Nandlall threatens Jaipaul Sharma with libel suit over “malicious” Facebook post

Nov 18, 2020 News

Attorney General, Anil Nandlall

Kaieteur News – Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mohabir Anil Nandlall has informed former Public Infrastructure Minister, Jaipaul Sharma of his intention to institute legal proceedings if Sharma does not rescind and apologise for a Facebook post he deems malicious and libelous.
In the November 17 post, Sharma criticises as hypocritical, the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) Government’s crusade against questionable land deals entered into by the former David Granger administration.
Sharma states, “The hypocritical PPP/c MOHAMMED/BADRAT government going after JAMES Bond and others for questionable land sales using the Attorney General MOHABIR while AG’s office, Guyana Police Force and the DPP are filled with cases about questionable land sales and breach of land development contracts under the previous PPP/c government and MOHABIR is doing nothing about it.”
Bond had been involved in a land deal scandal, over his receipt of US$1 million related to the sale of prime state lands leased by the National Industrial & Commercial Investments Ltd. (NICIL) to a company called GLASS Holdings.

Former Minister of Public Infrastructure, Jaipaul Sharma

In the Facebook post, Sharma goes on to accuse the Attorney General’s law firm, Mohabir A. Nandlall & Associates, of being involved in some questionable transactions in which a large “PLOT” of land was transferred a few days after Granger took office in 2015.
After Nandlall was notified of the claim, he made contact which Sharma, according to both parties. Nandlall reportedly requested that Sharma provide evidence of his claim. Sharma said he told Nandlall, he read about the details in a Forensic Audit report of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA) by Attorney-at-Law and Chartered Accountant, Christopher Ram.
Ram reportedly told Nandlall that he could not recall any such information being contained in his report.
Both Nandlall and Sharma posted photos of the legal document sent by Nandlall to Sharma, which states “In the circumstances, I hereby demand that you retract that offensive publication forthwith and that you publish on your Facebook account with equal prominence, a post apologizing, unconditionally, to our client and law firm.”
Sharma moved to Facebook again, calling on the public to come to his defence.
“To my Guyanese Brothers and Sisters,” he said, “I stand by my statement and I am now calling on your support and protection.”