Nandlall says his clients and cases reflect racial discrimination

Jul 30, 2016 News

…Afro-Guyanese and Amerindians are also victims

Former Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, has said that he is currently involved in several legal matters which are before the High Court involving predominantly persons of Indian origin.

PPP/C MP, Anil Nandlall

Nandlall believes his clients were targeted by the government based on their race and supposed political affiliation to the People’s Progressive Party Civic.
He was at the time addressing members of the media during a press conference at Freedom House on Wednesday. Nandlall reported a case of widespread dismissal of hundreds of Indo-Guyanese in the public sector without a hearing or compensation. He said that he has since proceeded to file legal actions on behalf of many of these workers.
But there is no record of the hundreds of Indo-Guyanese in the public sector. Nandlall, like Rohee and his colleagues, could hardly name anyone.
Further, he mentioned that there has been repossession, seizure or attempted repossession of core homes or house lots from predominantly Indo-Guyanese by the Central Housing and Planning Authority.
But when confronted, the government said that many of these people were home owners and were therefore speculators. Some admitted to keeping the homes for their children while others were securing a home for relatives in other parts of the country.
Another matter which is before the High Court is that which involves attempts and continuous attempts to expropriate private property owned by Transport and Certificate of Title. He said again, that in these matters there is a high percentage of Indo-Guyanese.
Nandlall pointed to what he described as the targeting of predominantly Indo-Guyanese for investigation by the Special Organised Crime Unit and the State Assets Recovery Unit. According to Nandlall, these units have confiscated large sums of money and jewellery in the course and result of investigations.
These units seized the money and jewellery from people who were smuggling the items out of the country. Many of these people are awaiting prosecution.
Nandlall said that there is a pending action in the High Court concerning the wanton dismissal of senior management officials from GUYSUCO who are predominantly of Indian origin.
Nandlall added to his list of alleged discrimination, the closure of Wales Estate where the majority of workers are of Indian origin. Further, he said that there is a refusal to offer financial assistance to the rice industry which is predominantly operated by Indo-Guyanese.
The PPP MP said that even the removal of street lamps from certain Indo-Guyanese villages in the West Coast of Berbice while simultaneously installing street lights in Afro-Guyanese communities is a clear act of discrimination.
According to the former AG, the Guyana Revenue Authority has been targeting residents in Regions Five and Six who are cultivating cash crops in their yards. Nandlall said that these cases which he has listed are not the figment of anyone’s imagination, they are real and factual.
Yet the evidence eludes the public, said one government spokesman. It is easy to make accusations; it is a difficult proposition to prove them or to make them known, he added.
Nandlall said that he has in his possession affidavit evidence by persons claiming to be victims of systemic racial and political discrimination.
Nandlall went further to inform the media that there is a case seeking to represent 2000 Amerindians who were dismissed because of their suspected allegiance and support for the People’s Progressive Party.
He said that he has also filed a series of actions on behalf of Afro-Guyanese rice farmers in Region Five whose land leases have been apparently unlawfully revoked by the President himself because it is suspected that these rice farmers have allegiance to the PPP/C.
The PPP Member of Parliament opined that even the Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan are victims of such discrimination despite being a part of the coalition government.
Nandlall said, “It is public knowledge that the Prime Minister has not been given the type of responsibility contemplated by the Cummingsburg Accord. Similarly a host of important powers and functions were deliberately removed from the (former) Home Affairs Ministry and transferred to the Ministry of the Presidency upon the appointment of Minister Khemraj Ramjattan.”
The PPP MP concluded that the discrimination is not simply against Indo-Guyanese. However he chose to deal with it at length since it had attracted the wrath of the coalition government. He presented his argument in defence of the recent statements made by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo at an event in New York.
Jagdeo had reported that the current government is carrying out an assault on people of Indian origin and supporters of the PPP/C. The government has since condemned Jagdeo’s remarks describing them as despicable and reprehensible.

1 thoughts on “Nandlall says his clients and cases reflect racial discrimination”

Dennis Mckenzie July 30, 2016 at 8:40 pm

Nandlall is an opportunist,who should be jailed,not only for his racism,but also for alleged misappropriation of government`s funds,under Ramotar`s presidency.SARU,please check this man out.