Berbice cops investigating threats by AFC member against fellow memberDerek Basdeo…General Secretary says it was "two men arguing about personal issues"

Berbice cops investigating threats by AFC member against fellow memberDerek Basdeo…General Secretary says it was “two men arguing about personal issues”

Mar 26, 2019 News

Police in Berbice are currently investigating a report filed by two members of the Alliance For Change that they were threatened by a fellow member after a party meeting in New Amsterdam Saturday night. Commander of the Division, Paul Langevine, has since confirmed that a report was made on the incident and that they are investigating.

Last Saturday evening, Derek Basdeo, was sitting in front of Devin Sukraj’s business place at Main and New Street, New Amsterdam. A meeting had just concluded when Lindon Jones, another member of the party, began to hurl insults and threaten Basdeo in the presence of the General Secretary of the AFC Marlon Williams.
This is according to Devin Sukhraj of the AFC.

Devin Sukhraj

Sukhraj confirmed that Jones threatened him and Basdeo and also cursed out Williams. This, he said, prompted him to retreat to the upper flat of his building to avoid a confrontation.
He added that the issue stemmed from an announcement that was made by the General Secretary during the meeting Saturday night.
The announcement was that an election for the AFC Regional Management Committee (RMC) which was held last week declaring Jones as the new Chairman was null and void. It was also announced that a new election will have to take place.
This reportedly incensed Jones, Sukhraj said, and he reacted by hurling expletives and insults at his own party members after the meeting concluded.
Sukhraj said that it was done in the presence of Marlon Williams. Shortly after, Sukhraj and Basdeo filed a report at the Central Police Station.
However, when Kaieteur News contacted Williams regarding the events that unfolded that night, he contradicted Sukhraj and denied that the incident was premised on i

General Secretary, Marlon Williams

nformation uttered at their meeting that the previous RMC election was null and void and a new election will take place.
In fact, Williams stated, “I don’t know anything about no battle or so. When I left there were two guys verbally arguing and I went my way. It was just two guys arguing about personal things. Based on the report that I received there was no physical altercation, it was just two men arguing and it was nothing in relation to what was reported in the media.”
Efforts to contact the alleged aggressor, Lindon Jones, proved futile since several calls to his cell phone went unanswered. Kaieteur News was told that a meeting was convened between party executives yesterday to discuss the way forward in light of the incident.
Over the past few months, members of the Alliance for Change in Berbice have been reaching out to this publication and claiming that there is a “breaking out in the party”.
According to a member, the issues that are currently brewing are bound to leave a bad impression. “What will people out there say when we are fighting among ourselves?”.
The member stated that the issues began to boil over when there was an RMC election that was held in February.

Lindon Jones

Derek Basdeo was the Returning Officer but after that election was concluded and Omesh Orilall was declared the Chairman of the committee, a new meeting was called by Williams and that election was recorded as null and void.
The second election was held a week ago, where Derek Basdeo and Devin Sukhraj along with several other members of the party walked out. Lindon Jones was voted in as the new RMC Chairman after the walk-out.
However, at a meeting held last Saturday when the incident took place, that election was also declared null and void. Sukhraj confirmed that it due to the fact that they walked out.
The RMC will now have a third election to elect a new Chairman.

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