Kaieteur News hits ‘new low’ – U.S. Embassy demands newspaper apologise for fabrication of article

THE United States (US) Embassy in Georgetown has taken strong objection to the Kaieteur News for publishing a fictitious story which gave the impression that the Embassy has a vendetta against the Government.The Kaieteur News, dubbed by ‘WikiLeaks’ as a ‘muck-raking newspaper’ that thrives on slander and sensationalism, represents a degeneration of the newspaper to a new low in the business of fabrication.

Adam Harris
Adam Harris

The ‘false news’ in question was published yesterday (April 1) under the headlined, “US revokes Gov’t officials’ visas… in major money laundering, bribery probe”.
The report, among other things, said: “In shocking developments, the US this week cancelled visas for four high-ranking Government officials amidst a four-year investigation into bribery and money laundering.”
The newspaper known for also publishing fabricated stories about former President Bharrat Jagdeo and other Government officials, added in the report: “A team of investigators from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is in the country and has been questioning several persons”.
It went on: “According to officials close to the probe, the US has been monitoring the questionable transfer of large sums of cash to several banks within its territories. This actually began after a number of high profile criminals were arrested and transferred to the United States for drug trafficking. One of the persons who had his visa revoked is reportedly a top official who has been questioned about his wealth.”
It should be noted that the US Embassy in 2011, in a leaked WikiLeaks cable, hinted at the acquisition of wealth and character of Kaieteur News’ Publisher Glenn Lall.
“He translated a shoe trading business and rumoured involvement with alien smuggling into a muckraking independent newspaper. He has also been accused of having his finger on the pulse of Guyana’s underworld, which serves his media enterprise well,” the cable quoted US embassy official Benjamin Canavan as saying.
The malicious report by Kaieteur News added: “FBI was called in after reports were made to the US Government that a number of officials were approached to take bribes.”
When confronted, Editor of the newspaper Adam Harris admitted that the article was an invention, but termed it an “All Fools Day Joke”.
However, the US Embassy in Georgetown Embassy did not take the explanation lightly, and has demanded a full retraction of the controversial article.

Glenn Lall
Glenn Lall

“Kaieteur News exercised poor judgment in printing this article under the auspices of an April Fools joke,” a statement from the Embassy said.
It added: “To be clear, the US Embassy has not cancelled any visas of high-ranking Government officials nor is the US Federal Bureau of Investigation in the country questioning individuals as the article states. The US Embassy calls for an immediate retraction of the article by Kaieteur News in both their online and print versions of their newspaper.”

 

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