DeSantos: Ram obsessed with Jagdeo
Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo
Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

CHARGES against Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, filed by vocal critic of the current Administration, Mr Christopher Ram, are “frivolous, vexatious, an abuse of the process of the court” and represent an “unnatural obsession” with the former president.These were the sentiments of Attorney-at-Law, Bernard De Santos, who was retained by Dr Jagdeo to defend him against the charges.

Bernard De Santos
Bernard De Santos

“I can only imagine the devastating consequences which can flow if the criminal justice system will be used in such a manner and across the political divide. This is nothing more than political sensationalisation and mischief,” he said.
Ram contends that there was a violation of Guyana’s electoral laws, as outlined in the ‘139D of The Representation of the Peoples Act, Cap 1:02’,under which the private action was filed.
The Representation of the People Act addresses processes, actions and sanctions for breaches of various protocols.

MMU REPORT
Ram’s move also follows the pronouncements of the Guyana Elections’ Commission (GECOM) Media Monitoring Unit (MMU).
The first report since its resuscitation was released earlier this week states that at an event at Babu John, last month, Dr Jagdeo said: “They shout about racism of the PPP, but they practise racism. They whisper campaigns. In the last elections they went to some of the Afro- Guyanese villages and beat some drums at 6 O’clock in the morning and say let us throw out these coolie people. Get up, go out and vote, throw out the coolie people. That’s the kind of language they use. Anybody from our party who uses that sort of language, we will kick them out. This is our approach.”
The MMU concluded that his comments were “racially divisive” – although the Unit did say that this was “probably” not intentional.
The Unit said: “Taking into consideration the historically and politically influenced divisions that persist up to now between Africans and East Indians in this country, and which are usually more pronounced during elections periods, the Unit came to the conclusion that the anecdotal illustration used by Dr. Jagdeo to make his point about racism, boomeranged disastrously, since it came over as a calculated exploitation, for political purposes, of the known fears and insecurities of one section of the population – East Indians.
“It is within the foregoing context that the Unit verily concluded that the remarks made by Dr. Jagdeo were racially divisive,[though] probably, not intentionally.”
GROSS MISREPRESENTATION
All considered, Jagdeo’s lawyer noted that Ram’s contention is a “gross misinterpretation and colossal misuse and abuse” of the law.

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Counsel Christopher Ram

De Santos said, “I have examined the statements allegedly made by Mr. Jagdeo and which form the basis of the charge; I have examined the section of the law under which the charge has been laid and in my view the charge is frivolous, vexatious and an abuse of the process of the court in which it has been filed.
“Indeed, it is a gross misinterpretation and colossal misuse and abuse of section 139D of the Representation of the People Act, Cap1:02.”
He declined to speculate on Ram’s motive for moving ahead with the charge.
The lawyer said, “I will say however, that it constitutes an abridgement of the constitutional right and freedom of my client to speak and express himself freely.
“Indeed, this unprecedented use of a criminal charge to muzzle speakers at public political events, is an assault on the democratic right of political leaders to speak freely on matters of national interest as well as a violation of the democratic right of the citizenry to receive such information.”
De Santos expressed the hope that the matter will be reviewed “speedily” by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
The matter is expected to be heard before Magistrate Charlyn Artiga at the Whim Magistrates’ Court, Region 6 (East Berbice/ Corentyne) on April 20.

 

 

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