LEADER of the Opposition PPP, Bharrat Jagdeo, has come out in defence of the party’s Parliamentarian Nigel Dharamlall, who was recently named in an alleged assault against an official of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).At a press conference Wednesday at his party’s headquarters in Robb Street, Jagdeo said with Dharamlall’s case currently with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), his party’s executive will consider the issue at their upcoming meeting on Friday.

Jagdeo said he would not speak extensively on the issue owing to its “delicate stage.”

“But clearly he has to give solid explanations… believable explanations to the (party’s) executive… because it is a serious matter; the allegations are serious”, he continued.

But Jagdeo countered the statement saying: “Bheri Ramsarran’s file was with the DPP, and he’s charged for something like abusive language.” The former President sought to reduce the “slap and strip” threat made by Ramsarran, his party’s Parliamentarian, then Minister of Health, against public health advocate Sherlina Nageer.

“People have different perspectives on these things,” Jagdeo said.

“They said it was a threat made against the young lady in Berbice, but she was not in earshot, like, close-by to hear the threat,” Jagdeo added.

Asked whether Dharamlall’s seat in the National Assembly could be jeopardised by the issue, former President Jagdeo said he will consider the matter “carefully” as it is brought to him at Friday’s meeting of PPP executives.

In recent times, PPP Parliamentarian and former Public Service Minister under the Donald Ramotar Administration, Dr Jennifer Westford, was made to answer to a barrage of charges in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, which centred on the disappearance of some $639M placed in the keep of her ministry during her tenure.

Dr Westford, though still a member of Parliament for her party, is currently slated to stand trial in July of this year for another matter regarding the transfer of state assets to personal use.

Asked whether the cases of Drs Westford and Ramsarran speaks to a failure of his party to effectively deal with sitting public officials currently before the Courts, Opposition Leader Jagdeo responded: “I am not going to move people just like that because of what I see as allegations… there are many allegations on a daily basis; now it’s time to prove these allegations.”

“It’s put up or shut up,” Mr Jagdeo asserted. Turning his attention to the financial audits, which he believes forms the myriad of allegations against his party members, Mr Jagdeo called the audits of the David Granger Administration “partisan.”

He urged the Government to charge those persons from his party once they have been found to be infringing on the law. He said his party’s members will then have to use the mechanism of the court to determine their innocence. (Derwayne Wills)