, while the victim wasabouttoenterhismotorcar,whichwas parked in front of his yard. The suspects reportedly approached the victim from the western direction, on a black motorcycle with trade plate JSP4, and the pillion rider armed with a silver hand gun in his right hand. The suspect armed with the gun, pointed the firearm at the Doodnauth and orderedhimtohandovereverything.

Police said, “The victim was afraid and hehandedoverthearticlesmentionedwhich wereinhispantspockets.”

Thereafter,thesuspectsrodeaway,west along Second Street, Alexander Village, thensouthintoCrossStreet,andmadegood theirescape.

Moreover, several Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) footages were seen in theareaandarebeingviewedbypolice.The search is ongoing for the suspects as the investigationscontinue.

T&T’s Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley

Ezekiel Kevin Grant

Democracy thrives on dissent and plurality

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo,speakingatanevent commemorating the death anniversary of Dr Cheddi Jagan in March last year, sent a warning to political challengers. His words need repeating now as we approachthe2025polls.

Hesaidthen,“Yougotall kinds, some who are trying to challenge us but they better be cautious. They got to come right. It’s a free country politically, but they may have interpreted our being quiet as a sign of weakness. It’s not so. When therighttimecomes,wedeal withthem,”hedeclared.”

These words have a chilling echo of Burnham’s famous declaration in 1980 that his party’s steel was sharper. We know how that turnedout.

What Jagdeo meant by “deal with them” remains undefined.Butthehistoryof the People’s Progressive PartyCivic(PPPC)offersan unsettling context. Figures like Ravi Dev, Paul Tennassee, Balram Singh Rai, and C.N. Sharma bear witness to the party’s penchantforhoundingrivals who dare trespass in PPP strongholds or challenge its supportbase.

At last Thursday’s PPP press conference, Jagdeo amplified his hostile stance, warning, “I do not intend to besoftonthosewhobelieve that they have a monopoly on criticizing the People’s Progressive

Party and on distorting its trackrecord.”

Suchstatements,cloaked as resolve, betray an underlying insecurity a fear of losing the PPPC’s precarious

majority This fear can end up manifesting itself in threats against political contestants and critics, casting a shadow over Guyana’sdemocraticfabric.

Jagdeo’s rhetoric about his party’s political rivals cannot be divorced from the

government’s potential use of state advertisements as a weapon against dissenting

advertisements, the PPPC

expression, ensuring that

administration thrive while others struggle to survive. How can elections held under such circumstances, that limit the opportunities for opposition parties to get theirmessageacross,besaid tobefreeandfair?

True democracy thrives on the robust exchange of ideas, the open contest of political philosophies, and the critical scrutiny of those in power Democracy, at its core,invitesscrutiny,thrives on dissent, and flourishes throughpoliticalplurality Jagdeo’s rhetoric his pr omise to “deal with”

opponents and his refusal to be “soft” on critics—rings alarm bells for the forthcoming 2025 elections.

Such declarations, especiallyfromaleaderwith access to state power, signal not confidence but apprehension. They suggest a strategy less about engaging in the arena of ideas and more about going after those who might challenge the ruling party’s dominance.

The British High

CommissionertoGuyana,in October, underscored the UnitedKingdom’sreadiness to support free and fair electionsinGuyana.Yetshe should be aware that the essence of free and fair electionsliesintheeasewith which new parties and candidates can enter the politicalcontest.

One cannot overlook the parallels with Venezuela, w h e r e p o l i t i c a l repression limitations on parties and candidates—has drawn international sanctions Guyana must tread carefully to avoid a similar trajectory Jagdeo’s words provide little reassuranceofthis.

When a leader’s language becomes a cudgel, it erodes trust in democratic processes. Jagdeo’s warning against those who “distort” the PPPC’s record suggests an aversion to criticism, an essential component of governance. To govern is to invitechallenge,

DEM BOYS SEH

Send de money, de goat coming!

Deh got a man who seh he selling goat. He tell people, “Sendyuhmoney,andahgon senddegoat.”Peoplenahseedegoat,nah smell de goat, nah hear de goat bleat, but dem still sending dem money De man sitting down happy, pocket full, and de goat?Well,onlyheknowifgoatevenexist. Demboyssehdatstorysoundtoomuch like Guyana and dem oil company deal. Deh tell we, “Send yuh wealth, we gon sendyuhdeprofits.”

But wait, how we gon know what we reallygetting?Yuheverseeagoatwalking through yuh gate? Yuh ever see de meter pondempump?Nahman,wejusttrusting demlikedemanwhosehdegoatdehpon deway De oil company seh dem pumping millionsofbarrels.Weseh,“Good!”Dem seh,“Wespendingbillionsfuhgetitout.” Weseh,“Alright.”

But who checking? Who making sure demnahusinggoldenwrenchesfuhtighten deboltorplatinumspannerfuhturndenut?

to withstand the glare of public scrutiny, and to embrace the competing visions Political rivals, however inconvenient, are not adversaries to be “dealt with” but necessary participants in the democraticproject.

Democracy is not about safeguarding power; it is about ensuring that power remains accountable The PPPC’slegacyshouldnotbe one of closing ranks against opposition but of fostering anenvironmentwhereevery voice, no matter how discordant,findsaplatform.

Jagdeo’s weekly diatribes against rivals betrayafearthatundermines theveryethosofdemocracy.

The true test of leadership lies in addressing the concerns of critics with substance.

A democracy worth its name does not shy away from criticism; it courts it. The freeness and fairness of elections are not measured solely by the absence of fraud but by the inclusivity of the political process Every barrier to entry for new parties, every veiled threat against critics, chips away at the integrity of elections.

Jagdeo’s warnings thereforecastalongshadow overthe2025elections. His rhetoric of dealing with c

fundamentalquestionsabout the PPPC’s commitment to democratic principles. In a nation where political plurality should be celebrated, such language reeks of a certain kind of overreach. The British High Commissioner to Guyana should take note of these developments.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the aut

necessarily reflect the opinionofthisnewspaper.)

Imagineyuhpayingfuhtengoat,butde man send one and seh de rest gone pon vacation.

Or worse, he seh de cost fuh feed dem goatmorethanyuhpaying.Whatyuhgon do? Complain? To who? Same man who tekkingyuhmoney?

Guyana,wakeup!Wegivingawaywe goat and we nah even getting proper milk inreturn.

Dedealsignlikeweblindfoldweself, sign de paper, and hope fuh de best. But demboysseh,hopenahstrategy

Yuhsee,whenyuhdealwidpeoplewho seh,“Trustwe,”yuhbetterholdontightto yuhwallet.Goatmanandoilmangotone thing in common: dem good at mekking yuh believe goat fat when goat ain’t even exist.

Dem boys seh, before we send more goat or money, let we put in some independent meters and get some proper accounting. Otherwise, we might end up widgoatstoryandemptypocket. Talkhalf.Leffhalf.

In the spirit of Christmas: from me to Excellency Ali

In the spirit of Christmas: from me to Excellency Ali

Itcouldbefromfatherto son, considering our respective ages. However, withaneyetohishighoffice, I content myself with from brother Gabriel to Brother Irfaan. Maythepresumption beexcused.

To speak in a different language is more than the moment of great season More than related to regard for power and position Greater than the dismay at how things have turned out inthepresidentialfold. Itis of what is neglected, but of what could be. This is the human thing to do, one brothertoanother Whether itencountersdeafness,orthe shrillness of compulsive furiousness.

Brother Irfaan, you need to listen to the outlying

voices, all voices. Only listening to paid voices, and thrillinthosewhodelightto writeandspeakwhatpleases is spiritual and intellectual barrenness itself. It may intrude on the moral and ethical,too.

Whitherwisdom,beitof the common man or a president? To listen and absorbdeepinsideistohelp to amend. If amending or adjusting is too demanding (evenconsideredtobebelow station), then I sub introspection and travelling to a different place. Not all thetime,notevenmostofthe time; but certainly, some of the time More than fraternal,Idaresay Thinkof thepresidential,thenational. All this cursing, Brother Irfaan, lead to one place.

Tensed encampments

Hardened positions. Bitter animosities.

No president should relish such a grim environment, any such stormy atmosphere. But both are present, dear BrotherAli, and your hands havesometraces. Morethan mere traces, stains that were irremovable now widen, deepen. Yes, I personalize withthepronoun(s)selected. Premediated.

Neither criticism nor commentary Simplywhatis common decency When there is listening, there is learning, then adjusting Therejustcouldbeasociety that is less torn and despondent; one more open to oneness, readier for the kind of personal duty that

contributes to a better, brighterGuyana.

Brother Irfaan, I say it quietly,clearly Thereistoo much incendiary fury in this country Whatnowstandsas nationalcultureismorethan counterproductive. Itisselfdestructive. All this wealth, allthisblight. Thepresident getshisbackup,thefacesof the people steel into flintiness. Faces have a tendency to relax, that tautnesscan’tstaysofortoo long.

Cramps takeover

Hearts,ontheotherhand,are a tad more complicated Grudges are held forever

The instinct towards the retaliatory kindles, festers, growsinflamingexpression.

From one citizen and brother to another, there is somethingthateventhemost unlearned have a powerful understanding, what flows f r o m i n d e f i n a b l e discernment.

It is that distinguishing feature that separates man from beast. The most ordinary know truth, appreciate straightness, cherish the profound decency of both They detect when it is present, knowwhenitisnot. Theoil stories, Brother Irfaan, they don’t make sense. The contractaward narrativesdo not add up, Brother Irfaan. And, so are defences about corruption and management and fidelity to laws and

constitution, and the whole 29 yards. Indeed, the litany is that commanding, that attracting ofinterest,condemnation.

Thus, my brother Irfaan, stridency and pretence at furyregistersas,ah,somany globs of hypocrisy Shallowness over the inexplicable Wealth accumulation is one

Covetousness and insatiable greed cannot be minimized, parlayed into nonexistence. The eyesight of hungry people, the sensitivity of the impoverished to any errant sound, is keener Lashing out is seen as a pathetic attempt to coverup, injuring againwithyetanotherinsult. The wrong road is taken. I could get sophisticated and make this complicated by referencing Benay and Goebbels, of propaganda and deception notoriety, but to what end, my brother?

Addrancourtothedeeppool of wrath? Who is helping whom then? From the darkness to the light? From the cellblock where character is incarcerated to that consecrated ground, whichhasbeensoelusiveto the touch of every Guyanese? Including

presidents and vice presidents and prime ministers. And peons, such asmyself.

Brother Irfaan, I plead before you: listen. Please listen and rise. Not to walk

thesameoldandfailedway

But aim for higher ground, then try I am. Though a peon, I abhor the label that may be relevant. Primitive. Then, whether president or peasant, the primordial swampismyhome. Itisnot one to be loved No president should. The same goes for former presidents and prime ministers, both presentandpast. Thisisnot the way to go. It is not what the inheritance of this oil should transform us into, where it takes us. We must prove ourselves worthier Notbybelligerence.

N o t b y v e r b a l thunderbolts and exploding blastingcaps. Whobenefits and for how long, and in what manner, and towards what destiny? It is time to take my leave. A hard journeywalked. Myfeetare bare,myhearttorn. Butmy spiritwillendure,stillfinda waytosoar

Brother Irfaan: I think, I know,thatyouarebetterthan this. Iaskyoutoprayforme to the Merciful and

Beneficent One that I may be,too. Wecanhaveabetter Guyana. Anewroadmustbe tried. Itry.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionofthisnewspaper.)

Manonremandbegs

todismissfraudcases

A 33-year-old man who was remanded to prison in November 2024 on multiple fraud charges, on Friday, begged Acting Chief MagistrateFaithMcGustyto dismisshiscase.

Theaccused,QuacyKitt, told Magistrate McGusty that the prosecution’s “time for statements has passed”. Kitt, who resides at Lot 77 Subryanville, Georgetown, appeared virtually at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.Hetoldthecourtofhis concerns over the prosecution’s failure to submitstatementswithinthe requested two-week period.

He also accused the prosecution of stalling the trial and claimed that the virtualcomplainantsshowed alackofinterestinthecase.

“These statements relating to all these VCs (virtual complainants) were given since last year, and I think the prosecution is attempting to hack the process. I am entitled to a

free and fair trial,” Kitt stated. However, Magistrate McGusty dismissed his request, explaining that any procedural delays were justified The Chief Magistrate clarified that Kitt’s remand was largely due to his alleged involvement in additional fraudcaseswhileoutonbail forsimilarcharges.

Kitt argued that the delays were intentional attemptstostallthetrial,but

Magistrate McGusty informed him that the next court date would be set for January 17, 2025, when the caseisexpectedtocontinue.

He was remanded to prison on November 10,

2024, for allegedly defrauding three individuals ofatotalof$3.3million.He is accused of falsely claiming connections with the Ministry of Housing, the GuyanaPoliceForce,andthe gold mining sector The charges include two counts of obtaining money by false

pretence and one count of fraudulentmisappropriation. Specifically, the charges state that on October 30, 2024, at Brickdam Road, Georgetown, Kitt obtained $1,950,000 from Khaleel Lovellbyfalselyclaiminghe couldsellaplotoflandfrom theGovernment.OnMay25, 2024, at Young Street, Georgetown, Kitt allegedly obtained $400,000 from Alicia Gangins by falsely promising to help her reputed husband, Shamar Brown, secure bail from the Providence Police Station. Lastly, on June 10, 2024, at Freeman Street, East La Penitence, Kitt allegedly misappropriated$1,000,000

Continued on page 13

Quacy Kitt

Unemployedmanjailedforarmed...

Frompage8 revealed that Grant had a reputation in his community as being “hostile” and frequently using profane language Further investigations revealed that Grantwasnotwelcomeathis mother’s home due to his habitualstealing.

Duringthecourtsession, Grant pleaded for a second

c h a n c e H o w e v e r, Magistrate McGusty responded firmly, saying, “I

see that you grew up under difficult circumstances, but that does not mean you should decide to take other people’s things without their permission I understand that while this may have been your first time being formally charged, your family members do not want you there because of your habit of stealing. It’s not a onetimethingforyou.”

MagistrateMcGustyalso

acknowledged Grant’s potential for change at the prison,stating,“Iunderstand that you are begging for a chance but I believe that the timeyouspentwhereyouare will be more productive for you,”McGustysaid. Taking into account Grant’s age, the value of the items stolen, and his cooperation in the court

process, Magistrate McGusty sentenced him to 18monthsinprison.

Man on remand begs Magistrate to...

Frompage12 entrusted to him by Oeosi Hilliman to purchase raw gold. During the proceedings, Kitt pleaded not guilty to all charges. However,prosecutorSeanWilliamsobjected to bail, emphasizing the seriousness of the offences and the fact that Kitt had pending matters related to similar fraud charges. Williams further noted that Kitt had been previouslychargedwithfraud,placedonbail, and continued to commit fraudulent acts while on bail. As a result, Magistrate McGustyorderedKitt’sremandincustody Kitt’spriorlegalhistoryincludesanAugust 2023 case where he faced charges before

Senior Magistrate Leron Daly for obtaining money under false pretence Between July 7 and 13, 2023, Kitt allegedly obtained $1,700,000 from Romario Chandrapaul by falselyclaiminghecouldsecureaprofessional home through the Ministry of Housing and Water Additionally,betweenAugust21and 23, 2023, Kitt allegedly obtained $500,000 fromRoopnarineSammyundersimilarfalse pretences. In both cases, Kitt pleaded not guilty,andbailwasinitiallydeniedduetothe seriousness of the charges and his history of similar offences. Kitt was later released on bailinthosecases,butthenewchargesledto hisremandinNovember2024.

Govt.huntingformorehousinglands,afterusing upthoseavailableinseveralregions-Min.Croal

TheMinistryofHousing and Water has reached the saturationpointforavailable lands in several regions, subjectMinisterCollinCroal disclosedonFriday

The Minister was at the time speaking at this Ministry’s 2024 year-end press conference where he detailed the challenges and progress of housing developments across the country, noting ongoing efforts to acquire additional lands.

As of December 27, 2024, 10,377 land allocations were completed, 10,216plotsweredistributed for residential use, 157 for residential - commercial use and four for religious purposes. He said that over 40,290 residential lots have been allocated by the government so far and disclosedthatthereareplans

Health

to surpass the target to allocate over 50,000 house lotsbytheendof2025.

In Region Two, the Ministry is still awaiting finalization for the acquisition of more lands.

“ [ A t ] C h a r i t y a n d

Onderneeming there is a team working to acquire additional lands. In the case of Region Two, we are still awaiting the finalization for the acquisition of additional lands, but we have saturated what we have there,” Croal said.

Region Three has also reachedthelimitofavailable lands on the West Coast of Demerara.

“On the lands we have been given to us, we have reached the saturation point, that is why you see a consolidation at Wales, and more lands are being made availableatWales,andthere

are lands available at Wales asIspeak,”Croalexplained.

For Region Four, the Minister confirmed that the East Bank of Demerara has been used up for housing allocations.

“We have not been able to allocate for East Bank of Demerara for the last year andahalf.Allourallocation

Ministry to roll out programme aimed at eradicating malaria in

The Ministry of Health will soon implement a programme to distribute medication to residents in regions where malaria is endemic.

Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony, told reporters, on Tuesday, that theaimoftheprogrammeis to eliminate the disease within two years. He was at the time speaking at his Ministry’send-of-yearpress conference, held at his Brickdam, Georgetown office.

Dr Anthony said that Guyana has recorded about 24,000 cases of malaria for 2024, with the highest number being found in Regions One, Seven, Eight andNine.

The government has already implemented various interventions, such as distributing mosquito n e t s , w h i c h h a v e contributed to reducing malaria cases. However, a key factor in the ongoing efforts is the link between malaria and gold mining activities.

Dr Anthonysaidthatthe MinistryofHealthhasbeen collaborating with the Guyana Gold and Diamond

Miners Association (GGDMA) to train miners on how to detect malaria cases and properly treat affected individuals. This initiative is expected to

2 years - Dr. Anthony

furtherreducemalariacases in mining communities. In addition to these measures, the Ministry of Health is developing a new malaria controlplan.

While citing that the government’s previous aim was to control the disease,

Dr Anthonyexplained,“We (Government) now we want the new plan that we aredeveloping…islooking at how we can eliminate malariafromGuyana,sono longer do we want to live with malaria; we want to eliminateitfromGuyana.”

As part of this new strategy, the government andpartnersareworkingon malaria interventions in Region Nine, where a high concentration of cases had beenobserved.

“We are looking at Region Nine there is a specific area where we are

Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony

seeing the most malaria cases and we are putting in some interventions in that area We are very confident that within in a year to two years that we will be able to reduce significantly the amount of cases in Region Nine,” Dr Anthonysaid.

The success of this initiative in Region Nine willthenbeusedasamodel toreplicatetheinterventions inotherendemicareas.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Health is finalizing plans to provide medicationtoallindividuals living in malaria endemic regions, a similar approach to that taken during the filarialtreatmentcampaign. Currently, the Ministry is evaluating the technical feasibility and cost of implementing this widespreadexercise.

MMAandourteamwehave identified some additional lands led by the Minister of AgricultureandMMA.They arecurrentlyreviewingthose applicationsandwearevery sure that we will be getting that approval to proceed for our design,” Minister Croal noted.

Hesaidthatprogresshas been made in Region Six, where additional lands were recently acquired. “But in terms of additional lands we’re optimistic, we are working with GuySuCo

wehavedoneisconsolidated on the East Coast of Demerara, and as I speak, additional lands on the East CoastofDemeraraarebeing madeavailable,”hesaid.

The Minister explained that attempts to expand further on the East Bank have been hampered by the p r o x i m i t y t o t h e conservancy “We have receivedawarningletter,by theway,fromNDIAbecause ifyougoinwardswhichwill be going east, you’re actually reaching the conservancy that’s how far wehavereachedfortheeast bank,”hedisclosed.

In Region Five, the available lands have also been exhausted, except for onearea.“Wehaveonearea that we have available and that’s at Burma but with

because most of the additional lands to acquire Lands and Survey has already informed us that those lands are under the purview of GuySuCo,” he said.

MinisterCroalexplained that various government agencies have competing interests–whiletheHousing Ministry may need land for housingdevelopment–other agencies might need it for agriculturalpurposes.

Further, in Region Ten, Amelia’s Ward has been saturated for house lot allocations, but new areas at Wismar have been developedtheMinistersaid.

“Wewereabletoallocate [recently] where it’s in the new areas of Wismar, and that’s where because we were able to get additional

lands for that area,” Croal stated.

For other regions, the Minister highlighted ongoing efforts to secure more lands In Region Seven, new lands have been identified for Bartica In Region Eight, lands are still available for allocation, while in Region Nine, additional lands are being provided via Lands and Surveys.

Moreover, the Minister saidtoothat1,724housesare beingconstructedandareset forcompletionbymid-2025.

Minister Croal also outlined other key achievements for the year, including the allocation of 504 housing units and the completion of 550 houses in 2024 with an investment of $4.3billion.

For 2024, over 65 7 kilometres of road were upgraded to asphaltic concrete surfaces in several areas and more than 9.1 kilometres of four-lane macroroadswerecompleted inRegionsThreeandFour

“Yes,wehaveseensome criticismsandrightfullysoin termsofworkandqualityof work done and this is s o m e t h i n g w e ’ v e strengthened in terms of the monitoring team of the housing unit,” the minister noted.

Security guard remanded for attempted murder

A 34-year-old security guard was, on Friday, remanded to prison when he appeared at the GeorgetownMagistrates’Courtforattemptedmurder

DavidPierreJunioroflot81614,CummingsLodge, East Coast Demerara, is accused of wounding Anand Ramkissoon on December 30, 2024, at Alexander Street, Georgetown, with intent to commit murder, whilebeingincompanyofanother

Junior appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate FaithMcGustywhoreadthechargetohim.Hewasnot requiredtoenteraplea.

Theprosecutionobjectedtobailwhileemphasizing the seriousness of the offence and the severe penalty attached to it. Further, the prosecution informed the courtthatthevictimisinacriticalcondition.

The court was also told that the police received videofootageshowingJuniorallegedlycommittingthe act,andstatedthatduringaninterviewJunioradmitted tochoppingRamkissoon.

However, Junior countered the prosecution’s claims,assertingthatthePolicedidnotpossessthefull video footage, which, according to him, would exoneratehim.

“Theydon’thavethestartingofthevideofootage, Madam,” Junior told Magistrate McGusty He also claimedthathehadbeenchoppedmultipletimesduring theincident,suggestinghewasactinginself-defence.

After hearing both sides, Magistrate McGusty advised Junior to retrieve the complete video footage for use in his defence. Consequently, Junior was remanded to prison, and his case is scheduled for January24,2025.

Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal

David Pierre Junior

Man breaks new year in jail over mix-up in unpaid child support

Amix-up over unpaid child support totalling some $608,000 ended with a Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo (EBE) man (name provided)breakingthenewyearin jail.

He was released from custody on Friday after the mix-up was sorted out by the Bartica

M a g i s t r a t e s ’ C o u r t

Notwithstanding, the man still owes over $400,000. The man claimed that he had no prior knowledgeoftheextradebtandthe Magistrate decided to be lenient, giving him a month to clear the debt.

The man’s troubles started on December 31, just after he left the backdam and went to pay his child support to the agreed collecting office (a police station) in Region Three.

“When I gone there… waiting topaythemoney,demholdonpon me,”themanrecalled.

KaieteurNewsunderstandsthat a warrant was issued for him on December 3, 2024, after he failed to pay some 76 weeks of child support totalling $608,000 in arrears.

The man said that he had no knowledge of the warrant because he was working in the interior and was left stunned that he owed so muchmoney

Accordinghim,thelasttimehe wenttopaychildsupport,heowed the same amount and deposited at total of $460,000. That payment was made in September 2024, just days before he went into the backdam to work for Christmas season.

Receipts of payments the man made in September

The man told Kaieteur News that despite producing receipts of the payments made, Police still locked him for four days. He was taken to court on Friday only to learn that the payments he had madeinSeptemberwereverified.

“Demsehhowitdidn’tregister inthesystem,”claimedtheTuschen man.

Thecourtreportedlyaskedifhe has the amount to cancel out the balance.

“I told them I got so much (he did not mention the amount),” the mansaidbeforeaddingthathewas inforanothersurprisethatlefthim heartbroken.

“NowdemtellingmethatIstill owe some money from another

time,”hecontinued.

Themanexplainedhissituation to the Magistrate and was granted some amount of lenience. He was givenamonthtofindthemoney.

Court documents seen by this mediahouseshowthattheTuschen man was summoned by his excommon-law wife in 2021 to pay childsupportforonechildatarate of$8,000perweek.

However, it was only recently that the man learnt that the woman went behind his back and summoned him for a second child, requiringhimtonowpay$16,000a week.

“How is that fair? I did get a chance to tell the Magistrate if I could pay that amount per week,” hesaid,whileexplaininghedoesn’t

Warrant for the unpaid child support

even believe that both children are hisown.

“I only accept the lil boy,” he continued.

TheTuschen man is now using the services of a lawyer to get the child support payment mix-up sortedoutbecausehebelievesheis beingrobbed.

His first move is to get a DNA test done for the children after whichhewillseekvisitingtime.

“Shedon’tevenallowmetosee thechildren.ThelasttimeIcallshe toseetheboy,sheblockedme,”the manexplained.

Hewillalsopetitionthecourtto getareductioninthechildsupport fee.Hesaid,“Youknowhowmuch is$16,000perweek?Idon’thavea stable job and even the man with a normaljobcan’taffordthatamount inthesehardtimes.”

The man is also seeking a payment plan because he works mostly in the interior location and would sometimes spend months in thebackdam.

Whileheiswillingtopaychild support, he is of the view that his “child mother” is being vindictive andonlywantstoseehimpressured andbehindbars.

“I used to send money from bush to her every month and take care of her good,” he said, while explaining that things went south afterhedecidedtoleavethewoman andmove-oninlife.

“About a month after she summons me,” he told Kaieteur News.

Govt. seeking supervision service for New West Demerara W

The current West Demerara Hospital in Region Three

Hospital project pr

With plans underway to construct a new West Demerara Hospital in RegionThree,theMinistryofHealthis currently seeking a supervisory firm to oversee the construction of the new facility

According to an invitation for bids (IFB) published in Friday’s edition of the Kaieteur News, the Ministry is seeking bids for ‘Professional Engineering Consultancy Services for the Supervision of the Construction of TheNewWestDemeraraHospital’.

TheMinistrysharedthatbiddingfor this project will be conducted through the National Competitive Bidding procedurespecifiedintheProcurement Act 2003. Bids are expected to be opened on January 14, 2025 at the National Procurement and Tender AdministrationBoard(NPTAB)office.

This publication understands that part of the scope of works for supervisionservicesistoensurethatthe contractor(s) fulfil (s) its contractual obligation.

Kaieteur News reported that the

plan to build the new hospital follows PresidentIrfaanAli’sannouncementin September last year that a new West Demerara Hospital will be constructed sincethecurrentstructurehasoutgrown its time. The President, at that time, noted that the current hospital has seen significant improvements over the years.

Further, the hospital has been undergoing several upgrades including theconstructionofanewmortuaryand the acquisition of equipment for laparoscopic surgeries However, despite the improvements over the years, President Ali said that the hospital can no longer meet the demands of the growing regional economy

“Now with this growth, we know that the West Demerara Hospital has nowoutgrownitstime.Ithasoutgrown whatitwasbuiltfor Itdoesnotmeetthe modern, efficient, reliable needs of the citizensofRegionThree,”thePresident stated.

Following the President’s announcement, the Ministry of Health

has since issued a tender seeking a contractortoundertaketheproject.

This publication reported that two constructionfirmoutofChinaarevying for the project According to information released on the NPTAB website, the firms are CAMCE –S i n o p h a r m i n t l t h a t b i d

US$99,728,520 33 and Shandong High-SpeedDejianGroupInc.,thatbid GY$11,241,510,000 to construct the hospital.

It was reported in the media, that Sinopharmintl-CAMCEandShandong are no strangers to Guyana’s construction industry Sinopharmintl and CAMCE are currently the contractors undertaking the construction of the six regional hospitals across the country, while Shandong High-Speed is the company that rebuilt the St. Rose’s High School inGeorgetown.

This publication understands that the construction of the new hospital is partofthegovernment’splantoprovide world-class healthcare service across thecountry

AFC questions Govt’s fear of renegotiating oil contract

Former EPA Head and member of the Alliance for Change, Dr Vincent Adams

TheAllianceforChange(AFC)onFridayquestionedwhy the government of Guyana is afraid to formally request a renegotiationofthecountry’slopsidedcontractwithU.S.oil giant ExxonMobil. At the party’s first press conference for 2025, former Head of the Environmental ProtectionAgency (EPA)andmemberoftheAFC,DrVincentAdams,questioned thegovernment’sfeartorequesttherenegotiationofthe2016 PetroleumSharingAgreement(PSA)inwriting.

“Why is the Vice President and the President making excuses for not asking Exxon about renegotiation?What are they scared about? They’re talking about they’re going to renegotiateeverycontractexceptforExxon,”Dr Adamssaid.

Dr Adams, who is a Petroleum Engineer by profession, saidthecontractstatesclearlythatthegovernmentandExxon make changes to the contract.Article 13.2 of the PSAstates that “This Agreement shall not be amended or modified in respect except by written agreement entered into by all the partieswhichshallstatethedateuponwhichtheamendment ormodificationsshallbecomeeffective.”Hesaidthattheonly way the government can get Exxon to understand that it is seriousaboutrenegotiationofthecontractistoformallywrite theoilcompany.“Whataretheyafraidof?Toputitinwriting? …Isthisthekindofleadershipthatwewantinthiscountry? [Leaders] Who’s afraid to even approach an international company to ask for renegotiation for a better deal for its people?”hequestioned.

OnJanuary1,2025,KaieteurNewsreportedthatPresident IrfaanAliduringhisend-of-yearpressconferencesaidthathe has no interest in writing ExxonMobil to renegotiate the lopsidedPSA,signedbythepreviousadministration.

He was at the time responding to a question from this newspaperonwhyhisgovernmentstillrefusestochangethe dealtoseekgreaterbenefitsforGuyanese,evenafteraltering multipleprovisionsofthecontract.

Tothisend,theHeadofStateexplainedthatthePeople’s Progressive Party has always been consistent in its position that the deal was “bad”. He however noted, “What we committedtowastorespectthesanctityofcontractsandthat theinternationallaw,thathasimplicationsforusasacountry Otherinvestorsarelookingonbutwhatwesaidwasthatfuture PSAswouldnothavethesefatalflawsandfuturePSAswould not have the type of lopsided arrangements that Exxon had, andwehavemadethoseadjustmentstofuturePSAs.”

President Ali went on to point out that the market conditions must also be taken into consideration to ensure policies here do not drive away investment, but strikes a balancetostillensurethegreatestbenefitcomestoGuyanese. Infact,theHeadofStatehighlightedthatGuyanahasalready seenbenefitsnotonlyfromtheoilandgassector,butfromthe expandedgrowthintheeconomy

He cited initiatives such as the return of the school children’scashgrantwhichwillsoonbeincreasedto$50,000; higher pension for senior citizens; a world class health care system that is currently being developed as well as an improvedsafeenvironmentandeducationsystem.

Tothisend,Alisaid,“(Ican)showyouhowgreaterbenefit is already coming to the Guyanese people, how the life of every single Guyanese is improving and you would know if youcantellmewithstraightfacethatevenyourownlifeisnot improving, that you are not driving on better roads, that you are not saving time going to Region Three-imagine if you didn’thavetheCraneby-passroad-thatyouarenotgoingto benefit from the new four-lane bridge across the Demerara Riverthatwillbefreeofcost,ifyouarenotbenefittingfrom the $100,000 investment that we are making for every Guyaneseabove18years.”

Poland takes over EU presidency with focus on security

WARSAW, Jan 3

(Reuters) - Poland launched itspresidencyoftheCouncil of the European Union on Friday,miredinadiplomatic row with Hungary that underscored a deepening sense of political disunity across Europe just as it confronts a raft of major globalchallenges.

Saddled with a sluggish economy, the EU is bracing for the return of Donald Trump to the White House this month on an “America First” platform and the possible imposition of U.S. tariffsonEuropeanexports. Italsofacesdeteriorating trade relations with China andRussia’sgrindingwarin Ukraine, all at a time when the EU’s two leading powers, France and Germany, are distracted by domesticpoliticalupheaval.

Against this gloomy backdrop, Poland is seeking a leading role in shaping European policy, especiallyonsecurity “ I f E u r o p e i s powerless, it will not survive Let’s do everything so that Europe and Poland do not have to pay the highest price for freedom, for strength, for sovereignty Let’s do

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk walks as he attends a gala on the day of an official opening of the Polish presidency of the Council of the European Union, in Warsaw, Poland January 3, 2025. Agencja Wyborcza.pl/Slawomir Kaminski/via REUTERS

everything to make Europe strong again,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said duringagalainWarsaw He was joined by the president of the European Council, Antonio Costa w h o s t r e s s e d t h e importance of continued supportforKyiv

“This year we must continue to stand with Ukraine – as much as necessary, for as long as it t a k e s , t o w i n a comprehensive, just and lastingpeace,”Costasaid

“For that, we must continuetoseedefenceasa strategic priority for the EuropeanUnion ” Polish ambitions Tusk hopes “to lead a realignment in the EU whenitcomestobuildinga coalition around support f o r U k r a i n e a n d meaningful peace that benefits Kyiv, not Moscow”, said Edit ZgutPrzybylska, an assistant professor at the Institute of PhilosophyandSociologyin the Polish Academy of

Sciences.

Tu s k , a f o r m e r president of the European Council who previously also served as head of the centre-right European People’s Party, is a wellconnectedfigureontheEU stage But as European capitalsfacetoughdecisions on issues such as how to bolster and finance defence spending, analysts say Warsawisunlikelytobeable toleadonitsown.

Piotr Buras, headofthe

Foreign Relations’ Warsaw office, said the challenges facing the EU surpass the capacityandtimehorizonof any one six-month presidency

“This is a key moment for Europe above all due to Trump’s arrival and the situationinUkrainebutalso issues related to the broader economy, competitiveness and possibly the trade war with a simultaneous weaknessofleadershipanda transitionmomentwithinthe EUitself,”Burassaid.

Regarding Europe’s collective security and support for Kyiv, some analysts said Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, could take on a bigger role after its Feb. 23 national election, which the conservatives are currently tippedtowin.

“The only hope is that the new German leadership will decide to take a much more active and assertive stance,” said Peter Bator, a former Slovak ambassador to NATO who is now chief analyst at the opposition ProgressiveSlovakiaparty Diplomatic spats

The Polish government said Hungary’s envoy was

ceremony to mark Warsaw taking on the EU’s rotating, six-monthpresidency,avery public snub that follows months of political barb trading between the two countries’leaders. Hungary infuriated Poland last month by grantingpoliticalasylumtoa former Polish deputy justice minister who is under investigation at home for alleged misuse of public funds, which he denies Warsaw called the move a “hostile act” contrary to EU principles and recalled its ambassadortoBudapest.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto described Friday’s snub as “childish”, news website HVG.hureported.

The Polish move just addedtomultiplyingsignsof Europeandisharmony Slovakia, which along with Hungary has sought to maintain some ties with Russia, threatened retaliation on Thursday against Ukraine after it halted the transit flows of Russiangas,whileonFriday negotiations on forming a new government in Austria suffered a blow when a key partyquitthetalks.

WANTED VACANCY

Male sales-rep 18-28 years old, Knowledge about vehicle models would be an asset. Call : 619-1237.

Live-in domestic 30-45 years old $30,000 weekly, 6 days a week. Must know to cook Indian dishes. #610-3974.

K and M Janitoral services wanted cleaners. contact : 664-8328 /696-4567.

General domestic to work 3 days per week- Campbellville G/TOWN.Tel: 621-5140.

One general cleaner, Must be able to assist in cutting up vegetables.Serious enquires. Call: 696-2520.

FOR SALE

150 Acre coconut estate Lower Pomeroon Transport. 657-9237.

For Sale 6 used American made Dental chairs excellent condition contact Mr Vino on 661-3030 or 626-8918

One Nissan Double cab pickup, fully off road setup ; -5 Million Negotiable. Call: 626-8919 / 661-3030.

SERVICES

Elevate your brand with our professional Graphic design services. Call: 619-0007, 629-5526.

Visa Application:U.S.A, Canada & UK:Graphics design, advertisements, wedding arch rentals.Tel:6267040.

VEHICLES FOR SALE

1 Honda CRV, includes TV, music system, alarm, reverse camera, spoiler, crash, low mileage PTT Series (first owner). Call: 649-0956.

One Unregistered Nissan XTrail 2016 model, Mode Premiere. Call : 649-0956.

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Family fun Aracari Resort!

crystal clear pool, safe kids & adult sections, music & food. W.B.D. Call : 2642946-9

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Aracari Hotel renovated rooms ,A/C, TV, Restaurant, bar, pool, gym Stay 7 nights, 1 Free! Call: 264-2946.

Seeking a female pen pal friend, ages 40 years and older. Call: 636-2829. FOR RENT

Long reach excavator Drainage cleaning slush removal Pipe laying canal Cleaning. 657-9237.

Job opening- Truck drivers, project manager, Civil engineer. To apply, please send your application via Whatsapp 638-5303 / 6082114.

Female cleaner call 615-9132 or 645-8443

Maid to clean for East Bank area. Call: 615-9132

One (1) electrician for Eccles Call 615-9132 or 645-8443.

One night watchman call: 6122125

Vacancy exist for one experienced cook. Please call : 6990942.

Vacancy exists for one nanny aged 40 or older. Please call : 699-0942.

Mason, Tiles mason , Carpenter, Engineer, construction foremen, Paver operator experience with 6-7 years. Mumbai Construction. 648-8001.

Are you a RETIRED SECRETARY? We have a job for YOU!Call: 648-1821

The #1 Plant Shop Sales Staff Needed! Secondary Education Must be willing to learn NO knowledge needed WhatsApp: 648-1821/ 6462108

Bess choice is hiring water truck driver & Porter located in Diary- West Demerara. Call: 686-9296.

General Domestic , cook , iron, clean house ECT. Apply Keyfood Mc Doom village next to the post office $6000 daily, 3day work

1 Bull dozer Operator to work in the interior, Interested persons contact : 701-4000.

Vacancy for an Experienced domestic maid Call: 6386816

Vacancy for bodywork guy. Monday to Saturday. 36k - 60 k per week depends on skills. Call: 644-0833.

2022 NO.30 DEMERARA IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE DECLARATION OF TITLE In the matter of sub- parcel 27EP, being portion of Lot 27 (twenty-seven) portion of preliminary parcel 395 all being portion_of Plantation Friendshipor Land Registration Block No XXVIll, Zone: East Bank Demerara, in the County of Demerara, Guyana, as shown on a plan conducted by V. Deokinandan, Sworn Land Surveyor, dated the 24th day of May, 2021 and recorded in the Guyana of Lands and Surveys Commission on the 110 day of June, 2021 and numbered COS-1401 -andIn the matter ofTitle of Land (Prescription and Limitation) Act, Chapter 60:02and- In the matter of an Application by ELTON PARASRAM, TERRENCE ALEXANDER BEDAYSIE and TREVOR ALEXANDER BEDAYSIE. PUBLICATION First Second Third ELTON PARASRAM, TERRENCE ALEXANDER BEDAYSIE and TREVOR ALEXANDER BEDAYSIE all of Lot 27 Plantation Friendship, East bank Demerara, Guyana, has presented a Petition for Declaration of Title to the property described in the Schedule hereto. Any person intending to oppose the said petition_must within 1 (one) month after the date of the first Publication of this Notice File in the Registry of Court in the City of Georgetown Demerara, Notice of his Opposition and An Affidavit or Affidavits in support thereof and serve a copy thereof upon the said ELTON PARASRAM, ERERENCE ALEXANDER EDAYSIE nd TREVOR ALEXANDER BEDAYSIE. Georgetown, Demerara This 28th day of November, 2024

Surveyor, dated the 27th day of February, 2023 and

of March, 2023 and numbered COS-1618. MEMORANDUM: The address for service of the Petitioner is at the Chambers of Mr. Donavon A. Rangiah, Attorneys-at-Law for the Petitioners of and whose address for service and place of business is at Lot 156 Charlotte Street, Lacytown, Georgetown, Guyana

LEGAL NOTICE

the sum of $4,000,000.00 (four million dollars) for employment of new contractor and for all additional materials for completion of the house. (d) Costs in the amount of $200,000.00 (two hundred thousand dollars)

A

LAND FOR SALE

LAND FOR SALE

Garden of Eden E.B.D, 2 Minutes from proposed Heroes Highway 3.8 Acres, 65M per acre. #621-1139 / 712-4020.

Attorney-at-law for Petitioners SCHEDULE Sub-parcel 395E of Sub-Parcel 27EP, being portion of Lot 27(twenty-seven) portion of preliminary parcel 395, part of Lot 27 Plantation Friendship or Land Registration Block No. XXVIII, Zone: East Bank Demerara, in the County of Demerara, Guyana, as shown on a plan conducted by Seaon M. James, Sworn Land recorded in the Guyana of Lands and Surveys Commission on the 3rd day

IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE OF GUYANA COMMERCIAL JURISDICTION 2023-HC-DEM-CIVSOC-284 BETWEEN: 1. PRADEEP RAMOUTAR 2. ALEXIS ANDRE PIO Claimants -and- RK Concrete Guyana Inc., Inc., Company incorporated in accordance with the Laws of Guyana with its registered office located at Unit 5,116 North East Public Road, Golden Grove, East Bank Demerara, Guyana. Defendant NoticeTO: RK Concrete Guyana Inc. Unit 5, 116 North East Public Road, Golden Grove East Bank demerara TAKE NOTICE that a Statement of Claim was filed on the 9th November, 2023 in the High Court of the Supreme Court of Judicature of Guyana at Georgetown, Demerara by PRADEEP RAMOUTAR and ALEXIS ANDRE PIO in which the Applicant claims a.Damages for breach of contract in excess of $4,000,000 (four million dollars). b. Special damages in the sum of $2,040,000 (two million and forty thousand dollars). c. Special damages in the sum of $4,000,000 (four million dollars) for employing a new contractor for the completion of the house. d. Exemplary and or aggravated damages in excess of $1,000,000 (one million dollars). e. Interest pursuant to the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Chapter 6:02. f. Any other relief that the court deems fit in the circumstances. g. Costs. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that Judgment in Default was granted against the Respondent in accordance with the Statement of Claim and to be published as follows on two consecutive Saturdays in Kaieteur News, a newspaper of general circulation (a) Damages for breach of contract in the amount of $1,000,000.00 (one million dollars) (b) Special Damages in the sum of $1,875,000.00 (one million eight hundred and seventy- five thousand dollars) for additional labour costs for completion of the house. (c) Special damages in

Interest pursuant to Law Reform miscellaneous) provisions Act, Chapter 6.02 (6% per annum from the date of judgment and thereafter at a rate of 4% per annum from the date of judgment until fully paid FOR REGISTRAR Dated this 29th day of November, 2024

LEGAL NOTICE

2024-HC-DEM-CIV-FD-1331

IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE FAMILY, DIVORCE AND MATRIMONIAL JURISDICTION FAMILY DIVISION Petition No. FD-1331 BETWEEN: HERRERA (SABRINA) nee BALKARRAN Petitioner/Applicant -VHERRERA (RAMON IZQUIERDO) Respondent TO: RAMON IZQUIERDO HERRERA Formerly of Lot 1A Station Street, Kitty, Georgetown Guyana TAKE

NOTICE that on the 3rd day of October, 2024 a Petition for Divorce was filed against you by SABRINA HERRERA nee BALKARAN the Petitioner/ Applicant in the Family Division of the High Court inGeorgetown, Demerara. AND FURTHER TAKE

NOTICE that as part of an Order made on the 19’h day of October, 2024 the Petitioner/Applicant was directed to effect service of her Petition on you by publication of this in two (2) consecutive Saturday issues of the KAIETEUR NEWS, a daily newspaper printed,published and circulated in and around Guyana and on the worldwide web (Online). AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire you may appear or attend in person or by your duly authorized agent or Attorney-at-Law at the Registry of Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown, Demerara where you will be issued with a certified copy of the Petition together with related documents. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire to Defend this Divorce, then upon receipt of the

must file an Acknowledge ment of Service, Notice of Intention to Defend (Forms are available at the Registry), Answer and/or Cross Petition in the Registry of the Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown, Demerara within 35 (thirtyfive) days from the date of the final publication of this Notice.TAKE NOTICE that the divorce is fixed for Directions Hearing on Thursday the 23d day of January, 2025 at 9:00 am before the Honourable Madam Justice Deborah Kumar-Chetty via zoom Meeting ID: 703 085 9517 and Passcode: DKCfamctl.IN DEFAULT of your filing an Acknowledgement of Service/Notice of Intention to Defend, Answer and/or Cross Petition the Court may proceed in your absence and may make any Order it considers appropriate, includinggranting the Divorce. The Registry of the Family Division of the High Court is located at the Law Courts [Georgetown, Demerara]. The office is open to the public between 8:00am and 3:30pm Mondays to Thursdays and 8:00am to 2:30pm on Fridays except on public holidays and on such other days as the Registry is closed. Dated the 28th day of November, 2024

2024/245-FD-PET-DEM THE HIGH COURT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE FAMILY, DIVORCE AND MATRIMONIAL JURISDICTION

FAMILY DIVISION Petition No. FD-245 BETWEEN: (CALISTRO) EUDORA nee THORNHILL Petitioner/ Applicant -v- (CALISTRO) THEOPHILUS Respondent TO: THEOPHILUS CALISTRO (Address unknown) TAKE NOTICE that on the 29th day of November, 2024 a Petition for Divorce was filed against you by EUDORACALISTRO nee THORNHILL, the Petitioner in the Family Division of the High Court in Georgetown, Demerara.

PEN PAL

LEGAL NOTICE

AND FURTHER TAKE

NOTICE that as part of an Order made on the 29th day of November, 2024 the Petitioner was directed to effect service of Petition on you by publication of this Notice in two Saturday issues of the Kaieteur News, a newspaper printed, published in and around Guyana.

AND FURTHER TAKE

NOTICE that if you desire you may appear or attend in person or by duly autjroized agent or attorney-at-law at the Registry of the Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown, Demerara where you will be issued with a certified copy of the Petition together with related documents.

AND FURTHER TAKE

NOTICE that if you desire to Defend this Divorce, then upon receipt of the certified copy of the Petition, you must file an Acknowledgement of Service, Notice of Intention to Defend (Forms are available at the Registry), an Answer and/or Cross Petition in the Registry of the Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown, Demerara within 35 (thirtyfive) days from the date of the Second and final publication of this Notice.

TAKE NOTICE that the divorce is fixed for Directions Hearing on Thursday the 30th day of January, 2025 at 9:00 am before the Honourable Madam Justice Deborah Kumar-Chetty at the High Court at Georgetown via Zoom ID: 703 085 9517 and Passcode: DKCfamct1.

IN DEFAULT of you filing an Acknowledgement of Service/Notice of Intention to Defend, an Answer and/ or Cross Petition the Court may proceed in your absence and may make any Order it considers appropriate, including granting the Divorce. The Registry of the Family Division of the High Court is located at the Law court [Georgetown, Demerara]. The office is open to the public between 8:00 am and 3:30 pm Mondays to Thursday and 8:00 am to 2:30 pm on Fridays except on public holidays and on such other days as the registry is closed Dated the 2nd day of December, 2024

Works on Demerara River Bridge continue following a court ruling

DPI - Construction on the Demerara River Bridge has resumed following a court ruling that allowed contractors to proceed without further disruptions.

The project experienced a brief delay due to issues with personal properties that stood in the way of construction.

However, the government intervened to resolve the matter legally while ensuring fair compensation for property owners.

All compensation payments to residents along the construction path were completed by December 19, 2024, and demolition efforts commenced shortly after. By December 31, all affected property owners were relocated.

During a site visit on Tuesday, the Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill, thanked the judiciary for its role in resolving the

issue and commended citizens for their patience and cooperation.

“By next Wednesday [January 8th, 2025] all the remaining houses that are in the path will be vacated and demolished so we will have a clear go-through,” the public works minister said.

Currently, contractors are working around the clock to clear remaining impediments and enable unhindered construction to proceed.

Although the bridge was slated to be completed by December 31, 2024, due to extenuating circumstances the completion date has been extended.

Despite delays, Minister Edghill affirmed that the tollfree bridge will be completed soon.

He said that 78 per cent of the overall project has been completed and that 62 per cent of the bridge has been

constructed.

Of the total 472 required girders, 121 have already been manufactured. Right girders have been placed on the West Bank and 16 on the East Bank Demerara.

A girder is a large steel beam or compound structure

used for the building of bridges and large buildings.

When completed, the US $260 million project will see a 2.6-kilometre concrete crossing that will accommodate four lanes of vehicular traffic.

This landmark project will ensure enhanced connectiv-

ity and significantly ease traffic congestion.

Minister Edghill said,

“The PPP/C Administration is determined to deliver this new bridge.

I’m happy that we’re having the work move at a rapid pace.”

Sgt. Bascom denies apologising to Mohameds

In a statement via his Attorney-at-law, Nigel Hughes, Police Sergeant (Sgt.) Dion Bascom has denied apologising to the Mohameds over murder accusations he had made against them.

In the Friday, January 3, 2025 edition of the Kaieteur News it was reported that the Mohameds dropped the $200M lawsuit against the Police Sergeant after he reportedly apologised.

On Thursday, prominent businessman, Azruddin Mohamed disclosed that he withdrew the case against Bascom.

He told the newspaper, “We just drop [the lawsuit] because it’s a waste of time going after that. We didn’t have anything to gain from it and Bascom reached out and apologized, so I forgave him… I’m sorry for him he is out of a job and is in a real bad situation.”

However, on Friday Bascom’s lawyer, Nigel Hughes issued a statement making it clear that his client did not apologise to the busi-

nessman.

“Sgt Dion Bascom did not issue any apology whether oral or written to Mr. Azruddin Mohamed,” Hughes wrote before adding, “The civil suit was discontinued by Counsel for Mr. Azruddin without any apology or compromise on the part of Dion Bascom.”

Bascom was sued by Mohamed for implicating him in the murder of Ricardo Fagundes called ‘Paper Shorts’. Fagundes, 42, a gold

miner and biker of Kitty, Georgetown was gunned down outside a popular night club on Main Street, Georgetown, in March 2021.

According to the lawsuit that was filed by Mohamed’s attorney, Naresh Poonai, the businessman was seeking more than $100M in damages for defamation as well as exemplary, punitive and/or aggravated damages in excess of $100M.

He was also asking the High Court to restrain the cop

from uttering, repeating, posting, printing, sharing and otherwise disseminating the defamatory content, as well as a mandatory injunction compelling him to forthwith permanently remove the Facebook posts.

As such, Poonai claimed that the cop’s utterances are untrue, false, disingenuous, malicious, irrational, unfair, unsubstantiated, unfounded and baseless.

He said that statements were made with the sole intent of tarnishing and lowering his client’s reputation and causing great embarrassment, psychological trauma, emotional distress, and public humiliation.

Bascom had posted videos on Facebook on August 11, 12, 13 and 19 –shortly after he was arrested by the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) in relation to cocaine found in a house on Norton Street, Georgetown, and later released – accusing the businessman and senior police officers of a massive coverup in the investigation into the execution of Fagundes.

According to the lawsuit, the lawyer described Mohamed as a well-respected businessman widely popular and wellknown for his philanthropic efforts as he supports multiple charities, not-for-profit organisations, events, and Guyanese who are in need of financial assistance relating to social, economic or medical hardship.

Trump to be sentenced in hush money case 10 January

BBC - A judge has ordered that President-elect Donald Trump will be sentenced on 10 January in his hush-money case in New

York - less than two weeks before he is set to be sworn in as president.

Judge Juan Merchan said he would not sentence Trump

to any jail time and the president-elect could appear in person or virtually for the hearing. The hearing is scheduled 10 days before

Trump’s inauguration ceremony in Washington DC on 20 January.

The case stems from Trump being convicted in

May of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels.

Minister of Public Works Bishop Juan Edghill conducts a site visit. (DPI)

Israeli attacks kill dozens in Gaza

Al Jazeera - Dozens of Palestinianshavebeenkilled inmultipleIsraeliattackson Gaza, hospital staff said, as high-level negotiators prepare to resume stalled ceasefiretalks.

Staff at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza said on Friday that more than a dozen women and children were among thosekilledinattacksonthe Nuseirat refugee camp, azZawayda, Maghazi camp and Deir el-Balah in central Gaza.

In Gaza City alone, at least30peoplewerekilledin Israeli attacks, the Palestinian Civil Defence said in a statement. Among them were three children who died when their home was struck in the vicinity of al-Shamaa mosque in Gaza C i t y ’ s Z e i t o u n neighbourhood.

In southern Gaza, the Civil Defence said its teams recovered the bodies of two Palestinianswhowerekilled inanattackontheKhirbetalAdasarea,nearRafah,while two others were injured and taken to the nearby Nasser Hospital.

Medical sources in the enclave told Al Jazeera at least 52 Palestinians were killed across the Gaza Strip onFriday Israeli jets destroyed buildingsinthecentreofthe Strip,killingjournalistOmar al-DiraouiinhishomeinazZawayda – the second

A Palestinian girl stands near the site of an Israeli attack on a house in the Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, on January 3, 2025. [Abd Elhkeem Khaled/Reuters]

journalist to be killed in 24 hours. On Thursday, it was confirmedthatphotographer Hassanal-Qishaouihadbeen killedinanIsraeliattack.

Following the deaths, Gaza’s Government Media Officerevisedthenumberof journalists killed in the enclave since the beginning of the nearly 15-month war to202.

Meanwhile, Israel pressed on with a renewed military offensive in the north of Gaza, with Al Jazeera’sTareqAbuAzzoum reporting that Israeli forces ordered the immediate evacuationoftheIndonesian HospitalinBeitLahiya. At least 25 patients were

trapped inside the hospital, along with medical staff, according to people inside who spoke to Al Jazeera. I

surrounded the facility and arefiringatit,theysaid.

Hamas slammed Israel’s attack on the hospital in a statement, calling it a “war crime” and part of Israel’s ongoing“genocide”inGaza.

Meanwhile, Israelis also wokeuptoanattackearlyon Friday morning, with the army intercepting a missile reportedly fired from Yemen,whichhadsetoffair raid sirens in Jerusalem and centralIsrael.

Ceasefiretalksresume Astheattackscontinued,

anewroundofindirecttalks on a ceasefire in Gaza resumed in Qatar’s capital, Doha, a senior Hamas officialsaid.

BasemNaimstressedthe group’s seriousness in seeking to reach a deal as soonaspossible.

The new talks will focus on agreeing on a permanent ceasefireandthewithdrawal of Israeli forces, he said, as wellasensuringthereturnof displaced families to their homes.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s officesaidearlierthathehad authorisedadelegationfrom the Mossad intelligence agency,theShinBetinternal

security agency and the

nue negotiationsinQatar

Sami al-Arian, director of the Centre for Islam and Global Affairs at Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University, saidHamascouldbewilling to walk back one of its key demands – the immediate withdrawal of all Israeli forcesfromGaza.

“There has been a lot of pressure from the mediators –particularlytheQatarisand Egyptians–tobeflexibleon these terms,” he told Al Jazeera. “They have assured the resistance, Hamas and othergroups,thateventually Israel will withdraw,” he said.ButOriGoldberg,aTel

Aviv-basedpoliticalanalyst, told Al Jazeera he does not see any grounds for optimism that a ceasefire will be agreed upon at the talks, amid a lack of significant international pressure being applied on eitherside.

“To the best of my knowledge, Hamas is interested in a deal but not excessively, because its recruitment rates are rising thelongerIsraelcontinuesits genocideinGaza,”hesaid.

“Certainly, the Israeli publicisinterestedinadeal. [ B u t ] t h e I s r a e l i government?Not so much –the war serves its interests,” he said Key mediators Qatar, Egypt and the United States have been attempting to secure a lasting deal inindirecttalks for months. So far, 45,658 Palestinians have been killed and 108,583 wounded in Gaza since Israel began its war on the enclaveonOctober7,2023.

The war has caused widespreaddestructionand displaced some 90 per cent of Gaza’s population of2.3 million, many of them multipletimes.

Hamas-ledforceskilled some1,139peopleinIsrael in attacks on October 7, 2023, and took about 250 captives.

About 100 captives are still in Gaza, although at least a third of them are believedtobedead

South Korean presidential guards prevent arrest of impeached Yoon after tense standoff

SEOUL,Jan3(Reuters)

-SouthKorea’spresidential guards and military troops prevented authorities from arresting impeached

PresidentYoonSukYeolon Friday in a tense six-hour stand-off inside Yoon’s compound in the heart of Seoul.

Yoon is under criminal

i n v e s t i g a t i o n f o r insurrectionoverhisDec.3 martiallawbidthatstunned South Korea and led to the first arrest warrant to be issued for a sitting president.

“It was judged that it was virtually impossible to execute the arrest warrant due to the ongoing stand-

off, ” the Corruption Investigation Office for

High-ranking Officials (CIO)saidinastatement.

CIO officials and police evaded hundreds of Yoon supporters who gathered in pre-dawn hours near his residence on Friday, who adoptedthe“StoptheSteal” sloganspopularisedbyU.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s supporters, to blockthearrest.

Officials from the CIO, whichisleadingajointteam of investigators, arrived at the gates of the presidential compound shortly after 7 a.m.(2200GMTThursday) andenteredonfoot.

Once inside the compound, the CIO and policewereoutnumberedby cordons of Presidential Security Service (PSS)

personnel, as well as troops seconded to presidential security, a CIO official told reporters.

More than 200 PSS agents and soldiers blocked theCIOofficersandpolice, he added. While there were altercations and PSS agents appeared to be carrying firearms, no weapons were drawn,hesaid.

Yoon, who has been isolated since he was impeached and suspended frompoweronDec.14,was not seen during the standoff,hesaid.

South Korea’s defence ministry said the troops involved were under the controlofthePSS.

The CIO called off the effort to arrestYoon around

1:30 p.m. due to concerns over the safety of its personnel, and said it “deeply regretted” Yoon’s non-compliance.

The CIO said it would consideritsnextsteps.

Thepolice,whoarepart of the joint investigation team, have designated the PSSchiefandthedeputyas suspects in a criminal case for obstruction of official duty and issued summons for them to appear for questioning on Saturday, Yonhapnewsreported.

Insurrectionisoneofthe few criminal charges from which a South Korean president does not have immunity

Yoon’s arrest warrant, approved by a court on

Tuesday after he ignored multiplesummonstoappear for questioning, is viable untilJan.6.

In a statement after the arresteffortwassuspended, Yoon’s legal team said the CIO had no authority to investigate insurrection and itwasregrettablethatithad tried to execute an illegal warrant in a sensitive securityarea.

The statement warned police against supporting the arrest effort The presidential office filed a criminal complaint against three broadcasters and YouTube channel owners for unauthorised filming of the presidential residence, whichitsaidwas“asecured facility directly linked to

nationalsecurity”.

The current warrant gives investigators only 48 hours to holdYoon after he isarrested.

Investigators must then decide whether to request a detentionwarrantorrelease him.

KimSeon-taek,aKorea University law professor, said targeting the PSS leadership may allow the investigators to sap the service’s ability to put up resistance so they can try again to execute the warrant, which is “a rough way”toproceed.

A better way, he said, would be for acting PresidentChoiSang-mokto exercise his power to order thePSStocooperate.

BCB hosts Dr. Tulsi Dyal Singh Cricket Academy for 80 youths youths

-Holdssuccessfultalkswithgovernmentministers

The Berbice Cricket Board is forging ahead with its ongoing cricket development programme The BCB last weekend hosted a highly successful cricket academy at the Port MourantCricketGroundfor over eighty youth cricketers between the ages of ten to sixteenyears.

The academy sponsored by overseas based BCB sponsor, Dr Tulsi Dyal Singh,wascoachedbyhead coach Winston Smith with support from Leslie Solomon and Lawrence Mentis Special emphasis wasplacedonimprovingthe players’ batting, bowling and fielding techniques,

while the coaches also worked on the physical fitnessofallplayers.

The academy also involved the hosting of several practice matches on the pitch where technical problems were identified andcorrected.Playerstothe academyweredrawnfrom (Continuedonpage24)

BCB Patron Vickram Bharat and BCB delegation.

FAMILY: The driving force behind the reignition of Sherfane Rutherford’s career

Tistheseasonforgiving, and Guyanese cricketer

Sherfane Rutherford has treated West Indies fans around the world to a sparkling treat with bat in handinlimited-overscricket for2024.

Followingabreathtaking century in the opening ODI againstBangladeshwherehe blasted 113 runs from 80 balls, the 26-year-old set a

record of amassing the most runs in eight consecutive ODI innings by any West Indianbatter

Theleft-handermadehis ODIdebutin2023,scoringa half -century in his second match against England in Antigua.However,itwashis transformation in Sri Lanka earlier this year that truly markedhisresurgence.

Known for his hard-

hitting ability, Rutherford registered back-to-back half centuries during the threematch series including a match winning unbeaten 50 in the final game, which guided the West Indies to their first victory in Sri Lankasince2005.

The Guyanese cricketer creditshisresurgencetoselfreflection and a shift in mindset. “The turning point

for me was asking myself a toughquestion:Willyouplay cricketforyourwholelifeand be basic or be the same person?” Rutherford shared “Ithinkthatquestionchanged everything for me” He went ontoexplainhowthisshiftin approach impacted his mentality and work ethic towards the game: “I just decidedthatIamgoingtodo what others weren’t doing I was going to work harder, improve and find ways to b e t t e r m y g a m e ”

Saturday January 04, 2025

ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)

Youshouldenjoytheintense energy of today, Aries. The mud is finally beginning to clearaway Exposethetruthin every issue and get ready for the gremlins that may be unEarthed.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

Todaymarksthebeginningof a new cycle for you, Taurus. Collect and consolidate your recent ideas and focus them outwardly The time is right foryoutoact.

GEMINI(May21–June20)

Take a cold shower to jumpstart yourself today, Gemini. It'sfineifyoulazearoundabit in the morning, but by evening, you should be working at full capacity. You will be called into action whetheryouwanttobeornot.

CANCER(June21–July22)

Today may start out sluggish foryou,Cancer,butbytheend of the day the energy will move fast and furious. Your thoughts will be buzzing around your head like bees aroundahive.

LEO(July23–Aug.22)

Enjoythecalmmorning,Leo, because things are going to getcrazierandmoreenergetic as the day goes on. Emotions willrunhigh,andpeoplewill be more opinionated than usual.

VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)

You will experience an intense amount of energy today,Virgo.Yourdreamstate willbemoreactivethanusual, and you will find that people aredrawntoyoulikemothsto light.

LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)

It's time to get up and get moving, Libra You have tremendous ideas and vision forthefuture.Youhaveallthe informationyouneed.Nowall youhavetodoisact.Stepupto the plate and hit one over the fence.

SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov.21)

Theearlypartofthedaymight find you sluggish and indecisive, Scorpio, but later youshouldbepsychedupand ready to go. Today marks the beginning of a new period in which you should set your ideasinmotion.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21)

Today's energies will get progressively more intense as the day goes on In the morning, you may be in an easygoing, dreamy state, Sagittarius.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)

For the past several weeks you've felt like you've been dragging your heels, Capricorn Decisions may have been hard to make and people may have seemed wishy-washy.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) The morning might find you sitting like a stick in the mud, Aquarius. People might begettingdownonyoufornot contributing, but tell them to bepatient.Youwillberaringto gobynightfall.

PISCES(Feb.19–Mar 20)

Things are moving your way, Pisces.As the day progresses, you will find that the energy intensifies.Conflictsmayarise nearsundown,butdon'tworry aboutittoomuch.

runs in seven innings at an average of 106.25 and a strike rate of 120.06 with a century and four half centuriesandwasnamedthe Player of the Series in the West Indies’ recent ODI seriesagainstBangladesh.

Additionally, the 26year-oldhasbeennominated fortheODIplayeroftheyear by the International Cricket

Interestingly, Rutherford made his international debut in2018inaT20international appearance, and although being out of the fold for several years, it was his experience in the shortest format that helped shape his adaptation in the longer format “It’s about batsmanship” Rutherford explained. “The intensity is similar to T20s. It’s about knowing when to attack and when to hold back, making thoseadjustments.”

Even as he was on the fringes of the West Indies squad, the chance to represent the region rekindledachildhooddream andfilledhimwithimmense pride. “Playing for the West Indies means a lot to me because its something my parents always wanted for me.” he said. “Every time I put on the maroon, it gives me that extra boost and joy and pride, knowing I’m representingtheregion.”

Rutherford’s journey hasn’t been without its obstacles Hailing from EnmoreinGuyana,asoneof seven siblings, family played a significant role in hislife.However,likemany hefacedtheheart-wrenching reality of loss. “Losing my parents was very tough. But when I lost my dad in 2022, that’swhenIbecameafather myself. Having a family of myowngivesmestrengthto keepgoing,tokeepworking though setbacks, no matter the pain.” For the strongminded batter, his uptick in form creates an avenue to honour his parents spiritually

“Now, it’s just about doing it for my parents. My daddylovedcricket,andmy mom is a big fan as well. EverythingIachievereflects their hard work and the sacrificestheymadeforme.”

By the end of 2024, Rutherfordaccumulated425

Council (ICC) following his meteoricrise.

Whilehiscareerisstillin the embryonic stages, the promise Rutherford has shown is a testament to grit and determination It’s a reminder that hard work, self-belief and resilience are the key ingredients to success at the highest level. (CWI)

Frompage32 points as Los Angeles overcame the absence of Anthony Davis to beat visitingPortland.

AustinReavesregistered 15 points and 11 assists as theLakerswonforthesixth time in their past eight games. Davis was a late scratch due to a left ankle sprain.

AnferneeSimonsscored

23 points, while Shaedon SharpeandDeniAvdijaeach added19astheTrailBlazers lostforthe10thtimeintheir past 13 games Portland dropped its eighth consecutiveroadgame. Inotherresults: Pacers128,Heat115 C e l t i c s 1 1 8 , Timberwolves115 Nets113,Bucks110 (FieldLevelMedia)

NBA roundup: Stephen Curry

GBBFF boss reflects on milestones...

Frompage35

Emmerson Campbell at CAC 2024 and to Nicholas Albert and Hanna Rampersaud earlier in the year Rosanna Fung’s 2022 victory also stood as a testamenttoGuyana’srising talent. “The success of our athletes shows local amateursthatit’spossibleto compete internationally and achieveprofessionalstatus,” Bess said. “If Emmerson Campbell, Nicholas Albert, Hanna Rampersaud, and Rosanna Fung can do it, otherscantoo.”

federation’sleadership.

Having extended his term to oversee the hosting of CAC 2024, Bess is now stepping aside as president, signalling a transition in the

“It’s time for new blood and fresh perspectives to build on the foundation we’ve established,” he explained “I’ll remain availabletosupportthenext generationofleaders,butit’s

essentialtopassthebatonto those with the energy and vision to take the sport forward.”

Elections for a new executivebodyareslatedfor early 2025, as the current leadership team prepares to make way for incoming representatives. B

underscoringtheimportance of sustained growth and developmentinthesport.

Richard Louis, member of Barbados’historic 4x400m relay team at the 1984 Olympics, passes away

SportsMax - Former Barbados Olympic athlete, Richard Louis, passed away on Friday in Florida, United Statesat60yearsold.

Louis was hailed as a sportingheroinBarbadosas hewasmemberofthe4x400

meters team alongside Elvis Forde, Clyde Edwards and David Peltier which placed 6th in the final of the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, the first time in history Barbados competed in an Olympic finals event on any

kind Louis also played cricket for the United States ofAmericaasaseambowler and hard-hitting batsman, making3appearancesinthe 1990s.

WhilelivingintheUSA, Louis,agraduateofHoward University, also performed the role of liaison officer when international cricket was played at the Broward StadiuminFortLauderdale.

Speaking on Friday, PhilipSpooner,formerWest Indies media manager remembered Louis as an outstanding athlete who lovedallsports.

“Richard was a very humble and kind gentleman who always put others first. He was always willing to help and assist anyone in need. I worked with him whentheWestIndiesplayed T20 Internationals in USA and his professionalism and knowledge ensured that things were always in place and always on time,” Spoonersaid.

“Heholdsaspecialplace in the sporting history of Barbados—beingoneofthe

West Indies Women host Bangladesh for three ODIs and three T20Is from January 14 to February 1 in St. Kitts

ST JOHN’S, Antigua – Cricket West Indies (CWI) yesterday announced the schedule for the Bangladesh Women’s team’swhite-balltouroftheWestIndies,set to be held in St. Kitts from 14 January to 1 February2025. Thetourwillfeaturethree One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and three T20Internationals(T20Is),alltobeplayedat WarnerParkinBasseterre.

The Bangladesh team will arrive in St. Kitts on 14 January, ahead of the first OneDay International (ODI) scheduled for 19 January The ODI series will continue with the second match on 21 January and concludeon24January

FollowingtheODIseries,theteamswill competeinthreeT20Imatcheson27,29,and 31 January CWI Acting Chief Executive Officer Lynford Inverary expressed his enthusiasm for hosting the matches at Warner Park: “Warner Park has long been a significantvenueforWestIndiescricket,and we are pleased to host the Bangladesh Women’steamforthisseries.”

“These matches not only provide a platform for high-quality cricket but also contributetothedevelopmentofthesportin St.KittsandthewiderLeewardIslands.We encourage the local fans to come out in full support,creatinganelectrifyingatmosphere throughouttheseries.”

In his remarks, CWI Director of Cricket MilesBascombehighlightedtheimportance of the series: “This series against

Famous Four to run in that Olympic final. People in Barbados still talk about morethan40yearslater Not many know that he was also

an excellent cricketer who was good enough to representUSA,soheholdsa unique sporting history I don’tthinkwecanfindmany

people who ran in an Olympicfinalandplayedtop flight cricket. I offer my condolences to his family andfriends,”headded.

Bangladesh is crucial for us as we continue our campaign in the 2025 ICC 50-over Women’s Championship. The ODI series carriessignificantweightforourWorldCup qualification hopes, while theT20I matches will provide valuable preparation as we continuetobuilddepthinoursquad.”

“We expect competitive cricket from both teams, and these matches will be vital for assessing our progress and fine-tuning our strategies for the challenges ahead in 2025.” A strong performance against Bangladesh,particularlyintheODIseries,is crucial to acquire automatic qualification. However, there will still be another opportunity to qualify through the World CupQualifyingTournamentscheduledafew monthsbeforetheevent.

The tour schedule includes dedicated practice sessions for both teams, with morningsessionsfrom9:30AMto12:30PM andafternoonsessionsfrom1:30PMto4:30 PM.Someeveningpracticesessionsarealso scheduledfrom6:00PMto9:00PM.

Ticketandbroadcastinformationforthe upcominghomeserieswillbeannouncedin thecomingweeks.

MatchSchedule:

-19January:1stOne-DayInternational

-21January:2ndOne-DayInternational

-24January:3rdOne-DayInternational

-27January:1stT20I

-29January:2ndT20I

-31January:3rdT20I

Former Barbados Olympic athlete, Richard Louis, passed away on Friday in Florida, United States at 60 years old.

NBAroundup:StephenCurry(8-for-8ontreys)carriesWarriors

Reuters - Stephen Curry added to his 3-pointshooting lore Thursday night,makingalleightofhis attempts for the first time in his career as the Golden State Warriors routed the Philadelphia 76ers 139-105 inSanFrancisco.

Curry finished with 30 points and 10 assists on a night when he became the first in NBAhistory to go at least 8-for-8 on 3-pointers and compile double-digit assists on the same night. TheNBArecordof9-for-9is shared by Latrell Sprewell, Ben Gordon (twice) and JalenBrunson.

Jonathan Kuminga

chippedinwith20pointsoff the bench, while Draymond Green,AndrewWigginsand Dennis Schroder had 15 apiecefortheWarriors,who took advantage of a Philadelphia team playing the second night of a road back-to-back to get an early jump en route to a runaway win.

JoelEmbiid,whosatout Philadelphia’s 113-107 loss at Sacramento on Wednesday that ended the 76ers’ four-game winning streak, returned to pace the team with 28 points and 14 rebounds.

Thunder 116, Clippers 98

Oklahoma City earned its 13th consecutive victory and longest winning streak since the franchise moved from Seattle — by beating visiting Los Angeles.

S h a i G i l g e o u sAlexander scored 29 points andJalenWilliamsadded18 to help the Thunder move within one win of the franchise’s all-time longest winningstreak.The1995-96 SeattleSuperSonicsnotched 14straightwins.

The Clippers’ leading

scorer this season, Norman Powell, missed his first 10 shots and didn’t connect until four minutes into the fourth. The shooting guard finished with a season-low six points on 1-of-11 shooting. Amir Coffey led Los Angeles with a seasonhigh26points.

A real estate investment

(Continued

Man of the match Sherfane Rutherford leads Sydney Thunder to victory over Perth Scorchers in last-ball thriller

SportsMax - Man of the match Sherfane Rutherford cametotherescuetohelpthe Sydney Thunder defeat the Perth Scorchers by six wicketsinalast-overthriller atPerthStadiumyesterday

The Scorchers batted first and posted 177-4 from their 20 overs after Thunder skipper David Warner won thetossandchosetofield.

New Zealander Finn Allenledthewaywitha31ball 68 including six fours and five sixes while Cooper Connollymade43*,alsooff 31 balls, hitting three fours andtwosixesintheprocess.

Off-spinner Chris Green took3-20fromhisfourovers fortheThunder

Chasing 178 to win, the Thunder lost their first wicket with just three runs on the board when Blake Nikitarasfelloffthebowling of Lance Morris at the start ofthesecondover.

That wicket brought MatthewGilkestothecrease to joint Warner and the two put on 91 for the second wicket before Gilkes and

OliverDaviesfellfor43and 3, respectively, to leave the Thunder 101-3 in the 13th over The wicket of Warner for 49 in the 14th over brought Rutherford to the crease to join Sam Billings withthescoreon113.

17runsand11ballslater, Billings fell for 13, making things a bit harder for the Thunder now needing 48 runs from 28 balls with five wicketsinhand.

Chris Green, the hero with the ball, came to join Rutherford and the two put on what turned out to be a crucial 22 for the sixth wicket before Green fell for 11withtwoballstogointhe 18th over and the Thunder needing26.

Hugh Weibgen joined Rutherford and hit a crucial six to end the 19th over, meaningtheThunderneeded 15 runs off the final over with Rutherford facing the experiencedAndrewTye.

Adot ball fromTye then made things even more interesting, with the equationnowshiftingtonine offthree.

Rutherfordthenregained the upper hand, smashing a ball over the mid-off fielder for four to make it five runs neededofftwoballs.

The fifth ball saw Rutherfordgettwolegbyes, meaning they needed three of the final ball or two to forceasuperover

Intheend,nosuperover wasneededasRutherfordhit the final ball for four to secure the win for the Thunder

He finished 39* off 19 ballswhileWeibgenfinished 9*.

Lance Morris finished with3-22fromhisfourovers fortheScorchers.

The Thunder are now second in the points standings with eight points from five games, one point behind their city rivals, the SydneySixers.

TheWestIndiangottwo off the first ball before hitting a boundary off the second, meaning the equation was down to nine needofffourdeliveries.

trust launched by Argentine soccerstarLionelMessihas made its Spanish market debutat57.4eurospershare. Lakers114,TrailBlazers 106 LeBron James scored 38 points and dished eight assists and Max Christie addedacareer-high28

onpage29)

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) passes over Philadelphia 76ers guard Eric Gordon (23) during the third quarter at Chase Center. (John Hefti-Imagn Images/ File Photo)

Bumrah strikes in feisty

finale but Australia on top

Australia’s bowlers on a pitch offering bounce and seammovement.

Just 57 runs were scored in the morning session and only another 50 for the loss ofKohliintheafternoon.

The umpire had to intervene as Jasprit Bumrah had another go at Sam Konstas. (Cricket Australia via Getty Images)

BBC Sport - Australia dismissed India for 185 on dayoneofthefifthTestbuta fired-up Jasprit Bumrah struck with the final ball of the day to boost the tourists lateon.

Bumrah had opener Usman Khawaja caught at second slip for two and turnedtocelebrateintheface of19-year-oldSamKonstas, with India thinking both batters were wasting time in what proved to be the last over

Thetourists,whotrail21 in the best-of-five series andneedtowintoretainthe Border-Gavaskar trophy, hadearliertentativelyedged to their total on a lively Sydneypitch.

They left out struggling captainRohitSharmabutthe move did little to improve thefortunesoftheirtoporder asScottBolandtook4-31.

India were 72-4 when Boland dismissed Virat Kohlifor17and120-6when Rishabh Pant, who top scored with a cautious 40, andNitishKumarReddyfell totheseamerinconsecutive balls.

But Bumrah, captaining

India in Rohit’s place, hit threefoursandasixina17ball22toliftthetotalandhis dismissal left time for India to have three overs at Australiabeforetheclose.

Thehostslookedtohave survived with Bumrah accusing Khawaja of wasting time in the final over, before exchanging words with Konstas as Australiarantheclockdown to ensure there was not time foranotherover

However, Bumrah had thelastlaughashedismissed Khawajaforasixthtimethis series,theleft-handerpoking an edge to KL Rahul, who tookafinelowcatch.

It left Australia, who need only a draw to regain the trophy, 9-1. India need a win to remain in contention toqualifyfortheWorldTest Championshipfinallaterthis year India find their fight late onAfter the build-up to this series-finale was dominated by doubts over whether Rohit, who has scored just 31 runs across fiveinningstheseries,would keep his place he was duly droppedandIndiaattempted to cautiously counter

Pant, heavily criticised forthrowingawayhiswicket in Melbourne, was repeatedly hit on the body andwhenhewastemptedto finally miscue a pull India were in the 57th over with only120runsontheboard.

But if their batting was unusually subdued, the finale in the evening gloom wasanythingbut.

Bumrah was initially irked by Khawaja holding playupbybackingawayand claiminghewasnotreadyto faceadelivery

He offered words from the top of his run-up and Konstas, who had already charged his first ball while playing in just his second Test,respondedwithsomeof his own from the nonstriker’send,tothepointthe umpire had to step between thepair.

Konstas then walked down the wicket to bump gloves with Khawaja, as Australia further ran the clockdown.

Khawaja left the followingdeliveryalonebut when Bumrah straightened his line for the last the lefthander awkwardly poked forward.

After the catch was taken, Bumrah immediately turned to Konstas, although checked his celebration as his India team-mates rushed in to congratulate him – an indicationtheyremainupfor the fight despite rumours of unrest in the camp beforehand.

With good weather forecast for today, Saturday,

Djokovic out of Brisbane in shock...

Frompage34

Djokovic will shift his focus to winning a 11th Australian Open (12-26 January) title underhisnewcoachAndyMurray

In the other Brisbane semi-final, defending champion Grigor Dimitrov, who received a walkover after JordanThompson retiredhurt,willfaceJiriLehecka,whobeat NicolasJarry6-46-4.

SabalenkasetsupAndreevaclash

World number one Aryna Sabalenka reached the women’s singles semi-finals by defeatingMarieBouzkova6-36-4.

Thetop-seededBelarusianwillnowface 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva, who beat formerworldnumbertwoOnsJabeur6-47-6

however, Australia will still know they are on top, especially as the surface

couldbeatitsbestforbatting ondaytwo.Scores:Australia 9 for 1 (Bumrah 1-7) trail

(7-2).

Theduolastmetatthe2024FrenchOpen wheretheRussianteenagerupsetSabalenka 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 6-4 to become the youngest playersinceMartinaHingisin1997toreach aGrandSlamsemi-final.

CzechRepublic’sBouzkovamadeagood startinthequarter-finalbybreakingservein the first game, but three-time major winner Sabalenkafoughtbacktowintheopeningset in51minutes.

Shethenwrappedupthesecondsetin53 minutesassheeyesan18thcareertitle.

Russia’s Polina Kudermetova and Ukraine’sAnhelinaKalininawillmeetinthe otherwomen’ssinglessemi-final.

India185(Pant40,Boland431, Starc 3-49, Cummins 237)by176runs.

Two more young cricketers benefit from Project ‘Cricket Gear for young and promising cricketers in Guyana’

Rahul Sheeran and TameshHemraj,agesfifteen and eleven respectively, and both of Bush Lot Cricket Club, West Coast, Berbice, were the latest to benefit

from this joint initiative between Anil Beharry of Guyana and Kishan Das of theUSA.

Sheeran is a left-handed batsman and right-hand

mediumpacerandHemrajis aright-handbatsmanandleg spinner Rajbance Hemraj, t h e i r c o a c h m a d e representation on behalf of the aspiring cricketers and

Coach Hemraj presented the token to Sheeran.

this initiative responded immediately They both received one pair of batting gloves each. This project is pleased to be part of the development of young cricketers in Guyana. Our aim is to keep young people off the streets and get them actively involved in sports, cricketinparticular

To date, ninety-two young players, male and female, from all three counties of Guyana have benefiteddirectlyfromcash, seven gear bags, two trophies, four arm guards, thirty three bats, four boxes, six helmets, thirty four pairs of cricket shoes, twenty one pairsofbattingpads,twenty fourthighpads,onebatgrip, thirty seven pairs of batting gloves, one pair of wicketkeeping pads and threepairsofwicketkeeping gloves Many others benefited indirectly. In addition, two clubs in the Pomeroon area benefited

Pomeroon, Leguan and Wa k e

CommitteesandCottonTree

Die Hard also received one boxofredcricketballseach, Cold Fusion Cricket Club thirteen color uniforms whileRHCCCCreceivedsix boxes of balls, fifteen white cricket shirts, one pair of junior batting pads, one pair of wicketkeeping gloves, twosetsofstumpsandbails.

Other beneficiaries are The Essequibo Cricket Board, the Town of Lethem, youth coach Travis Persaud (one box of red cricket balls), male and female teams playing the traditional hardball and softball in the Upper Corentyne area, No.65YoungTitans with 30 T-Shirts, youths of Just Try Cricket Club, Wakenaam Cricket Academy (one box of white balls), Shamar

Joseph, Nehemiah Hohenkirk, Shamar Apple, Leguan Cricket Committee,

Tu

Park Cricket Club,Malteenoes Sports Club (nine cricket balls each), Kendall’s Union CricketClubwithtwoboxes of red balls, Lower Corentyne, Corentyne Comprehensive and JC Chandisingh Secondary Schools with twelve red ballseach.

Cricket related items, used or new, are distributed free of cost to young and promising cricketers in Guyana. Skills, discipline and education are important characteristics of the recipients. Talent spotting is being done across the countryandclubleadersalso assist to identify same Progressive and well managedcricketclubswitha youth program, will also benefit.

Anyone interested to contribute can contact Anil Beharry on 623 6875 or Kishan Das on 1 718 664 0896.

Djokovic out of Brisbane in shock defeat by Opelka

BBC Sport - Top seed Novak Djokovic crashedoutoftheBrisbaneInternationalina straight-set quarter-final defeat by Reilly Opelka.

Djokovic, chasing his 100th ATP title, wentneck-and-neckwiththeAmericaninthe firstsetbeforeOpelkaeasedtoa7-6(8-6)6-3 victoryinonehourand40minutes.

Opelka, 27, will now face France’s GiovanniMpetshiPerricard,whobeatJakub Mensik7-57-6(7-5)toreachthesemi-finals.

“[Djokovic] is the greatest tennis player ever But it’s difficult being in his position,” said Opelka, who is ranked 293rd in the world.

“The reality is we have nothing to lose against him, so you end up playing more freelyandtakingalotmorerisksbecauseit’s your only chance. If you play your normal level,hewinseverytime.”

Opelka,whowassidelinedforalmosttwo years since 2022 after undergoing hip and

Only Roger Federer (103) and Jimmy Connors (109) have won more career titles than Novak Djokovic (99). (Getty Images)

wrist surgeries, is looking to win his fifth careertitleinBrisbane.“Itwastough.There werealotofuncertaintiesanddoubt,”added Opelka.“IwatchedalotofmyfriendsonTV which was fun, motivating and kept me interestedinthesport.IalsowatchedNovak becomethegreatestduringthatperiod.” Meanwhile,24-timeGrandSlamwinner (Continuedonpasge33)

Coach Hemraj presented the token to Hemraj.

National stars shine in GCF End of Year Chess Tournament

The Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) End of Year Rapid and Blitz Competitions ended with a few national stars shining brightlythispastweekendat the David Rose Special School. Conducted under guidance of arbiter, FIDE Master Anthony Drayton, the competition featured

Open and an Under-20 format with players battling for more than $200,000 in cashandprizes.

When the dust settled, it was the trio of Candidate Master Sachin Pitamber, Keron Sandiford and Kyle Couchman who emerged victorious Pitambershowedhisclass

National chess star Kyle Couchman accepts his award from FIDE Master and tournament Arbiter Anthony Drayton

Chess Master Sachin Pitamber (from left) heads off to the winner’s row, including Kyle Couchman (first, right) and WCM Aditi Joshi

asheprevailedaswinnerofthe End of Year Rapid Tournament, racking up 85 points after some 9 rounds of Swisscompetition.

Second place was occupied by Couchman who finished with 8 points, while theequallytalentedSandiford

GBBFF boss reflects on milestones and leadership transition

Guyana’s bodybuilding scene has reached unprecedented heights, with outgoing President of the Guyana Body Building and Fitness Federation (GBBFF), Keavon Bess, hailing 2024 as the sport’s mostsuccessfulyeartodate.

Reflecting on a year that saw the nation crowned overall champions at the Central

America and Caribbean (CAC) Championships, Bess pointed to these accomplishments as defining moments in Guyana’sbodybuildinghistory

“2024 is arguably the best year ever for bodybuilding in Guyana,” Bess remarked. “I’m trying to remain modest, but the achievements speak for themselves. This year, we secured two pro-cards at the Roger Boyce Classic in Barbados in May, among severalothernotableachievements.”

Highlighting the triumphs, Bess emphasisedthesignificanceofhostingCAC 2024inGuyana.

The competition brought together athletes from 20 countries over six days, alongside representatives from the International Federation of Bodybuilding (IFBB)andtheCACexecutivebody Forthe first time in history, Guyana clinched the coveted champion status, a landmark achievement for a country that has been competing at the event for over 50 years withoutsecuringtheoveralltitle.

In another appreciative comment, Bess credited key partnerships for this success, singling out the Ministry of Culture, Youth,

andSport;theGuyanaOlympicAssociation; Fitness Express; Camille’s Academy; and Twins Manufacturing for their invaluable support.“Theircontributionswerepivotalto the growth and accomplishments of bodybuildingthisyear,”henoted.

TheachievementsofourathletesatCAC and other international competitions have elevated the sport’s profile and inspired aspiringbodybuildersnationwide.

Pro-cards,agatewaytocompetingatthe professionallevelwereawardedto

(Continuedonpage30)

finishedthirdwith65points In the End of Year Blitz Tournament, Couchman emergedwinnerwith8points tiedwithSandifordwhomade amends (8 points) with Master Pitamber copping 3rd for his 6 points Meanwhile, in the Under-20

category, Junior national Champion Ricardo Narine, rackedup8pointsforhisfirst place Second place was secured by Nicholas Zhang who tied with Woman Candidate Master and 3rd placewinner,AditiJoshi(6.5 points). Additional prizes whichincluded;BestFemale player for the Rapid format going to WCM Jessica Callender Other winners included Tharisha Montes De Oca with Joshi bagging the Best Female prize in the Blitz competition.

GBBFF Head, Keavon Bess

BCB hosts Dr. Tulsi Dyal Singh Cricket Academy for 80 youths youths

-Holdssuccessfultalkswithgovernmentministers

The Berbice Cricket Board is forging ahead with its ongoing cricket development programme The BCB last weekend hosted a highly successful cricket academy at the Port MourantCricketGroundfor over eighty youth cricketers between the ages of ten to sixteenyears.

The academy sponsored by overseas based BCB sponsor, Dr Tulsi Dyal Singh,wascoachedbyhead coach Winston Smith with support from Leslie Solomon and Lawrence Mentis Special emphasis wasplacedonimprovingthe players’ batting, bowling and fielding techniques,

while the coaches also worked on the physical fitnessofallplayers.

The academy also involved the hosting of several practice matches on the pitch where technical problems were identified andcorrected.Playerstothe academyweredrawnfrom (Continuedonpage24)

BCB Patron Vickram Bharat and BCB delegation.

West Indies Women

host Bangladesh for three ODIs and three T20Is from from January 14 to February 1 in St. Kitts

Man of the match Sherfane Rutherford leads Sydney Thunder to victory over Perth Scorchers in last-ball thriller

Man of the match Sherfane Rutherford came to the rescue to help the Sydney Thunder

Scott Boland finished with figures of 4 for 31 in 20 overs. (Getty Images)