Economists Dr Maurice Odle and Professor Tarron Khemraj say they have been harassed by immigration at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri and said it seems that the same tactics employed by the Burnham regime against perceived opponents are being applied by the Ramotar administration.
In a joint letter appearing in today’s issue of the Stabroek News, Odle and Khemraj said
“It appears that opposition supporters are being stopped and mentally harassed at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport both when they enter and leave Guyana. We have on occasions been stopped and our passports held for some time as the Immigration Officer sought permission from the senior officer on whether we can proceed. The last occasion this occurred was the night of November 6 when we were leaving for the 44th Annual Monetary Studies Conference hosted this year by the Central Bank of Suriname on behalf of the UWI-based Caribbean Centre for Money and Finance, a research arm of The Committee of Central Bank Governors. We were both told that because of our political activities our names are placed on a list.
“Professor Tarron Khemraj has experienced these stops for at least two years both when he enters and leaves Guyana. Dr Maurice Odle has been experiencing similar situations since the middle of this year.
“It is well known that Professor Khemraj has been an active supporter of the AFC before and during the last election while Dr Odle was on the side of WPA/APNU.
“Editor, we are concerned and highly opposed to these acts of surveillance.
“We are aware that the Jagdeo regime established an intelligence unit in the grounds of Castellani House and are surprised that taxpayers’ monies are being used for such unnecessary reasons.
“It was bad enough under the Burnham regime, which had produced a Recognition Handbook of WPA activists. Today we see similar perverse activities being repeated under the Ramotar administration”.
