Police investigation into “illegally” spent $4.5B…Nandlall chides Ramjattan for “reckless remarks”

Sep 10, 2014 News

Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall has chided the leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Khemraj Ramjattan, for what he deems are “reckless remarks” he recently made, in particular, his claim that government is interfering in the police’s investigation into the Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh.

Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall

Ramjattan had filed a complaint with the Guyana Police Force against Singh, over alleged illegal spending of some $4.5B from the National Treasury. However, it has been almost two months and the law enforcement agency has not given a formal response to the Party’s complaint.
The AFC Parliamentarian said that he was “reliably informed” that the Government is interfering with the investigation, as ranks are being told to delay the process. The attorney-at-law said that during the course of this week, he will be formally approaching the police for a feedback, as well as writing a reminder to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Nandlall said that Ramjattan has once again and characteristically at that “failed to provide a scintilla of evidence to support his wild allegation that Government has interfered or is interfering with a report filed with the Guyana Police Force.”
He said that one would expect the AFC leader, who is an attorney at law, to name the government official who is guilty of this alleged interference or at least identify a person or persons in the Police Force whose work was the subject of this alleged interference. Nandlall spotlighted the fact that the reputable lawyer failed to bring this information to the fore in an effort to strengthen his “hasty claims.”
The Attorney General (AG) said that he maintains most resolutely that the Minister of Finance, acted in absolute compliance with the relevant constitutional provisions as interpreted by the Chief Justice in a written ruling issued on January 29, 2014, and that at all times he acted upon the directions of the Cabinet.
He said too, that the very actions which the Finance Minister took in 2014 were taken in 2012 and 2013. Nandlall reminded that these very actions were supported by Ramjattan in the National Assembly. He said that perhaps it is of even greater significance that he points out that the restorations of budget cuts by the Finance Minister took place while the case was being argued before the Chief Justice.

AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan

Nandlall made the point that not once during those arguments or even in the press did Ramjattan, or any member of the opposition for that matter, make any contention that the criminal law was violated. “Is it that they have now awakened from some inexplicable slumber?” the Minister questioned.
The AG asserted that the AFC leader now expects the Police to investigate an alleged crime that he himself took two years to realize is a “crime” and moreover, which he voted in support of, in the premier law-making institution of the land.
“Before making these inane assertions, Ramjattan should really consider the real possibility that the Police may not be able to investigate that which does not exist,” Nandlall added
The Legal Affairs Minister strongly believes that the modus operandi of the opposition is plain.
“So long as a process does not yield the result which is consistent with their expectations and political agenda, they denigrate the process and they subject those engaged in the process to vile and vulgar verbal assaults.”
He then mentioned several instances to support his claim. He said that the Linden Commission of Inquiry did not meet the opposition’s expectations and political agenda, and as such, they condemned the Commission and criticized the Commissioners.
The AG said that the Chief Justice did not rule in the Opposition’s favour and so they attack the independence of the Judiciary and “cuss out” the Judges, and now the Police investigations do not satisfy Ramjattan’s whims and fancies, so “he abuses the investigators and attacks the investigation process.”