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James Bond: On His Majesty Secret Service

Oct 31, 2020 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

Kaieteur News – The fact that the local 007 is silent about G$220 million he collected from lands awarded to him by NICIL, then sold, does not mean that ‘007 at Ocean Eleven’ (those at my age would remember that ska hit by Desmond Dekker; I was 16 then); that does not mean he is guilty.
But why a loud-mouthed, pro-violence, politician like Bond would not want to defend himself against some formidable journalistic reporting on events that do not look good for him? In fact, anyone reading those news items in the press would want to believe that Bond’s adventure was not above board. The fictional James Bond always defends himself. The real life James Bond is more and more looking like a sheep.
Here is my take. If the APNU+AFC government could have called in the police to investigate Pradoville 2 then the current administration has to summon SOCU to interview Bond. What occurred with Bond has no parallel in pre and post independent Guyana. Pradoville 2 is child’s play in comparison to the story of NICIL and 007. How a man could be awarded state lands without a track record of entrepreneurship in agriculture or housing construction or a related business field? Then the lands are sold and the man collects $220 million.
There is a pressing question about the James Bond drama. Who gave him his licence to make a killing? My answer is that President Granger had to know about the transactions that were taking place in his government long before 2020 came into being. This analyst, this academic, this columnist, this social activist, is saying with unambiguous assertion that I believe the president knew what was taking place among his Cabinet subordinates.
When the secret oil deal signing was exposed, Granger was automatically catapulted into the limelight. Questions began to be asked about his knowledge about questionable transactions. From the surreptitious oil signing, things began to fall apart and they were falling apart rapidly. I will advise readers to read between the lines when I use the term, “things falling apart.” I use this term to avoid opening myself to libel.
Readers must be aware that once you accuse any bigwig of corruption in the APNU+AFC house of illegalities and immoralities, you will get sued because they will use the court writ and injunction to stop you from further exposure. By 2017, it was clear to me that APNU+AFC was the most corrupt government Guyana had ever seen.
We were all reduced to fools when we were running around shouting about corruption in the Jagadeo government and Ramotar administration. With each passing year, I acquired information about massive corruption among certain AFC personnel. By 2019, levels of corruption in the halls of power had made the PPP ministers from 23 years in power look like a baby taking a chocolate bar at the checkout counter. AFC bigwigs had exceeded the skullduggery of any PPP minister from 1992-2015.
Why was the level of corruption so massive in 2019? The APNU+AFC were uncertain of the election outcome. In February, they received a poll result they had commissioned from a respected pollster that showed no clear winner. Subsequent professional surveys by both PPP and PNC put the PPP in front. From there on, tensions and anxiety pervaded the APNU+AFC war room.
What happened then is that a vicious land-grabbing operation began within the halls of APNU+AFC. If one thinks that the James Bond land controversy is big, they will get apoplexy when information comes out as to who owns what in the APNU+AFC hierarchy. The amount in the James Bond saga is 20 acres. That is peanuts when compared to what certain top boys in the APNU+AFC acquired.
What role did David Granger play in all of this? Can Guyanese still accept the description of David Granger being Mr. Clean? Is it possible that within a five-year period, you can have such colossal levels of corruption within the hierarchy of a government and the man at the top of the pyramid did not know? The answer is obvious. He had to know.
To what extent was Granger involved. I am going to stay away from any comment. But I will not let fear of libel prevent me from offering my opinions on a matter of political interest. Here are two of my opinions. One is I do not believe that whatever shocking conspiracies his ministers were involved in, President Granger did not know. The other is that I do not accept the label that Granger was above the fray.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

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