Kaieteur News clutching at straws to mask alleged wrongdoings – says PPP

Oct 14, 2014 News

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The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) is keenly following the issue regarding the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Publisher of the Kaieteur News, Mr. Glenn Lall. While we await the outcome of current investigations into alleged tax evasion and misuse of benefits for re-migrants, our Party has noted two interesting developments emanating from the reportage of the Kaieteur News.
The first has to do with that newspaper purposely trying to divert from the real issues and implying that it’s about the government wanting to close the entity. The question must be asked of the Kaieteur News; how does an issue of alleged tax evasion and abuse of some benefits of the re-migrant scheme be deemed an attack on freedom of expression?
Similar, recent concoctions by the Kaieteur News resulted when it maliciously published misinformation regarding logging protocols by a foreign company. The facts presented by the relevant agency exposed the newspaper’s proclivity to publish biased and unsubstantiated reports.
The Kaieteur News needs to be reminded that it was established under the PPP-led government which restored freedom of expression to this country after decades on oppression imposed by the dictatorial People’s National Congress (PNC) regime.
During that oppressive reign, many were jailed and some lost their lives in the struggle to freely express themselves. Then there were only two daily newspapers, three private television stations and the government TV and radio channels. Today, there are four established daily newspapers, over fifteen private television stations, some ten private radio stations and numerous online news entities, most of them owned privately.
Journalists, Columnists and Commentators, on a daily basis, freely express themselves without any semblance of fear which permeated the landscape under the PNC dictatorship. The fact that this freedom of expression has now become engrained in our society is testimony to the tenets of democracy that prevails.
Guyanese must be cognizant of these attempts by the Kaieteur News to deceive and not allow themselves to be hoodwinked in the process. The record of the PPP and the government it leads in defence of press freedom and freedom of expression is unmatched in our nation.
Secondly, Kaieteur News is now calling on the Guyanese public to stand by it on the face of what it sees as an attempt to close its operations. We believe that this is clearly a desperate effort by the newspaper to evoke sympathy.
What is even more astonishing is the automatic show of support by the Opposition regarding the newspaper’s fabrication. While this is unsurprising given the newspaper’s role in propagating and defending the Opposition, some questions therefore must be asked. Is the Opposition saying that it supports the evasion of taxes by an individual or entity as alleged? If that’s the case, then it’s another demonstration by the Opposition condoning illegalities.
Many Guyanese, including Government and Party officials, have in the past condemned the newspaper for its unethical and unprofessional journalism which is being used to assassinate and smear peoples’ characters. Our Party must ask if this is what the Opposition supports.
The PPP remains cognizant of the prevailing freedom of expression within our country and, as such, respects the Opposition’s right to support anything it chooses including alleged unlawful activities. However, in so doing, the Opposition has once again demonstrated its engrained propensity for such actions and to remain hypocritical.

Editor’s Note:
The charges against the publisher of this newspaper and his wife are trumped up. These charges have been instituted by a government that is desperate to snuff out criticisms.
We have established clearly that the charges formed part of ongoing witch-hunt by the ruling administration to stifle criticism and independent thinking. The attacks to which the independent  media in Guyana have been subjected under the PPP regime, makes a mockery of the ruling party’s claim to be upholding press freedom. The PPP has been engaged in sustained attacks on the independent media.
Its latest foray has been these trumped up charges leveled against the Kaieteur News publisher and his wife. The PPP in its most recent statement continues to accuse the Lall’s of tax evasion.
In fact, even before any evidence has been led in the case before the Courts, the PPP have deemed the Lalls’ guilty. Yet, despite the hype that the Guyana Revenue Authority and by extension the government has placed on the alleged massive tax evasion running into tens of millions of dollars, the lawyers for the GRA did not object to Mr. and Mrs. Lall being released on their own recognizance.
If as is being alleged, the Lalls have defrauded the State of tens of millions of dollars, why did the prosecutors not object to them being released on their own recognizance? Why did they not insist on bail?
If as is being alleged there has been massive evasion of taxes, why was substantial bail not demanded by the prosecution?
The PPPC has a discredited own record of press freedom. The government now has the unenviable record of hounding persons who are opposed to them. They have the record of both using and withholding State resources so as to punish those who criticize.
And now, according to email published by this newspaper, the plotters are keen to muzzle Kaieteur News.

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