WHAT IS THE INTEREST IN TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OF KAIETEUR NEWS?

Aug 02, 2014 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

I trust that President Ramotar will investigate the reports that a government-owned vehicle assigned to a Minister in his Cabinet was undertaking suspicious actions outside of Kaieteur News.
This matter has security implications for the staff of Kaieteur News. It has implications for press freedom since there may be the possibility of the media being placed under surveillance. And thirdly it has possible implications concerning the use of government property.
From the video footage, the vehicle assigned to the Minister was seen slowing down and even stopping outside of the building that houses the head office of Kaieteur News. It is believed that either photographs and/ or video footage of the building were being shot.
While there is no law against taking such footage, one has to question just why would anyone want to take footage of such a facility? What is the reason? The headquarters of Kaieteur News is not an esthetically beautiful building. It is not the sort of building that anyone would wish to depict on a postcard. It is not considered as one of the more beautiful or imposing structures in Guyana.
Those who wish to accumulate an album about beautiful building in Guyana would be better advised to go to Pradoville 2. They have some lovely buildings there.
There are also beautiful wooden structures in downtown Georgetown. And there are hundreds more imposing and attractive buildings than Kaieteur News. So why would anyone in a darkly-tinted vehicle be seen snapping footage of Kaieteur News?
And why is a vehicle assigned to a minister of the government being used for this purpose? Why? And who were the occupants of that vehicle?
The staff of Kaieteur News has reason to be concerned by the suspicious movement of any vehicle outside of its offices. Indeed given what happened many years ago at this newspaper’s printing press location, it is understandable why the staff would indeed be worried about persons taking photographs or footage of a building that is as ordinary as any other building in the country. They are justifiably worried and so too should all Guyanese.
A matter such as this deserves some explanation from the government. The occupant in the vehicle could not be undertaking an investigation. The Ministry under which the vehicle falls is not an investigating ministry. It is concerned with defending civil cases for the government and offering the advice to the government. So it cannot be undertaking any surveillance or secretive investigation. So just what then was the purpose of this vehicle suspiciously circling Kaieteur News? And does this constitute an abuse of government property?
The President should investigate this matter. He should demand to know just who were in the vehicle, the person or persons that would have authorized the use of vehicle, and just what they were doing in that vehicle.
There are two broader issues, as mentioned before, that are involved. The first of these is whether or not the media is being placed under some special form of surveillance. This needs to be determined because if this is so it would represent a retrograde step in our country and for the presidency of Donald Ramotar.
There are enough serious issues about press freedom in Guyana for these to be complicated by the possibility that the media may be under monitoring by the government. The President needs to assure the media in Guyana that this is not so.
The second issue concerns the use of government property. The President needs to ensure that government property is not abused. Government property should not on any occasion be used to pursue personal agendas or for any other unauthorized purposes. It would be of great assurance to the people of Guyana if the President can confirm that this was not the case in relation to that vehicle that was seen moving suspiciously outside of the head office of Kaieteur News.
What are we to make of this incident with the taking of photographs by a vehicle assigned to a Minister? It is for the President to let us know.
And while he is at it, perhaps some member of parliament can ask for a list of all the state-owned vehicles assigned to Ministers. I fail to see how any minister should have the use of more than one state-owned vehicle.
No minister can be at two places at the same time and therefore, for every minister there should only ideally be one vehicle assigned. If a minister has in his or her possession two or more vehicles then those vehicles except one, should be owned by that minister.

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WHAT IS THE INTEREST IN TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OF KAIETEUR NEWS?

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