Is Minister Broomes being vindictive?

Aug 06, 2016 Letters

Dear Editor,
On Saturday, July 2nd 2016, an operation led by Junior Minister of Natural Resources, Simona Brooms, at Puruni Landing, Cuyuni Mazaruni, Region 7 included some members of the Police Force, GGMC Officials and Media Operatives. The visit at Puruni Landing saw the closing down and nailing up of one shop which is being rented by a Brazilian national called “Junior”. It must be noted that Puruni Landing is not a gazetted landing for business.
Let’s see how it all started and how we ended up at Puruni Landing. A few months ago there was a lead story in all the media houses in Guyana and Social Network under the headline “Minister Brooms sweeps Bartica”. In the middle of night, Minister Brooms and her team, back then, went to a popular night club in Bartica named “Platinum Nite Club”, managed by “Junior”, a Brazilian National.
Minister Brooms, with her unprofessional conduct and layman behavior ordered the bright lights turned on in the club, nobody to leave the night club and went ahead and order the arrest of all the “girls” whom Miss Brooms alleged were being held against their will by “Junior” much to the upsetting of party goers.
There were exchanges of explicit languages from both sides. The girls were arrested and taken to Georgetown along with Junior. In the end, Minister Brooms failed miserably in her attempt to secure a conviction against Junior and his “queens on prostitution and trafficking” in person allegations. Ever since the unprofessional conduct of Minister Brooms, the domino effect is still being felt by the vendors who sell at nights in front of the night club and taxi drivers who all maintain their families, pay their mortgages and utility bills as business at Platinum Nite Club remains in slow motion. Vendors and taxi drivers are afraid to speak out over the slowdown in business at the night club.
Now the case of Puruni Landing. Out of respect for concerns raised by some members of society in Bartica over the unfounded allegations of trafficking in persons and prostitutions against Junior and the night club and for the sake of peace Junior went to Puruni Landing where he is renting a shop to this date. Up come Minister Brooms on the above date mentioned, went to Puruni Landing with her team and proceeded to nail up windows and doors of the very shop that is being rented by Junior in the name of looking for prostitution activities and trafficking in persons but failed again.
After a thorough search of the shop and noting illegal was found by Ms Brooms and her team, she ordered the closing down of the shop. Puruni Landing has over two dozen shops presently. Are some members of the police force, Geology and Mines Commission and media operatives being used by Minister Brooms to carry out her personal vendetta against her opponents as the following question deserves an answer:
a)     Was the operation on July 2nd at Puruni Landing a Governmental or Ministry of Natural Resources operation?
b)     On what grounds did Minister Brooms and GGMC used to order the closure of one shop out of 24?
c)       Are tax payers being used to finance operation for personal reasons?
d)      Who authorized this operation?
It is alleged that Minister Brooms’ words to Junior and his girls were that she is acting on behalf of the President who give her the power and that she can do anything she wants. The shop in question is licensed and all other documents are in order and is said to expire in 2017.
I call on the Brazilian Embassy to intervene on behalf of its nationals with a view to ensuring that the rights of their citizens are not being violated by Miss Brooms.
Junior has been living in Guyana for the past 7 to 10 years. All of his employees, as a legitimate businessman are Guyanese. Minister Brooms has left Georgetown, journeyed all the way to the interior to close down one shop. I call on the Government of Guyana to investigate allegations of open and blatant discrimination against Brazilian Nationals. I am afraid Miss Brooms is lighting a candle she won’t be able to out. Allegations of all forms and kinds continue to be leveled against Minister Brooms. I urge the President, to act as the Minister’s conduct is increasingly coming under public scrutiny. She is without limits.
Sherwyn Delano Downer
Mining Advocate

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