I was slandered in an open letter

Dec 25, 2017 Letters

Dear Editor,
My name is Neilson Mc Kenzie. I worked for two years as the Legal (Assistant) and Business Liaison Officer at the Ministry of Business.
My name is referenced in an article published “An Open Letter To President Granger”.
The article alleges inter alia:
1. That I do not possess a law degree or LLB
2. That I claimed to possess a Master’s Degree
3. That I didn’t go to law school because I couldn’t afford it
4. That I demanded millions of dollars from scrap metal dealers for permits.
5. That the trade was closed because of a report to the Minister.
6. That I was caught selling permits and the police were called in and I am interdicted from duty.
7. That I was fired while working at Hits and Jams for doing something on camera.
First of all, a perusal of the graduate rolls at the University of Guyana would indicate that I graduated from the University in 2015 with a Degree in Law.
Second of all, my business card and my signature on emails indicated that I was a ‘Masters Degree Candidate’. In other words, that I was now in the process of acquiring a Master’s Degree. I had signed up for the University of Guyana’s Law Programme which stalled after the death of the HOD Mr. Sheldon McDonald. (UG can verify this). I have never purported to be a holder of a Master’s Degree. This is a well known fact.
Our house as well as our vehicles were destroyed by fire in Timehri in 2012. This is the reason that I did not attend law school at the time.
The claim that I demanded millions of dollars from scrap metal dealers is also false, as no licence for export has ever been or can ever be signed by me, only by the Permanent Secretary or Deputy Permanent Secretary, nor was I a member of the Commerce Department which processed licences. My engagement was at the level of drafting legislation, interacting with dealers for consultation purposes and verifying their source of metals. This was a free and clear process with multiple checks and balances. No monies was collected at the Ministry either, but paid directly to the Bank. The trade was reopened under specific considerations after the Cabinet approved the Ministers request for three months. After the three month period, the trade was then closed again. This had nothing to do with me or reports made as far as I am aware. The three-month period was published by your very newspaper.
I have never been caught selling permits and I resent this accusation vehemently. An exporter was caught with photocopied permits and tried to implicate the Ministry by saying that he got it from the Ministry; he claimed specifically that he paid me for it but did not receive it from me. I was on leave and out of the country on the day in question. (The police are aware of this). As part of the investigation into the matter, more than seven persons were held for questioning and placed on bail, myself included.
Finally, I resigned my post at Hits and Jams Entertainment to further my studies, because the law programme became more demanding at the time. That too is verifiable.
I only ask that the details be reviewed so that they can be verified by Kaieteur News and then a retraction can be made. This entire ordeal has been very damaging to me personally and professionally as it has shown me how quickly an accusation can cost you.
It is not the first time that something like this has happened with the Ministry and scrap metal dealers, but given the far reaching ramifications, I could not sit back and have my name dragged through the mud.
As for the actual legislation, more than eight consultations were held with the scrap metal dealers, GRA and other stakeholders and several changes were made.
The document in its current formulation is sound and only those who are keen to continually illegally deal in scrap metal without checks and balances would be complaining.
Finally, I recognise that this is a targeted smear campaign aimed at painting me in a bad light to make those accused look better. I implore them to print their names so that it can be dealt with in the Court of law.
Neilson Mckenzie (Jnr)

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