200 blacklisted...Get list from Commissioner of Information

200 blacklisted…Get list from Commissioner of Information

May 26, 2017 News

– Top Cop tells Edghill

The Peoples Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) through one of its members, Juan Edghill, had written to Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud requesting a copy of the list of 200 persons blacklisted from leaving Guyana.
The Top Cop has since responded, informing Edghill that “the Police Force has been advised by the police legal adviser that you (Edghill) should request such information through the Commissioner of Information under the Access to Information Act 2011”.
The PPP/C Member of Parliament said that he has made such a request to the Commissioner of Information, Charles Ramson, already. Edghill believes that such a position taken by Persaud to his request is strange.
Further, Edghill said that his position is publicly known on the issue. Edghill had first made a request to the Chief Immigration Officer and when that information was not forthcoming, he then wrote to Ramson.

PPP/C MP Juan Edghill

Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud

The information commissioner told Edghill that he was in receipt of his application and has already set a process in motion to access the requested information.
Ramson said that he prepared letters to the Commissioner of Police, Seelall Persaud and “shall have them delivered.”
He continued, “As you are aware, this exercise has to be outsourced owing to the absence of staff since July 2015. My office has not been provided with any officers, employees etc. by the Minister of Information as is required by the Access of Information Act 2011. As soon as I receive a response to my letter of demand I shall communicate with you.”
In light of the lack of resources and the fact that the Commissioner needed to outsource Edghill’s request now means that the information requested might not become available anytime soon.
Edghill was less than happy with the response provided by the Police Commissioner. It is his view that Persaud can use his ‘high office’ and provide the information to his party.
When this newspaper broke the story, the opposition party was unhappy about the blacklisting of individuals. The party felt that some of the persons that are blacklisted from leaving Guyana might not know that they are on the list in the first place.
Another PPP/C member, former Attorney General Anil Nandlall believes that the police are acting in contravention of the constitution. Nandlall said that in order for someone to be blacklisted, this has to be an order given by the court.
However a government source had a different position on the matter. According to the source, the list is being constantly updated as SOCU delves deeper into suspected cases of money laundering and misuse of state funds by some officials.
The source said that during the conduct of the investigations, once suspected ‘skullduggery’ is detected the blacklist order is applied for by that unit to the relevant authority.
The source said that it should be made clear that blacklisting an individual is not something that is taken lightly or on a whim, but a solid case has to be made before such an undertaking is made.

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