Latest update June 1st, 2026 12:37 AM
Labour Minister’s vehicle in hit-and-run accident
…victim complains of royal run-around from ministry
Kaieteur News- For 18 days, Deodharry Odit says he has been pushed around by the officials of the Ministry of Labour following an accident involving his Mazda SUV and a Toyota Prado on the eastern side of the Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB).
The accident occurred on Saturday, May 17, 2025 while Odit was reportedly in the fourth lane waiting to cross the bridge. The ministry’s vehicle, according to Odit was in the third lane.
Screen shot of the Ministry’s Prado driving off after hitting a Mazda CX 5
Odit said that when his lane started moving, the Prado “bore in front of him” to get into the fourth lane and in the process jammed the front left side of his Mazda CX 5(2018) car breaking the front bumper grill and his head lamp.
There was a brief halt and Odit was seen on CCTV footage exiting his vehicle and walking to the driver’s side of the Prado. No one came out of the Prado but Odit was seen walking back to his vehicle.
Shortly after, the lane started moving again and the Prado drove off.
“I tell them yuh know, you guys knock my vehicle, yuh know them neva came out once to say sorry or to say anything. They just drove, they keep on driving,” Odit explained.
As a result, he reported the accident to the police and investigators later found out that the Prado is registered to the Ministry of Labour.
Odit was reportedly advised to visit the ministry and inform the officials there that one of the Ministry’s vehicles was involved in an accident. He followed the advice and said he has been given a royal run around by the officials and Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton.
“I went in to them and they were to get the vehicle (the Prado) for me to inspect it up to now they never bring the vehicle for me see, inspect it or nothing,” Odit said while noting that all he gets is “endless excuses” every time he returns to the ministry.
Deodharry Odit shows his damaged headlamp and front bumper grill
Odit said he subsequently discovered that the vehicle is assigned to the minister. He suggested based on information he received that neither the minister nor the assigned driver was in the vehicle at the time of the accident. He alleged that a relative of the minister was driving the vehicle.
Notwithstanding, Odit told Kaieteur News that the ministry offered to fix his vehicle on its terms.
“They said that they will buy the light and the grill and use their mechanic,” Odit claimed while adding that he got quotations of the damaged parts and shared them with Ministry.
In the quotations seen by Kaieteur News, the head lamp cost $607,000 while the cost of the front bumper grill was listed at $160,000.
To date, the ministry is yet to fulfill its promise.
Odit told Kaieteur News that apart from the excuses, the driver assigned to the vehicle hurled insults at him when he visited the ministry.
“They just trying to bully me all the time,” Odit said as he recalled that the said driver wrongfully accused him of hitting the Prado.
He said, “That I trying to make money off the ministry, that I should crash up and d**d and all kind of low life comments.”
Despite his frustration, Odit returned to the ministry on Monday and again on Tuesday. On Tuesday, he was accompanied by a policeman.
Odit said the police spoke with the minister but again he got no satisfaction and is now fearful that the minister will use his authority and influence to swing the case in the ministry’s favor.
Meanwhile, when contacted Tuesday evening for a comment, Minister of Labour Joseph Hamilton accused Odit of lying. He made it clear that his ministry will not be paying for Odit’s light. Minister Hamilton said the man’s light was broken before the accident.
“We are not paying for a light that was already broken. He is damn liar. We have sought to dealt with the matter. We took him to fix the vehicle and he wants a new bumper. He brought us a quotation for over $160,000… our body works man said he could get it done for $46,000,” Hamilton told Kaieteur News.
The minister, who appeared incensed by the questions said, “We are not giving him a new bumper and light that was already broken …tell him the minister said that.”
“It’s the same thing it told him and the police when we met this morning. These people… once is government… they believe government have money… government got money infinite… he wants a new light.”
When asked if a relative of his was driving the car, the minister said, “What does that have to do with anything? Are you trying to make that a problem now?”
Minister Hamilton did not answer the question and made it clear that he does not intend to pay the money presented on Odit’s quotations.
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2 thoughts on “Labour Minister’s vehicle in hit-and-run accident”
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If this narrative is correct, Hamilton is wrong since he was not there at
the accident scene.
And, especially evasive when replied, what has it got to do WHO WAS DRIVING
the assigned Minister vehicle at time of accident. Was it a relative, an assigned
legal driver of this minister named Hamilton, on special mission for Hamilton ?
Is Hamilton protecting the driver using this vehicle for other purposes other
that Ministry’s work ? Hamilton need to fix this situation-repair the vehicle
at his own expense or pay to have the repair done elsewhere.
what do you expect from this corrupt gov’t ?. they are in panic mood, afraid of loosing to MOHAMED.