…dismisses claims of police involvement

COMMISSIONER of Police, Seelall Persaud, has said that two persons were interviewed in connection with the alleged plot to shoot President David Granger while he is on one of his many outreaches and that file which is at the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), will be returned early in the new week.
The commissioner was at the time speaking Friday at “Operation Assurance 11” at Timehri, where the joint services concluded a simulation exercise on terrorism. Also at the event were Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan and senior members of the joint services.
The Top Cop noted that the allegation is one of treason, “any plot to kill the president or to overthrow government is one of treason, and on the other hand if someone tells a police officer something that is false and causes the officer to act in accordance with the call of duty, then there is a charge in giving false information.”
He explained that security of the state apparatus is the number one function of the Police Force, “if you want a country go into chaos then attack the state apparatus and make it dysfunctional and its chaos, a threat against any President cannot be pushed under the carpet.
“Even if there are elements within the force with an objective to prevent a professional investigation, it is difficult to implement and almost impossible to do that,” the police chief said.
Seelall explained that the matter was investigated and sent for legal advice and that was returned on Friday, but a recommendation was made by the police legal advisor asking for a confrontation with the person making the allegation to clarify various issues within the investigation, then the file was returned to the DPP once again. He said early next week the file will be returned and the relevant action will be taken. The commissioner said only two persons so far are being investigated and this surrounds the person making the allegation and a witness who has given the police a statement.

MTV report
Meanwhile, Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan, commenting on the matter, said there was a notification pertaining to MTV Channel 65 Friday afternoon stating that there will be a news report later in the evening that surrounds a report that policemen were involved in the assasination plot against President David Granger.
“I want to say that is absolutely untrue, there is absolutely no information like that and that can constitute public mischief by MTV and its reporters, public mischief that can lead to prosecution and it can also lead to revocation of licensing,” Minister Ramjattan warned. He said the investigation that is ongoing is one of a sensitive nature, since it deals with the security of the President of a democratic country, “we don’t want the throwing off of stability as a result of mischief.”

Ramjattan said that he hopes the news outfit did not interpret “Operation Assurance 11” which was executed by the police force to mean that there was a connection with the alleged plot against the President. It was just a staged performance to test the readiness of the police force to deal with bombs and local and international terrorism.
Commenting on the HGP Nightly News airing of the interview Thursday with the man making the allegations, Ramjattan said such action is irresponsible of the media outlet and the operatives. “Lots of people use this thing called freedom of the press…but I suppose the sensationalism that it will bring and probably selling the news and outlet was at the back of their mind rather than the more sensitive and significant matter which is security of the state,” Ramjattan said. Offering his opinion on MTV News Update, the police commissioner said “reporters have to behave in a responsible manner, the media is extremely powerful, with the type of influence they have over members of the public; with great power comes great responsibility and if that television station makes certain statements without evidence, they will meet the full force of the law, especially at a time when we are trying to build public trust.”
Meanwhile, in an interview on Nightly News, a man who was approached to carry out the act spoke of a $7M bounty that was offered him to shoot at President Granger during one of his outreaches. The $7M it was said was offered by a prominent individual. The whistleblower in the interview stated that the businessman told him “… President Granger, we have to have him assassinated before he moves from where he is living, before of course if he moves his security will enhance and you can’t get to him.”
The informant explained that the businessman entered his house and brought out a large weapon which he collected and minutes later returned. He explained he had approached the businessman to conduct a business worth $6M when the proposal was made to find someone to assassinate the President and he will be paid $7M. “The next day I go back to he and said watch, me ain’t deh in them thing yo know, me aint even want you tell me back about that,” the informant said, claiming that he never killed anyone before and is just a businessman.