…info on bribery allegations against Charrandass today

Commissioner of Police Leslie James is today set to disclose finding thus far of their probe into allegations that Charrandass Persaud was bribed to vote with the opposition on a no-confidence motion late last year.

The People’s National Congress/Reform (PNC/R) is on record as saying that the former AFC Member of Parliament was allegedly bribed by the opposition. Persaud has since denied the allegations, although admitting to a dubious transaction where he was attempting to purchase some US$1M in gold. “The recent motion in Parliament must be seen in the context of the PPP and Jagdeo’s continued operation as if Guyana is a criminalised state. The dismantling of the criminalised state by APNU+AFC government has demonstrated progress which has earned Guyana respect within the League of Nations,” PNC/R executive, Aubrey Norton had told a news conference late last year.

Norton said the motion clearly demonstrates Jagdeo’s modus operandi to continue his embrace by taking his criminal actions to a new level by bribing a sitting member of Parliament with the intention of bringing down the elected government of Guyana. “There is no doubt that this act in Parliament is an act of betrayal, first and foremost, to the hundreds of thousands of Guyanese from all social backgrounds, who, on May 11, 2015, took our country back by voting to end 23 years of rampant PPP corruption, arrogance, discrimination and bad governance. It should be noted that Charandass Persaud himself acknowledges the bribe by asking ‘what is wrong if I get paid?’ In his own words, he has admitted his embrace to the treacherous PPP culture of getting rich through corruption and lawlessness. The Guyanese people have seen through this plot and there is no doubt that in any elections, the PPP will be defeated by APNU+AFC,” Norton said.

Impartial probe
Meanwhile, at a news conference on Thursday, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo sought again to distance his party from allegations that they bribed Persaud to vote for them, although one of his top advisers, Peter Ramsaroop, went so far as to breach security protocol at the Ogle Airport to spirit away Persaud one day after the vote. “The PPP or Jagdeo or any MP did not bribe Charrandas to vote that way. We have conscience…I am clear about it; I would call for an impartial investigation,” he told reporters. He said “if you have that and there is that finding but not from the PPP, that is a different matter, but I do not want to speculate. I will deal with the results of an impartial investigation upon its merit. Impartial means somebody from outside the country with an international reputation.”

Meanwhile, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan on Wednesday told a news conference at his party’s headquarters that he is not aware of any attempts or plan on the night of December 21 to harm Persaud after he voted in favour to topple the government. The Security Minister said that given the nature of the vote, he knew that had anything happened to Persaud, it would have reflected very badly on the government and as such, the necessary steps had to and were taken to provide security for him. In a side interview, Ramjattan also denied having any knowledge of plans to harm Charrandass once he returns to Guyana, be it to answer charges or otherwise.

Persaud is reported to have said that he received information that efforts are afoot to have him killed either on the road or once he is sent to prison, to have him hang in his prison cell. Minister Ramjattan rubbished these claims and told the Guyana Chronicle that Persaud is using these excuses as a means of not coming back to Guyana. According to the minister, immediately after the voting and the continuation of the business in the House on the night in question, the Parliamentary Opposition approached him and expressed concerns for the safety and security of the MP. He further told the news conference that he went to Persaud and requested from him what form of security he needed and he (Charrandass) indicated that he needed a car to take him to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport and that was made available.

However, it later turned out that the car which was put in place by the Minister of Public Security through the Guyana Police Force was not used by Persaud. He instead opted to have his security handled by adviser to Jagdeo, Peter Ramsaroop, along with others, including a one-time murder accused, Jason Abdulla and self-confessed death squad operative, Sean Hinds. They, along with others, escorted Persaud to at least two locations and then subsequently to the Ogle Airport where he joined a plane to Barbados, en route to Canada.

Ramjattan told the media that based on what took place that night as it relates to the security of Persaud, he deliberately requested police protection, agreed to the level and posture which were put in place and then created a diversion. Ramsaroop is on record saying that Persaud had reached out to him asking for protection once he voted with the opposition. Ramsaroop said that he agreed and the necessary arrangements were put in place.