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Ogle Airport ordered to cease issuing Protocol Passes – Peter Ramsaroop issued one during Charrandass’ departure
Details are now emerging that Ogle Airport Inc. (OAI) issued two Protocol Passes on the morning of December 22nd – one to Richard Beliveau, Mission Security Officer of the High Commission of Canada in Guyana, and the other to Peter Ramsaroop, advisor to the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), which is in Opposition.
The two men used the passes to escort Government Member of Parliament, Charrandass Persaud, to the airport’s Departure Lounge where they later ensured he safely boarded a flight to Barbados, on the way to Canada.
The airport has since been ordered to cease issuing Protocol Passes, with the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) launching a probe to determine any breaches.
Persaud is the government parliamentarian who on the evening of December 21st, voted with the Opposition on a no-confidence motion to topple the Coalition Government, just three and half years of its term.
Persaud is now facing a police investigation into whether he received any inducement and on issues of “national security”.
Police are also reportedly probing whether the former MP of the Alliance For Change (AFC) attempted to purchase US$1M in gold days before the vote.
According to reports, Persaud, in the company of Ramsaroop, a former US military officer, left the back entrance of the Parliament that night.
Persaud, who holds dual citizenship with Guyana and Canada, invoked protection of the High Commission after the vote, which is currently being challenged in the High Court. He left Parliament for the High and Young Street-based Canadian High Commission that night and stayed there under the protection of security, before he was escorted in a diplomatic vehicle to the airport.
Speaking on what transpired at the airport, OAI insists that it did not breach security protocol at the Eugene F. Correia International Airport as was “erroneously reported”.
“Ogle Airport Inc., in the administration of the airport, is instructed and guided by its Airport Operations Manual approved by the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority.
OAI is, in fact, in accordance with its Airport Operations Manual, “responsible for the control of entry into the Restricted Areas and the Prohibited Areas of the Airport”.”
The airport disclosed that the former MP, a lawyer by profession, was a passenger on LIAT flight #LI 392 which departed at 6:17 am on 22nd December, 2018.
PPP advisor, Peter Ramsaroop, escorting Charrandass Persaud from Parliament on the evening of December 21st.
“Mr. Persaud arrived at the Airport accompanied by Mr. Richard Beliveau, Mission Security Officer of the High Commission of Canada, together with Mr. Peter Ramsaroop.
Mr. Beliveau presented himself and his Ministry of Foreign Affairs ID Card to the Airport Duty Officer and requested a pass to accompany a passenger to the aircraft. Mr. Peter Ramsaroop also requested a pass saying he was part of Mr. Beliveau’s party,” a statement from the airport said.
“The Airport Duty Officer, in accordance with an established courtesy practice as is requested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, extended to diplomatic personnel, granted a Protocol pass to both persons.
“The passes were duly returned in exchange for their respective ID documents on their departure from the Airport. Both Mr. Beliveau and Mr. Ramsaroop, as well as Mr. Charrandass Persaud, were subjected to full and complete screening before entering the Departure Lounge in accordance with the requirements of the Aviation Security Programme approved by the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority.”
According to the airport, the GCAA has conducted a Security Assessment into the matter and has since directed the airport to suspend the issuance of Protocol Passes until the system is further reviewed.
Persaud who said he voted with his conscience because of severe shortcomings by his party, the Alliance For Change, has since been expelled and replaced by Barbara Pilgrim.
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