Dear Editor,
I stoutly defend Mr Lall’s refusal to give the newspapers the details of his involvement in a private squabble (though serious enough to warrant an investigation by the police ). He is a Government Minister, but also a private citizen.
I also defend – just as stoutly – the right of Stabroek News to comment on his refusal to do so, especially since he had apparently promised to make a comment to the newspaper once his name had been publicly disclosed in connection with the incident.
But to suggest that there is some kind of conspiracy on the part of SN to continue what Mr Lall calls “the unending campaign by Stabroek News to vilify me in public” seems a trifle disingenuous. Mr Lall has already caused himself a fair amount of public ‘vilification’ without the help of SN.
He is a private citizen, but also a Minister of the Government. Higher standards are required of him as a result of his important public office.
As a Guyanese citizen, con-cerned about the quality and reputation of our government (of whatever political stripe), I would be more than happy to see our Minister’s name cleared in this disgraceful incident which was reported in the news and recorded (presume) by the police.
I hope that Mr Lall will, in due course, clear up any public misunderstanding concerning the incident . It does our country no good, in this case, to ‘let sleeping dogs lie’.
Yours faithfully,
Michael Gilkes
