Police have enough evidence to probe Jagdeo for corruption – Norton

Mar 20, 2024 News

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Kaieteur News – Amid complaints by the United Nations that the Guyana Government has failed to investigate allegations of corruption against Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo, Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton on Tuesday said that there is enough evidence for the Guyana Police Force to act.

The United Nations (UN) Human Rights Committee CCPR on Monday during its 140^th session questioned the reason why the Government had failed to investigate reports alleging that Jagdeo is corrupt.  US Candidate to the Human Rights Committee for the years 2023- 2026, Professor Laurence Helfer grilled the government’s representative, Gail Teixeira, the country’s Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, for answers on its shortcomings when it comes to transparency and investigating allegations of corrupt practices. “The committee is aware of public frustration regarding for example the failure to investigate reports of corruption by Vice President Bharrat jagdeo,” Helfer asked. Helfer did not say what alleged corrupt practices Jagdeo is accused of but Teixeira in her response spoke of a Vice News article that accused him of using a Chinese businessman, , Zhi Rong Su  to “cash bribes for government contracts”.  She said, “…there was no follow-up because there was no police report made by Vice News or anybody else and so police cannot investigate without some form of report or complaint.”  “However, the VP has answered this issue publicly several times in the same media that has carried these reports”, Teixeira added.

In a short statement on Wednesday the opposition said Teixeira’s answer that no one filed a report with the Police is as ridiculous as it gets. “The Police can also act if it sees credible evidence or has reasonable suspicion.

In the Vice News report, there was much for the Police to go on. But we know why it did nothing. We know why the government also denied the opposition motion [on the issue],” the opposition said before noting that the PPP thrives on corruption.

Following the Vice News revelations, the Opposition had tabled a motion in National Assembly calling for an independent investigation into the allegations. The motion wanted the National Assembly to call on the government to take immediate action in ensuring this “independent, credible and impartial investigation by international investigators… ” The motion which was not allowed by Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir had detailed that if the Vice News allegations against Jagdeo are true, it constitutes a violation of the Laws of Guyana; that it is reported daily where individuals and organisations have expressed concern regarding the contents of the Vice News report and that they have called on the President to dismiss the VP if he refuses to vacate his post to facilitate the impartial investigation. The Opposition’s motion had also pointed out that Guyana is a signatory to the UN Convention on Corruption and is obligated to honour its commitment to the said Convention. “Guyana has an obligation to live by that convention which no doubt established the need for action against corrupt activities,” the opposition leader asserted.

In 2022, Jagdeo’s former friend and tenant, Zhi Rong Su implicated him (Jagdeo) in bribery and corruption. Su had disclosed to VICE News reporters posing as Chinese investors that Jagdeo took “cash bribes” for multimillion dollar contracts and that he (Su) was his middle man. VICE News on July 7, 2022 premiered a documentary with its findings. In the documentary, Jagdeo called Su “a good friend of ours” and his tenant during an interview with one of the VICE News’ reporters.

However, when the full documentary was aired and Jagdeo learnt of the corruption allegations against him, he threatened to sue that same “good friend” for $50M for defaming his character but reportedly could not find him to serve the lawsuit. One year and months later, Jagdeo revealed that he had found Su. At one of his weekly press conferences he told Kaieteur News, “I-I yeah, yes it was filed and I think it should be heard very soon in court… I am hoping for an early (Court) date” before adding, “Yes he was served”.

According to legal documents seen by this publication, Jagdeo through his attorneys, Manoj Narayan and C.V. Satram, outlined that the statements made by Mr. Su that were contained in the news broadcast clearly imputed criminal and unlawful conduct on the part of the Vice President. The attorneys had described the statements made by Mr. Su as “defamatory and slanderous.” The lawsuit outlined that the said words were calculated to disparage Mr. Jagdeo personally and in the office he now holds.

According to the lawsuit, owing to the statements that were aired in the documentary, Jagdeo has suffered public condemnation, humiliation, ridicule, and embarrassment. Additionally, the legal document noted the statements have caused serious injury to the Vice President’s reputation and his political standing locally and internationally.

In Vice News undercover investigation, the Chinese businessman was recorded alleging that bribes would have to be paid to the Vice President for them to be guaranteed contracts in Guyana. He could be heard on the recording too telling the team that Jagdeo only accepts “cash.”

The documentary also showed that Su took the “fake Chinese investors to Jagdeo’s home to meet him. The documentary was viewed by thousands of Guyanese in Guyana and the diaspora.  Additionally, the extended YouTube edition of the report has attracted more than two million views to date.

Jagdeo’s defence is that he had repeatedly denied the allegations in the extended news report which was aired on the US television network Showtime and posted on YouTube. The allegations had triggered calls by a number of civil society groups and the Opposition for there to be a full independent investigation of the serious corruption allegations, which have all been denied by Vice President Jagdeo.

“Vice News came into my house to catch me doing something illegal and taking a bribe…and you couldn’t do that in my most unguarded moment…They have done this around the world with leaders they got taking bribes… they are never going to find anything of that nature with me,” Jagdeo had said.

Jagdeo had said too that he was not conducting official government business at his home but was rather meeting with an investor of Su. “Su did not get anything special here and it was not a government project, it was his investor he wanted me to meet.” Notably Su, the man Jagdeo had described in the documentary as a “friend” has amassed a significant portion of mineral-rich land under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration. Su holds some 12,000 acres of precious stones and gold-rich lands under his name. This information is provided in the Guyana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (GYEITI) documents.

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• Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, Isobel Yeung, National Assembly, VICE News’ British Senior Correspondent, Vice President

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