PPP supports Nandlall against KN, despite obvious irregularities

Nov 04, 2014 News

There is a slim chance that the Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, will receive even a slap on the wrist from the

Attorney General,
Anil Nandlall

government for his transgressions. Neither will he be asked to resign.
Yesterday, the ruling political party, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), essentially endorsed the statements made by Nandlall in the recording of a telephone conversation between him and Kaieteur News Senior Reporter, Leonard Gildarie.
The Minister was recorded making threats to the lives of Kaieteur News staff and admitting that he misappropriated taxpayers’ money.
As he hosted the PPP weekly press conference yesterday, General Secretary Clement Rohee was asked to say to what extent the party feels that Nandlall should be sanctioned and if the PPP thinks that he should be asked to step down.
“Before we talk about the extent, we have to talk about the basis upon which he should be asked to step down.”
The basis was widely published in the media. The conversation contained a threat to Kaieteur News staff, a derogatory comment about a female reporter, and an admission that he used state funds for personal reasons.
Nandlall said, “I use some money from the Government and Glenn mek an issue of it and I pay back the f**king money.”
Nandlall said that he is not a thief and has never taken anything from anybody to further his cause, the PPP General Secretary said. The admission that he took state funds for private reasons was ignored.
Rohee added that Nandlall made it clear that he has “no ulterior motives”. But the Attorney General sought desperately to have Gildarie reveal the identity of a female Kaieteur News reporter whom he earlier in the conversation referred to as a “thing” his uncle wanted to have sex with.
Rohee, in a dismissive tone said, “That’s the basis for which he should step down? If that is the basis then I should have stepped

PPP General Secretary, Clement Rohee

down long ago because the media also had that basis for me to step down.”
Asked about the possibility of sanctions, Rohee said, “I think there is a police investigation in the matter and I think there are certain matters before the court. Also, the government has issued a statement on the matter.”
The politician then noted that the PPP stands fully behind the government on that matter. He said that the party wants the administration to hold firmly to its position.
The General Secretary said that the PPP would be very disappointed if the government cedes to “any blackmailing tactic on the part of the persons who are making certain accusations against the Attorney General.
“We understand that one element of the blackmailing tactic is that they have more recordings to publish…Our position is if there are more let them be released.”
Asked if he considers the Attorney General’s behaviour to be ethical, Rohee chose not to give a direct answer. He instead answered in a style similar to the one mastered by Presidential Advisor, Roger Luncheon.
In his response, Rohee said that many have had their say but all that has been said is biased, negative and aimed directly at “lynching” Nandlall.
He said that the only balanced comment so far is the one made by the Government. The comment to which Rohee referred was one that only expressed Government’s support for Nandlall and painted Kaieteur News as an enemy of the State.
And as an aside, when asked to say what was balanced about the statement, the General Secretary couldn’t.
Rohee told reporters that he read a document delivered to him and signed by Kaieteur News Publisher, Glenn Lall. He said that he noted 12 points that seem not to have caught the attention of sections of the media.
He said that those are the points he would like to see reported and focused upon.
With regard to the points Rohee made about the Kaieteur News being used as a weapon and that Nandlall’s wife is innocent, it must be noted that the Attorney General also said, “Is not newspaper they gonna use as a weapon they got they got weapons and when you attack people like that and they have no way of responding they gun just walk with their weapons in that same f**king Saffon Street office and wha comes suh do and innocent Peter gah pay fuh fucking Paul.”