–Attorney-General says; challenges integrity of UNCHR claims of ‘public frustration’ over allegations that have become a ‘non-issue’

IN a scathing clap back, Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, S.C. has rebuked certain sections of the media for sensationalising a non-issue regarding allegations against Vice-President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, which have already been dismantled.

On Wednesday, Nandlall called out sections of the local media for seizing any opportunity to portray the government or its leaders negatively, even if it means blowing a minor matter out of proportion.

“Whenever it is possible to put the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government or its leaders in a negative light, certain sections of the media never fail to deliver. Even when it requires them to magnify a non-issue and report it as prime news,” he said

He referenced a “lead story” from a local media outlet emerging from the UN Commission on Human Rights hearings.
During the hearing on Monday, the US Candidate to the Committee pointed to supposed concerns over “public frustration” regarding the government’s alleged “failure” to investigate reports of corruption involving the Vice-President, the Judiciary, and the Guyana Police Force.

However, Nandlall pointed out that no specifics or details were provided regarding these allegations.
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira, who is leading the Guyana delegation, had shot down the allegations.

The minister dismantled claims of corruption in her response to questions posed by UN Human Rights Committee Member, Laurence Helfer.
Regarding the Vice News allegations, Teixeira immediately clarified that the matter did not even merit a police report, as the claims did not meet the basic threshold for pursuing such recourse.

“There was no follow up because there was no police, there was no report made by Vice News or anybody else. And so the police cannot investigate without some form of report or complaint.
“However, the Vice President has answered this issue several times publicly in the same media that carried the report,” Teixeira said.

Despite this, Nandlall said that certain media outlets chose to focus solely on Vice-President Jagdeo, ignoring any semblance of balance in their reporting. The Attorney-General criticised the impression created by the media that Guyana was “grilled” over corruption allegations against the Vice-President.

He questioned the validity of the supposed “public frustration” cited, suggesting it may be politically motivated.
Nandlall defended Jagdeo, stating that he had publicly addressed and dismantled the allegations multiple times.
“Vice-President Jagdeo faces the public in Guyana on a daily basis. He faces the press once weekly.

A hostile press. These questions are not asked. In fact, the public record will reflect that the only grouping that pursues this line in the public domain is the APNU+AFC, driven by their own political self-interest,” Nandlall said.
He reminded the public that legal proceedings have been initiated against the individual who implicated Jagdeo, with default judgement imminent.

Nandlall went on to clarify misconceptions about the government’s role in investigations, noting that investigative powers lie with different state agencies, not the government itself.

“Just imagine, if the government is to announce that it will investigate the Judiciary, the rancor and ruckus that will erupt and rightfully so. But yet the government is being accused of failing to investigate the Judiciary at a high international forum. Utter ignorance,” he said.

Nandlall also dismissed the allegations against Vice-President Jagdeo as nothing more than a “storm in a teacup,” implying that the issue was blown out of proportion by certain media outlets for their own agendas.
“I guess one can conclude that the Vice-President cannot stay out of the news. Even if he desperately tries. In the end, it is nothing but a storm in a teacup!” he said.