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Jagdeo attacks Nigel Hughes
…accuses him of being an associate of criminals
“I (Jagdeo) appoint senior counsel…He will never be a Senior Counsel once I am President and I don’t know whether Donald Ramotar will ever give him because he is a drug dealers’ Lawyer”
Head of State Bharrat Jagdeo on Sunday, during his party’s most recent election campaign rally in
Head of State Bharrat Jagdeo making the charges against Nigel Hughes
Lusignan, East Coast Demerara, delivered a scathing attack on several members of the Opposition including Attorney-At-Law Nigel Hughes of the Alliance for Change (AFC).
Jagdeo stopped just short of implicating Attorney Hughes in the 2003 murder of Buxtonian Brian Hamilton but did say that he suspects the attorney was present at the time of the killing.
The 35-year-old father of one was shot and killed by one or more gunmen as he sat in the office of his Buxton Public Road gas station.
Jagdeo, over the past few weeks, has been on the campaign trail, at times spewing venomous attacks on persons opposed to him and the Peoples Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C).
Hughes has been quickly rising in the ranks of the AFC and has now attracted the brunt of the ire of the president who painted him as an attorney for ‘drug-dealers.’
Jagdeo did not seek to disguise his attack on Hughes, vowing that under his Presidency, Hughes would never be appointed a Senior Counsel.
Jagdeo also accused Hughes as the person on the AFC’s platform peddling racism. “They (AFC) got a man called Nigel Hughes to do the dirty work…he has gone on their platform and peddling the race line.”
The President disclosed that the administration knows Hughes as a man that has lobbied, “a lot of people to become Senior Counsels…I (Jagdeo) appoint Senior Counsels…He will never be a Senior Counsel once I am president and I don’t know whether Donald Ramotar will ever give him because he is a drug dealers’ lawyer.”
Brian Hamilton the murdered Gas Station owner
The President in his unrelenting attack against the eminent attorney said that every case drug dealers “have Nigel Hughes, before the police catch them,…is in the police station…he is on permanent retainer.”
Jagdeo, in painting Hughes and Basil Williams as the criminals’ lawyers said that every criminal caught in Buxton has been defended by either of the two Attorneys. “Every criminal that we ever caught in Buxton, guess who their lawyer is? Basil Williams and Nigel Hughes…criminals’ lawyers…every single one of them,” Jagdeo asserted.
The President also accused Hughes of currently driving a car belonging to a drug dealer.
“And he pushes the race line everyday …every single day he talks about the racism,” said Jagdeo.
Expanding on his beliefs as it relates to the Brian Hamilton murder Jagdeo told the Lusignan crowd, “By the way you know when Hamilton was killed at the gas station in Buxton…guess what happen, Nigel Hughes showed up.”
The President suggested that there was a video recording of the killing that had occurred but said that Hughes took away the tape and that the police subsequently never recovered the recording.
“They had a camera and he (Hughes) took away the tape…the police never got hold of that tape and I am saying it here publicly tonight because it’s the truth and why did he take away the tape of how this guy was killed?” Jagdeo asked.
“I don’t know but let me tell you, my suspicion is that he (Hughes) was also right there when Brian Hamilton was killed by the bandits in Buxton.”
There are reports from the 2003 killing that Hughes did hand over the recording to the Police. The police later took the recording to some television stations to get help in enhancing the images. This has since been verified by television station owners who saw the tape.
Hughes rebuts
Contacted by this publication Hughes described Jagdeo’s attack as a most disturbing, vile and scandalous attack, particularly the president accusing him of being involved in the murder of Brain Hamilton on March 21, 2003.
“It is regrettable that the highest office in the Republic is now being abused and degraded by the wild imaginings of a delusional President.”
According to Hughes, “Brain Hamilton was a member of our family and it was my sincere hope that the horrific circumstances surrounding his death would have been left behind so that his widow and daughter would not have to relive the awful manner of his death…The recent utterances of his Excellency cannot be left unanswered.”
According to Hughes, Brian Hamilton was murdered at 7.42 AM on March 21, 2003 at the family’s Buxton petrol station on the East Coast of Demerara by unmasked gunmen who entered his office and shot him.
“At the time of his death I was at home in New Providence some fifteen miles away on East Bank Demerara.”
Hughes stated that his brother who was married to Brian’s sister-in-law, was out of town at the time and he asked that Hughes attend to his grieving wife and father who were inconsolable at Brian’s wife’s parents’ home in New Haven.
“I visited Mr. Oscar Hamilton, Brian’s father, who informed me that the Police had requested that he attend his petrol station as there was a surveillance tape still in the recording machine which the Police were unable to eject.”
Hughes added, “Mr. Hamilton asked me if I would take him to Buxton which I did. He further informed me that he was concerned about the police securing the tape without providing him with a copy….On arrival at Buxton at 11. 15 AM Mr. Hamilton ejected the tape and asked the crime scene officer whether he could keep the tape for the purpose of making a copy. He was granted permission.”
Hughes further contends that at the time of “our arrival at Buxton we were informed that there were eyewitnesses to the killing who had identified the killer to the police…One eyewitness had to be evacuated from his home in Buxton under army protection the same day.”
The attorney stated that the tape was sent to a recording studio in Georgetown.
“Shortly after the tape was handed over to Mr. Hamilton, a senior officer of the Guyana Defence Force requested a copy of the tape and asked that the Police not be made aware of their request…An officer of the Guyana Defence Force subsequently uplifted the tape from the recording studio the same afternoon.”
He said that the following day “I personally attended the CID Headquarters for the purposes of handing over the tape to then Crime Chief Mr. Leon Trim…He was not there. I decided against leaving the original with a sentry for obvious reasons.”
Hughes reports that “On Sunday I again attended the CID Eve Leary and again Mr. Trim was not present…On Monday morning at 8.15 AM, I attended the CID Eve Leary where the original time coded tape was handed over.”
Hughes says that Mr. Trim confirmed in a public statement that since Monday March 24, 2003 he had received the tape.
“When the issue of the surveillance tape arose some eight years ago I issued a statement on the matter…It is deeply disturbing in light of the above matters after the murder of so many innocent persons in that very unhappy chapter of our national life we still have been unable to bring closure to the period.”
Hughes says that it remains his hope that a public inquiry will be conducted in the deaths of those many citize
Attorney-at-Law Nigel Hughes
ns who died as a result of the events in that tragic period.
Meanwhile Hughes in a public statement yesterday in responding to what he called the President’s slanderous statements about him said, “Our professional oath as Attorneys- at-Law oblige us to represent our clients without fear or favour and I have had the privilege of representing an array of clients including, Mrs. Varshnie Jagdeo over the course of my professional life.
“The categorization or classification of my clients has not been a concern of mine as I am not retained as a priest but an Attorney-at-Law.”
Hughes added also that the fact that the current administration found it impossible to identify a single person of African descent qualified to represent this country of ours at the level of Ambassador at any international posting is probably the most salient statement on the practice of racism in politics in contemporary Guyana.
He lashed out at the President saying that he does not require him to validate his work as an Attorney-at-law. “It will speak for itself.”
Hughes added that Jagdeo’s statements have confirmed a long held belief in the profession that the conferral of the status of Senior Counsel by the present regime is a political act.
“Accepting the conferral of such an award from the present regime would be like asking Steve Biko to accept an award from P.W. Botha during the apartheid era.”
He warned that Jagdeo’s statements about the considerations for the award of silk have considerable implications on the independence of the judiciary and they have been noted.
“If His Excellency ever feels disposed to emerge from beneath the cloak of immunity I would be more than happy to engage with him in an appropriate forum at his convenience.”
He said too that it is his hope that should the occasion arise post November 28, 2011, that “His Excellency may require appropriately qualified legal counsel whether from Senior Counsel or otherwise, and that he does not feel constrained by comments made at Lusignan.”
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These are very disturbing developments and shows the level to which the PPP has descended to attack their opponents…needless to say this disgusts me. All that I heard from Jagdeo so far in this campaign is vile and unmitigated attacks against the opposition and little of what the PPP has in store to develop Guyana and take it out of its current morass.
Are we sure, without any semblance of doubt, that “His Excellency,” is of sound mind? Recent evidence… intense ramblings of madness, suggests otherwise. Would someone please persuade him to exercise restraint and spare ALL Guyanese this Worldwide EMBARRASSMENT.
I’m sometimes ashamed of Pre. Jagdeo’s behaviour he is the first head of state always in a verbal confrontation with someone. Why can’t he look at Pres. Obama and the others and learn from their examples. When he behaves this way “he’s painting a horrible picture of Guyanese people. Particuarly, at an election time he need to stop worrying about NIGEL HUGHES and focus on building the country. Every guyanese will be working hard and can never get 3million a month pension.
I am a proud Guyanese myself and i wish the best for other Guyanese.
The prospect of extradition can focus the mind and lead to a sort of mania that may be on display.
Two of the three main contestants for the upcoming election have pledged to open a DEA office within their first week of office if victory smiles. Those are inhospitable odds for people whom the DEA may seek locally.
Victory smiles but for whom? If wishes were golden horses, beggars in tatters would ride. The DEA is probably looking for some of the promise makers.
Baylite don’t forget this quote from Euripides
“Those whom God wishes to destroy, he first makes mad.”
Also I personally think he is addressing “the man in the mirror” and
really hope he change his callous ways soon.
Then there are scores and hordes of mad people awaiting destruction in Guyana? When after thry loose their mad scramble for power?
You take great pride in representing your girl cussing president here he is in his female element attacking a noble son of the soil but that is how hens operate.
Immature ranting and raving by a man who suppose to be a president of a country, has he nothing else to say other than buse people? what will the govt offer guyanese if they win for the next five years, what measures are in store for the unemployed people, what are the plans for creating jobs for the jobless and things that would benifit the people of Guyana, instead he chooses to buse and cuss down others of reputable characters, come on jagdeo GROW UP.
this is what the ppp was doing all the time but we in guyana always laud that our literacy rate it 80% but not likly since this person that they had elected always abuse that office that was given to him from janet and by the ppl after they had done what they say that the oppersition used to do with the election in the pass
Nigel Hughe takes tape BEFORE its was submitted into evidence by police? There is obviously something wrong here.
Sean I like your imput. It is universally known that once a crime is committed, the scene immediately becomes the domain of Crime Scene Investigators (CSI). My learned friend; Mr. Hughes no doubt clearly knew that, but for some other obvious reason best known to him, caused the investigations to be compromised. How could he justify acquiescing to the request of the military as against the appropriate authority – C.I.D.?
@ Carl you need to do a little research about the family…. My big question is why would Mr. Hughes be at the scene if the killing and done nothing about it. would he see that his family be gunned down and say “okay at least i witness the killing, or i was there on spot” Knowing of the corruption in the legal system, he use his better sences of his brain and took the tape to get it coppied….
That is like saying that Mr Nigel Hughes was at a crime scene where someone was killed and picked up the shells so that he can keep it safe from the police.
Mr Nigel Hughes acted as a facilitator to GET THE TAPE.
I think you will learn as time goes by that you could never get proper justice from this country especilly if the people against you have connection with the government or the police force….. you matter ends there with no justice…..
if i was in Mr. Hughes place i would have dont the same. just copy it and gave it to the police….
Neither of the attorneys, Hughes, Williams, should respond to Jagdeo’s comments.
Instead the question should be asked of an accused’s civil rights to legal representation. Is the President of a sovereign country categorically stating that an accused should not be legally represented?
Jagdeo should be in place of the Hamilton’s family and then he will see what is like to face the injustice of this country…. we all know in guyana the police finds something and two days after no one can account for the missing…
If what the President is saying is true , how come he didn’t get Mr. Hughes arrested for tampering with evidence . Mr. President your words are not inline with your portfolio . Mr. Hughes is a lawyer , he decides who he dfends and who he chose not . Lawyers are paid for their application of the laws created by higher authority to defend the accused . Did OJ Simpson lawyer be called a ” murderer lawyer” . Think about it . The best lawyers in Guyana defends murderers , what you’ll say about that Mr. President . Mind your tongue . You shouldn’t speak for others . Show a good character . Be like Martin Luther and Ghandi etc . Not like holigans. If you think Hughes is part of the crime with information , then you’re also part of it .
JeffBurke
Talk about hooligans. They can hide between men but not from God.
I am totally shocked by the head of state outburst in regards to a leading member of the legal profession in Guyana. Not only is it a personal attack on the integrity of this successful criminal lawyer but questions whether we are back into the days of Burnham.
Never thought I would hear him say “I (Jagdeo) appoint Senior Counsels…He will never be a Senior Counsel once I am president and I don’t know whether Donald Ramotar will ever give him because he is a drug dealers’ lawyer.”
Let’s not grudge the success of Mr Hughes and separate politics from profession.It is widely known lawyers are retained based on referral and success rate. If it is a fact Mr. Hughes represents drug dealers is no fault of his. He provides his services to all and sundry. Seems politics has degenerated back to the lowest level practiced by previous dictators who appoint themselves JUDGE AND JURY.
Seem the president is shortsighted, there was a renown attorney that was in the PPP that was so loved by criminals because he was known to provide the representation they thought best suited their personal needs.This very person was later appointed to office in the PPP and alleged to have ties to a renown drug dealer.
What about that and why is he so concerned about Hamilton’s death. Why is he not so concerned about Sash Shaw death and inquiry.
When you have glass houses do not throw stones. It is a shame that a member of the legal profession can be so label. Are some people above the law.
It is seem appointment in the legal profession is based on political allegiance.
You are indeed a person of great Distinctive Flag…… i love your comments
an oath is an oath and sure no one in any practice should segregate their clients. what is the president’s problem? this is so sad, what a way to secure confidence.
The president is only speculating. His house is fill with glass walls. He should not throw stones. Talk half, leff half nah….
Grow up Mr President!!!
And this is how you hope to attract votes??? Ramotar if this is what you are depending on to get you elected run!!!
Grow up Mr President!!!
Dis man grow old before he grow up
You are already there and you still have not grown up.
“I (Jagdeo) appoint senior counsel…He will never be a Senior Counsel once I am President and I don’t know whether Donald Ramotar will ever give him because he is a drug dealers’ Lawyer”
This is the PPP Guyana wants …vindictive, slanderous and one which practices racism … So Guyana you’ve seen it, you’ve heard it from the horses mouth.
Our country is dying for independent leaders leaders who speak the truth and are willing to see Guyana move forward.
It’s a free country. Get in the election race.
Are you suggesting that people are elected based upon how vindictive they can be? if so why then all the negative comments about LFS before the PPP got into office? Our current president makes LFS look like an angel …thinking about the reality he was an angel but Jagdeo…. talk half leff half… this man is in his own league his character these days is a reflection of his true personality. The play is over and reality check has been engaged.
Oh my gosh have a good look at this picture; this out-going president is like a tyrant.May the good Lord have mercy on his pityful soul.
This is the party Juan said Jesus would vote for….
is this president,for real?????
Anyone out there ever heard of Sir Lionel Luckhoo,the greatest defense lawyer? Ask Jagdeo how many of Sir Lionel´s defendants were murderers.
These are cowardly acts by Jagdeo.
Cowardly like the massacare of sleeping children and torching of Government installations.
bar-rat was born a coward and grew up to be a big hen.
A man without respect and have integrity is capable of doing anything. A man who have dignity, respect and discipline will learn how to accept someone opinion. Someone opinion doesn’t bare the adjudication for an entire population but the Leader that want us to believe he was the best thing off, that Guyana couldn’t have afforded or find a better leader. Poor lad! he wasted a thought and more so brought us shame and disgrace. Now evil do act in a deceptive way, thus Guyana have been rewarded with such for a leader. When we cannot progress for the betterment for our people we start attacking our own people – why when frustration and greed kicks in it is a terrible and a tragic thing to deal with.
Sound like a person who calls a grown man a “lad’ can do the job. Go for it!
I hope you and bar-rat are not of they same feather that flock together.
The president put the word drug dealer in his ‘buse out’ to someone, he should be telling the nation, how many drug dealers he got off the streets of Guyana during his presidency and how safe he made the people of Guyana for it. Pressy, one name for you sir, ROGER KHAN.
And why is he saying, ‘once he is president’ still; dude you only got one month to go, or is this a HINT of the future PPPC?
The simple fact that the tape changed hands from Mr. Hughes, to the studio, to the Army officer, to whoever else, legally it should have been secured by the police on the scene of the crime. Whether it has been compromised or not is not the question. But what appears to have happened or the opportunity for compromise that was there.
This man is crazy…he should be tieing up loose ends as his term is coming to an end and leave Donald Ramotar ant PPP to do the campaining.
Would he like people to call him names?