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Jagdeo goes ballistic on Kaieteur News
…says Government is beholden to the newspaper
By Brushell Blackman
Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo launched a 20-minute attack on Kaieteur News and the government
Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo
at a press conference at Freedom House yesterday.
The former president said that it is no secret that he and his party have a contentious issue with Kaieteur News for what he branded as the ‘fake news’ that the publication prints.
Jagdeo said that the issue of ‘fake news’ is now gaining prominence globally but Kaieteur News has been involved in this news for the past 15 years. “Kaieteur News has honed fake news into an art form and the United States of America is now catching on from them (Kaieteur News)”.
The Opposition Leader was worried that such news by the newspaper can influence people’s opinions.
It was apparent that Jagdeo knew that this attack on an independent newspaper will ensure wide coverage of him and his party. The savage attack continued, “I will not take the trouble to go through the hundreds of ‘fake news’ Kaieteur News has published.”
However he zoned into the newspaper’s editorial that spoke about major financial discrepancies and widespread squander mania and mis-use at the National Investment Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) under his administration.
The editorial also addressed the surreptitious manner in which the Marriott Hotel’s conceptualization and subsequent building of that structure came about.
Jagdeo took umbrage to the fact that that it was pointed out that the deal was in part shrouded in secrecy “How could it have been a secret when Adam Harris (Editor-In-Chief of Kaieteur News) was there.”
He said that all that has been said about the Marriott Hotel by Kaieteur News is all ‘Fake News’. Jagdeo stated that it is not true that no feasibility study was done on the project but he could not direct to or provide any evidence of any feasibility study that was laid for that project.
The former President was not finished there. He then shifted his attention to the publisher of Kaieteur News, Glenn Lall, who he called ‘power drunk’ and someone who likes to have his own way. He alleged that Lall was seen mingling with Members of Parliament of the APNU-led government and accused the publisher of trying to shake favours from that government.
“This government is beholden to Kaieteur News; it is fearful of the newspaper criticizing them.”
According to Jagdeo, the government is indebted to the newspaper and the ‘fake news’ that was peddled during the last election campaign that allowed the APNU- led government to un-seat his party.
It was at this point that Kaieteur News came off his radar and he then waded into the government. He stated that every day in the newspaper you see promises that are made by the government but nothing is coming to fruition.
“They promise to create jobs, to pursue civil works, to enact policies that will foster social cohesion, but none of this has happened.” According to the former Head of State the current administration has failed in all departments.
Jagdeo opined that the administration is grossly incompetent and it just a matter of time before his party un-seats them.
He spoke about the boardwalk project that was recently air-marked for commencement of works. “This government talks about this project as if the public can eat it.” Jagdeo also highlighted the Linden to Lethem road and said that no feasibility study was done and that the government has seriously underestimated the magnitude of the project.
It was his belief that there will not be enough funds to offset this and the other aforementioned projects. “I will make a wager that none of these projects will commence in the next five months.”
He went on to say that he was certain that none of these projects will see the light of day for another few years.
He said that the government is continuously failing to address the fundamental issues that are affecting the society. He stated that almost every sector within the society is failing and the government is bereft of ideas to address them.
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