…Cops should be called in to investigate alleged bribery – Nandlall
Former Attorney General (AG) and Peoples’ Progressive Party (PPP) Executive Member, Anil Nandlall, believes that Chief Elections Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Keith Lowenfield, must immediately lodge a complaint with the Guyana Police Force against Minister with responsibility for Housing, Annette Ferguson.
Nandlall made the damning charges on Ferguson and said this must be done with a view for the Police investigating and instituting charges against the sitting Minister for breaches of the Representation of Peoples Act.
He was referring to reports that Minister Ferguson in her capacity as Minister had breached the law when she, days before, promised house lots to selected members of the Joint Services just days before the servicemen and women cast their ballots for the 2020 General Elections.
Prominent Attorney-at-Law, Sanjeev Datadin had a day earlier accused the Minister of being guilty of the corrupt practice of bribery.
In a clip making the rounds on social media, Minister Ferguson could be heard clearly inducing the servicemen and women at a meeting.
The Minister is heard saying if re-elected to office and she is allowed to retain her portfolio as Minister then the ranks could be assured of house lots.
The Minister is being accused of using the occasion to knowingly breach the law.
Under the statute, every person who directly or indirectly, by himself or by any other person on his behalf, “gives or agrees to give; or lends or agrees to lend, or offers or promises; or promises to procure or promises to endeavour to procure any money or valuable consideration to or for any elector, or to or for any other person, in order to induce any elector to vote or to refrain from voting” is guilty of the corrupt act of bribery.
The attorney noted that the issue must be viewed in context and pointed to the Minister’s stated request for the individuals present in the room at the time to turn off their cell phones.
Nandlall—himself a practising Attorney and former Minister of Legal Affairs—said it was Lowenfield who must make a report to the Police for them to investigate and institute charges.
He did express dismay at any progress being made in the matter in the judicial system and pointed to recent cases of litigation brought against Government and Government officials.
Nandlall drew specific reference to the case where Finance Minister Winston Jordan had been found to be in contempt of a Court Order but before any action could have been taken the President intervened.
He pointed out too that incumbent Attorney General Basil Williams is on record publicly interfering in the duties of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) where he called on her to withdraw a case—a case she later decided to Nolle prosequi or terminate pursuit of the litigation.
Nandlall said while private criminal action could also be filed by affected parties, again saying he did not have faith in the system and alluded to the imminent March 2 General and Regional Elections as the ultimate answer in rebalancing the independence and autonomy of constitutional bodies such as the DPP.
Datadin is adamant the Minister clearly knew what she was about to do was improper saying, “why would she ask them to turn off their cell phones, clearly she was well aware that what she was going to do was improper”.
The attorney was adamant that by meeting with a select group of servicemen and demanding that they turn off their cell phones from the inception, the Minister wanted the affair to be kept secret and, in the context, knew that it was improper and unlawful.
He said in the circumstance of just meeting with a selected few persons in a room, asking them to take off their cell phones, those persons had been identified for special treatment and that the Minister knew what she was doing was not only wrong but unlawful.
