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Govt.’s position on Nandlall’s actions exclude Luncheon’s input
Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon yesterday told the media that government’s position on
Dr. Roger Luncheon
revelations about the Attorney General (AG) Anil Nandlall’s alleged knowledge of a violent threat to Kaieteur News staffers does not necessarily reflect the advice by him to the President.
Luncheon said that while his opinion may have differed from those which influenced the position taken by the government, he is fully prepared to support the administration’s stance.
Dr. Luncheon was asked yesterday whether he had advised President Donald Ramotar on how to go about addressing the issue initially, and how to respond to calls for the removal of Nandlall from the post of Attorney General, but he did not give a direct answer.
The Cabinet Secretary made it clear that he has sought to distance himself from addressing press briefings and the public on the matter. He reasoned that his option to take that position is linked directly with the principle of sub judice.
He continued however, by saying that the President’s position on his Attorney General’s tenure has not been a matter that lacked clarity from day one – that position being that Nandlall, despite his illegal utterance, “enjoys the president’s full support.”
Dr. Luncheon said, “I think you would agree that if the instant response by the President is to be given a value that goes beyond the content of the support.”
He asserted that added value comes from the fact that the government had been very timely in its declaration of the support to Nandlall. Indeed, the government had mere hours after Nandlall’s recording was made public, issued a statement defending Nandlall, making allegations of distortion and manipulation, and essentially painted Kaieteur News as an enemy of the state.
Asked to clarify whether or not he advised the President on the matter, Dr. Luncheon again avoided a clear response, stating that he doesn’t “really any longer” consider himself as an advisor to the President.
He said that he has indeed, over the years, been engaging Presidents on “Luncheon’s perspective”, “but I don’t believe that that has anything to do with a job, the President has advisors…he’s got this one advisor and he’s got one that died recently (Presidential Advisor on Sustainable Development, Navin Chandarpal)… he has different advisors.”
Further pressed, Dr. Luncheon said plainly “yes, I had inputs into the disclosures that have taken place at cabinet level.”
Asked if his inputs are reflected in the position taken by the People’s Progressive Party administration, Luncheon replied, “I wouldn’t say that.”
The Cabinet Secretary said that it is kind of “difficult” when over 20 members have to vote on a decision.
Dr. Luncheon disclosed that, “Of course this is a matter that has gripped the attention of cabinet…it is difficult to say that Luncheon’s (position), particularly the people whose position accord with Luncheon’s position, has been taken as the overall position.”
He then sought to make it clear that once a position is adopted by the administration; there is no longer a difference between “the Luncheon” and “the government’s” position, for in the end, it is all one.
The embattled AG filed a $30M lawsuit against this publication for libel contained in an article published on October 28, titled “Attorney General reveals plan to hit Glenn Lall, Kaieteur News”.
Glenn Lall, the Publisher and owner of Kaieteur News two Mondays ago, handed over to the police, a recording of a conversation between Nandlall and a Senior Kaieteur News reporter Leonard Gildarie. In the profanity-laced recording, Nandlall could be heard talking about a potentially violent threat against Lall and his staff.
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