‘Recording of private conversation was illegal’ – President

– Opposition mounts pressure for AG’s sacking

By Devina Samaroo

President Donald Ramotar on Wednesday maintained that Kaieteur News Publisher Glenn Lall broke the law when he wiretapped a conversation between one of his reporters and the Attorney General Anil Nandlall.

“It was illegal,” President Ramotar said, referring to the recording which Lall has rendered in filing a complaint with the Police alleging that Nandlall made threats on his life and those of his staff.

Illegal

“Clearly what was done to the Attorney General was an illegal act to record him without telling him he would be recorded,” the President told reporters at the Guyana International Conference Centre.

He said the conversation was not meant for the public’s ears and that “this serious breach exemplifies that persons do not respect the laws of the country”.

While the President repeatedly described the act as illegal, he said it was for the Police to take any enforcement action.

 “The Police are supposed to take legal actions, not me,” Ramotar said when asked. The President stressed that what was done was illegal: “You seem to be missing the point. It was illegal… That’s the first point we must deal with,” he said.

On Monday, hours after the recording was made public, Government said, in a statement, that the recorded conversation was manipulated and distorted by Lall.

“There are many ways for a keen listener to discern the said manipulation. For example, a listener to the manipulated conversation would easily recognise that on many instances the person’s voice at the other end of the conversation was inaudible,” he said.

President Ramotar clarified what was meant by the statement: “It was taken out of context. What is being done is to take everything out of context, that’s why we talked about manipulation. We’re not talking about doctoring the tape. We’re saying it’s not contextual,” he noted.

In his Police complaint filed on Monday, the Kaieteur News owner claimed the Attorney General was aware of a scheme to destroy him and his newspaper.

Lall, in his short statement to the Police, further claimed that he received several warnings of the imminent danger that threatens his life, and this danger also encompasses the numerous staff at his Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown media house.

Meanwhile, the two parliamentary Opposition parties Alliance For Change (AFC) and A Partnership for National Unity (APNC) have both defended Lall and called on Ramotar to sack Nandlall.

Ramjattan had accompanied Lall to the Police when the AG made the report.

In its defence of Lall, APNU said the Attorney General as head of the Guyanese Bar and the Government’s legal adviser holds a pivotal position in the maintenance of law and order in the country.

“He has breached that trust reposed in that Office by the Guyanese people and must perforce pay the price. APNU calls for the immediate resignation of Anil Nandlall from the Office of Attorney General of Guyana.”

Also defending Lall, for its part, the AFC said it was shocked beyond disbelief at the conversation between the AG and the reporter.

The Working People’s Alliance (WPA) – a key part of APNU – also defended Lall in a separate statement, saying it was convinced that the recording was genuine and was appalled by the Government’s decision to question the authenticity and accuracy of the transcript and recording and to stand by Nandlall.