Minister of Local Government, Mr Kellawan Lall has declined several invitations from this newspaper to speak about what he is alleged to have done three Sundays ago at a rum shop at Vryheid’s Lust on the East Coast. What has been reported as transpiring is therefore based solely on the account of Mr Joseph Doodnauth although there would have been other witnesses around for the police to seek verification.
Mr Lall is alleged to have first accosted Mr Doodnauth and cursed him. Mr Lall then left, returned and continued with a stream of expletives. He followed up with a third volley of profanity after which Mr Doodnauth says he rebuked him over his behaviour. An argument then ensued at which point Mr Lall is alleged to have taken out his firearm and struck the teenaged Mr Doodnauth on his forehead, causing a deep wound and leaving him bloodied. Mr Doodnauth said he then left the scene. The Minister followed in his vehicle and allegedly jammed him with the vehicle. Mr Doodnauth said the minister then emerged from the vehicle and allegedly fired several shots in the air and also threatened him.
While the shenanigans of senior officials in rumshops have been public comment for many years, if any part of the aforementioned account is accurate then Mr Lall is not fit to continue in the office of Minister of Local Government.
The onus for the application of sanctions on Mr Lall lies with three different bodies: the police, the presidency and the PPP.
In relation to the police, the public has seen the usual shilly-shallying that occurs when senior government or other officials are involved. While at the drop of a hat charges are preferred against ordinary members of the public over rumshop brawls, this particular incident had led to incredible hand-wringing and inaction by the police. Why would the police even need to send a file to the DPP’s Chambers in relation to the discharge of the firearm when there was clearly no threat to the minister? Mr Doodnauth has since said he and the minister have settled the manner but declined to indicate if there was a monetary settlement. It would be unlikely that given the severe pain, trauma and embarrassment that was said to have been caused to him that Mr Doodnauth would simply not want to pursue justice against the alleged aggressor.
Coming on the heels of the dropping of a charge of death by dangerous driving against the son of a serving minister after compensation was paid in court and the professed desire of the Minister of Human Services, Ms Priya Manickchand to stamp out this practice in sex abuse cases, this turn of events is disquieting. The public awaits the results of the deliberations by the police and the Chambers of the DPP.
After he returned from the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kampala, President Jagdeo also had a chance to weigh in on this matter. Unfortunately, at a press conference on Thursday, he signally failed to send a message in his personal capacity, as President and as Head of State that he would not tolerate behaviour that brought his government and Cabinet into disrepute.
When asked about this matter President Jagdeo said outright that he would not sack Mr Lall or ask him to step aside to facilitate an investigation. He then added that “The Commissioner of Police told me that both parties do not want to pursue the matter
