-dares reporter to go public with conversation

A SENIOR reporter attached to the National Communications Network (NCN), Edward Layne, was yesterday verbally abused by the Leader of the Alliance for Change (AFC), Khemraj Ramjattan. In an allegedly expletive-laden tirade, Ramjattan refused to respond to a query over his promise to lodge a formal complaint with the police on the alleged “buy-out” of three Members of Parliament (MPs) by the ruling People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C).
Ramjattan, at a press conference in mid-September, stated that his party had been “reliably informed” that the PPP/C Government, against whom the No-Confidence Motion has been filed, has plans to “buy out” at least three parliamentarians at $30M each to vote against the motion when it comes up for debate next month. However, the main Opposition, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has denied that this allegation concerns any of their MPs and the AFC holds the same position – a fact that has led to questions of the merits of Ramjattan’s allegation.
According to Layne, Ramjattan was hostile when posed with his query.
He said: “About 13:53 hrs on Friday, October 31, 2014, I made telephone contact with Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan, Leader of the AFC for a comment on a matter of national importance.
“I, in a very professional manner, identified myself and the media house I represent to Mr. Ramjattan, I then proceeded to ask Mr. Ramjattan why he has not released the evidence he has of three Opposition members of parliament offered $30M each to vote against the no-confidence motion one month after he made these allegations (September 18, 2014) and whether or not he had reported the matter to the police. I was met with extreme hostility.
“Mr. Ramjattan accused me of working for the PPP and rattled off a series of expletives.( The AFC Leader is reported to have told Layne, “The PPP send you fuh ask me stupidness. Why you don’t haul you ass, what the sk*** you think, calling to ask me me fu**** stupidness.”

“I proceeded to ask Mr. Ramjattan whether his utterances were his official comment, to which he answered in the affirmative and said ‘you publish what I said, I don’t care what you want to write. Boy look haul your ass, what the r@ss you think.”
Ramjattan is the leader of one of the political parties which on one hand constantly accuse NCN and its sister state media agencies of not providing coverage to them and on the other hand cuss us out when we try to provide coverage to them.
Attempts to contact officials from the local Bar Association and the Guyana Press Association for a comment on the behaviour of an MP and member of the Bar, as it relates to abuse of a practicing journalist, proved futile.