Latest update January 20th, 2025 4:00 AM
Natural Resources Minister denies being questioned by U.S. Federal Agents
Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat
– was extended courtesy-Min Benn
Kaieteur News – Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat on Friday denied allegations that he was questioned by the United States (US) Federal Agents, on arrival at the John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport.
News of Minister Bharrat’s alleged detention by the U.S. authorities surfaced on social media and quickly spread. Contact was made to the minister who directed this publication to a Demerara Waves article which quoted him as denying the allegations and stating that “it was courtesies being extended to expedite clearing. I was not detained or interrogated”.
Bharrat told Demerara Waves that he traveled to New York for an emergency because his father was hospitalized. In the article, he described the Facebook post made by veteran journalist Enrico Woolford as “mischievous”.
The Minister did not directly respond to any of the questions posed by this newspaper.
Similarly, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Gail Teixeira referred the Kaieteur News to the aforementioned article. Further, contact was made with Home Affairs Minister, Roberson Benn who told this newspaper that Minister Bharrat was not interrogated by the U.S. authorities but was extended courtesy.
“The reports are not true and I spoke about it at the Police Award Ceremony this morning. My information is that it is not true alright. I have gone to the United States and I have been accompanied by protocol people and security people as Minister of Home Affairs. So I don’t know what arrangement they have in place but it has clearly been identified as not being a true characterization,” Benn said.
The Home Affairs Minister who appeared agitated by the question said, “As far as I am concerned, that is the end of the matter unless there is something else that you have alright.”
A few hours after Woolford’s post, Bharrat posted to his Facebook page a picture of himself outside a hospital, as well as one of himself and his mother outside the hospital and a separate picture of his day and he captioned the photos,” Best wishes to my father for a speedy recovery…you have always been a fighter and our strength. Special thanks to the US Authorities for the kind courtesies and professionalism.”
Meanwhile, Minister Bharrat through his attorney, Sanjeev Datadin has written to Woolford calling on him to “issue a clear, unqualified and unconditional apology and retraction in a form, manner and terms to be agreed on or before the 14th July 2024 at 2p.m.”
Further, the attorney said that having regard to “the gravity of the false allegations and the audience to which you circulated your Facebook post, my client is clearly entitled to substantial compensation and reasonable legal costs, in addition to an apology.”
The letter further stated that, “Consequently, in addition to a draft of a clear and unqualified apology, I am obliged to ask you to submit your proposal as to damages and costs. Failing a satisfactory reply by the date and time stipulated above, I am instructed to issue a legal proceeding against you personally. In the meantime, my client reserves all his rights. I recommend that, it is in your best interest to seek legal advice in relation to this correspondence and to be guided by that advice.”
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