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Jagdeo stands by ‘drug lord support’ accusation against AFC
In light of the call by the Alliance For Change leader, Raphael Trotman, for Head of State Bharrat Jagdeo to provide evidence that the party was financed by a drug lord, the President says that he is standing by his charge.
President Bharrat Jagdeo
Jagdeo said that it is revealing how the party (AFC) reacted to his charge that a person implicated in the ‘cocaine in pepper sauce’ scandal was a financier of the party in its 2006 election campaign.
The President was at the time speaking to a gathering in Babu John, Corentyne, Berbice, where he drew inference as to how the party managed to pay US-based political consultant Dick Morris.
Following the accusation by the President, Alliance For Change leader Raphael Trotman had demanded that the President provide the police with whatever evidence he had pertaining to the allegation.
Trotman had told media operatives that his party viewed with disgust the totally false and reckless statements made by the President.
According to the AFC leader, the diversionary tactic by the President was broadcast live on national radio and television where he raised the issue of the financing Morris for the AFC’s 2006 electoral campaign, by asking rhetorically how the AFC was able to afford his services, and further stated that someone implicated in a ‘cocaine in pepper sauce’ bust was a major financier of the party.
According to the AFC leader, “Mr. Dick Morris, the US citizen, provided voluntary services to the party as a political consultant in its 2006 electoral campaign. And at no time was he paid”.
“The AFC finds it strange that three years later the President, as he grapples with the horrendous economic challenges associated with his government, would use this as another diversionary tactic and corruption.”
According to Trotman, his party wished to state that no one within the executive of the party, and/or those involved in the 2006 elections campaign, received any money through the proceeds of the illicit trade in narcotics, and has no knowledge of anyone involved in any “cocaine in pepper sauce” who is a financier of the party.
When asked what the party considered the motive for the statement by the President, the AFC leader opined that it was a tactic to divert attention from the Colonial Life Insurance Company (CLICO) fiasco.
It was pointed out that ever since the debacle surfaced, the party has been spot on with its observations despite the supposed assurances by the authorities. Trotman was adamant that the utterance by the President will not detract from the CLICO issue given that the relevant authorities have been asked to investigate the claims by the President.
AFC Leader Raphael Trotman
As it relates to the voluntary services of political consultants, the party treasurer Mahase Partab told media operatives that despite the fact that one of the People’s Progressive Party’s consultants, Paul Reichler, was not paid for his consultancy in the 1992 election campaign, he was well rewarded when the current administration took office.
Partab told media operatives that he was privy to the facts that Reichler was awarded several contracts for “flimsy” projects and was rewarded handsomely.
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