Here is my reason for not suing anyone

Jan 21, 2023 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

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Kaieteur News – I saw a video clip in which a reporter confronted PNC parliamentarian, Ganesh Mahipal with questions about a tape in which he, Faaiz Mursaline and Roysdale Forde were discussing a course of action within the PNC based on complaints Mursaline made to them.

The substance was about Mursaline signing blank checks at the request of the PNC leader. Mursaline also made accusations against PNC official Carol Joseph about racially charged things she is alleged to have said. The three-way discussion is available on tape for people to hear what Mursaline said about Ms. Joseph.

When the reporter put certain questions to Mahipal about the tape, he can be heard seeking refuge in his stuck record, “I’m not aware of that.” In most countries, there would have been calls for Mahipal’s resignation based on his performance.

When verifiable facts are openly in circulation in the environment and a politician representing people that voted for him says he is not aware then it calls into question competence.

I asked Mahipal in an interview last year to give his take on the position Dominic Gaskin took on the March 2020 election in which Mr. Gaskin unambiguously assailed the attempts at rigging.

Mahipal said he was not fully aware of what Gaskin said. The words of Gaskin were carried in all printed newspapers, all online newspapers and was the talk of the totality of the Guyanese nation for weeks.

Gaskin’s emanation was given prodigious coverage because of the huge status he held at the time. He was one of the big figures in the Alliance For Change and was the son-in-law of the sitting president, Mr. David Granger.

Two comments need to be put on Mahipal’s attitude. One if he is was not aware of what Gaskin said, then, he should not be allowed to be a parliamentarian. It is too colossal a mistake to be forgiven. I would think that Mahipal’s confession is similar to an American saying one year after the 9/11 terror act in the US that they were not fully aware of it.

The other comment is that if it is an evading tactic, then it is a silly one and Mahipal should invent a new one. It does not do a politician any credit to keep responding to questions by saying, “I am not aware of it.” A more suitable direction is to say, “I have no comment at this time.”

In a social media discussion programme last year among Mahipal and his acolytes, Mahipal described me as mad. People take advantage of my declaration that I will not sue. I guess it will go on and I will not sue simply because that is not my style.

I want to make it clear that in suing, you are telling the court your character was damaged because of how people will now see you. I don’t believe my character will be damaged because I don’t think Guyanese will believe those things said about me thus, I will not sue.

One example should suffice. I quoted this week in one of my columns what Lincoln Lewis said about immigrants coming to Guyana. The statement was reproduced as a quote without comment.

Lewis replied with a description of me that with any other Guyanese, he would end up in court. Here are just two libelous remarks from Lewis’ response. I am referred to as a national disgrace.

Now why should I sue for libel? First, I don’t believe Lewis words lower me in the estimation of Guyanese because I believe Lewis is not seen as a credible person thus his outburst has no impact on the psychology of Guyanese. Secondly, I know that Guyanese do not see me as a national disgrace.

The second example is Lewis’ perception of my education. He wrote; “he hides behind the façade he is an academic.”  Those words cannot hurt me because far and wide in and out of Guyana, my education is known.

To sue then is to lie to the court that my standing in society was lowered because of what Lewis said. So to return to Mahipal, I could not be bothered with Mahipal’s reference to me being mad.

But I am curious to know, if Mahipal thinks there are others in political activism that are similarly mad? Does he think Aubrey Norton is mad? Norton refuses to shake the president’s hand?

Does he think Khemraj Ramjatan is mad? Ramjattan said the Russians came into Guyana in February 2020 to rig the March election. Does he think the people who said that a majority in parliament of 65 members is 34?

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

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• Faaiz Mursaline, Freddie Kissoon, Ganesh Mahipal, Khemraj Ramjatan, Roysdale Forde

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