Nandlall recording may haunt PPP in elections - Ramsammy admits

Nandlall recording may haunt PPP in elections – Ramsammy admits

Apr 03, 2015 News

– Webster urges women to “forgive and forget”
The fact that many senior women in the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) usually stay silent on matters

Agriculture Minister,
Dr. Leslie Ramsammy

surrounding abuse and disrespect of women whenever it is perpetrated by any male PPP member was brought to the forefront yesterday.
Questions in this regard were posed to the Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Jennifer Webster, as she co-hosted a PPP press conference at Freedom House. Webster is the Minister with direct responsibility for women empowerment and development in Guyana.
As Webster addressed issues surrounding abuse and disrespect for women, the actions of two of her colleagues were recalled—former President Bharrat Jagdeo and sitting Attorney General, Anil Nandlall.
Webster was asked to explain her silence when the former First Lady, Varshnie Singh, went public in 2009 about the abuse she endured during her marriage to Jagdeo.
Webster told the media that the former First Lady’s public lamentations about what she went through at the hands of her husband were mere allegations.
“That is an allegation and I am not familiar with Jagdeo’s personal life as it relates to his relations with Miss Varshnie Singh. What I do know is what he said himself and I do not know if I can provide any clarification on that issue because I am not familiar,” said Webster.
Webster was further questioned as to whether she made efforts to get more information; she responded in the affirmative. However, the Minister failed to provide details as to how she went about getting further information.
In fact, she sidestepped the question when Kaieteur News asked her how she gathered information other than

Attorney General,
Anil Nandlall

that which she heard from Jagdeo.
With regards to Nandlall, Webster said that it is high time women “forgive and forget” the way a young female professional was regarded by Nandlall.
The AG was heard making some damning comments during a conversation that was recorded and made public.
Very disturbingly, the Attorney General, in the recording referred to a female Kaieteur News reporter as a “lil thing” and advocated that his uncle, Kamal Mangal got an opportunity to “f**k de girl.”
“The honourable Attorney General spoke on the matter; he has apologized for the utterances he has made. I also think that he is saddened by it because he expressed concern afterwards about referring to a woman as a ‘thing’ and said that he was cautioned by his mother and that really affected him. I think that in the eyes of all, he has sought forgiveness for what he has said in the public domain.”
Asked if he got her forgiveness, Webster told the media, “This is holy week, and I am a devout Christian, and in life many of us do things, but God forgives and if you are a Christian you have to forgive and forget.”
Webster was then asked if her pointing out the fact that God forgives means that she has forgiven Nandlall, she responded, “I did not say that, I said you have to forgive and forget.”
Accompanying Webster at yesterday’s press conference was Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy who said that Nandlall’s utterance may very well come back to haunt the PPP at the upcoming elections.
Ramsammy spoke a lot about character yesterday and about the importance of having a good character as

Human Services Minister, Jennifer Webster

a politician.
Ramsammy, whose signature appeared at the bottom of an authorization letter for the drug lord, Shaheed Roger Khan to be able to purchase sensitive spy and phone tapping equipment from a Florida shop, boasted about his character.
The equipment was bought and it is believed that Khan used the same equipment to listen in on telephone conversations of the Police Commissioner at the time Winston Felix.
Ramsammy declared his hands are “clean” with regards to issues surrounding the convicted drug king pin. He added that he has “impeccable character.” However, the Minister could not have said the same about his comrade, Nandlall.
He said that Nandlall’s language was very “flowery” and admitted that the things Nandlall was heard saying could come back to hurt the PPP. “But that is for people to judge; that is what I am saying. Our characters are there; we put it on the table to let people consider it.”