– Says AG Ramson
ATTORNEY General Charles Ramson has said that no investigating firm has the right to conduct investigations in Guyana due to it being a sovereign state.

Ramson was speaking at a press conference at the Ministry of Legal Affairs, Carmichael Street, North Cummingsburg, and was responding to a question in connection with Interpol to investigate the Guyana Government.

The main opposition People’s National Congress Reform had organised a protest recently to call for an investigation into the Administration by Interpol in connection with the Roger Khan saga.

But Ramson made it clear that Guyana is a sovereign state, hence “Interpol has no right to be here.”

“I don’t know where the press is getting this idea that Interpol has some authority to enter the territory of a sovereign state. They have no such authority,” Ramson stated.

“When anything happens in the United States, Interpol is not allowed to go in and do an investigation. Why is it that Guyana must be subjected to this kind of invasion?” he asked.

“Recently, we have been trying to get some information out of Interpol and the rules in the United States would not allow Interpol to access the information we were seeking,” he said.

In this matter, Ramson said all steps would be taken in conjunction with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

He explained that the DPP has the constitutional responsibility. “An investigation has to be conducted first. Everything takes its own process. I am a firm believer that the constitution overrides every other process, legal or otherwise,” he said.

He further explained that once allegations are made in the seclusion of a court, steps cannot be taken at a political level unless a judge directs the DPP to open an investigation.

Ramson said enforcement agencies would have to play their part in inquiring whether or not there is any truth in the allegations. “Neither the Attorney General Chambers nor the Government is an investigating agency,” he noted.

According to him, President Bharrat Jagdeo has already said that this is the job of the Police Commissioner.

The Police Commissioner in turn has informed that he is waiting on information from the United States, he said.

Ramson said he is waiting to hear what penalty Khan is going to suffer since he recently pleaded guilty. “I don’t want people to believe that this Roger Khan story must override what is happening on a day to day basis in this country.”

“The diplomatic process can be used but how far it would get is another matter. There is no evidence that he exported the stuff from here,” Ramson stated.

He mentioned, too, that he did not believe that Health Minister Leslie Ramsammy was guilty of any of the allegations against him presently.

“The Minister whose name was called has categorically and publicly denied any involvement. I know Minister Ramsammy and at one stage I thought they really meant me because it is more in my kind of character makeup to get involved at that level. But I don’t believe Minister Ramsammy would ever get involved. I know the man,” Ramson stated.

He expressed concern over the reports in certain sections of the media having to do with Selwyn Vaughn’s testimony.

“I would have thought that the press would have been a little wary about relying on this man Vaughn having regard to the benefits he has been receiving. Guyanese would give an arm and a leg to become a resident of the United States.”

Ramson said it is a known fact that Vaughn not only got residence in the United States, but his wife and family received green cards as well.

He continued, “And a man who is a confessed murderer himself…you have to be very careful with his testimony. Any judge would tell you that.”

Ramson also related that the equipment that is in the possession of the United States court was manufactured in 2003, according to Peter Myers (of Smith Myers Communications).

He pointed out that Khan was charged for an offence in 2002 hence the equipment the police has must be the one that was seized from him, unless there were two sets of equipment.

According to Ramson, the court case concerned the incident that took place in 2002. “The equipment presented to the court in Robert Simels’ matter could not be the one that Khan had over here, not in relation to his case,” he said.