The Guyana Press Association (GPA) yesterday called on the head of Go-Invest, Geoff Da Silva to issue an unqualified public apology for his attack on one of Guyana’s career journalists, Judy Fitzpatrick and the Stabroek News.
Da Silva in his capacity as Chief Executive Officer of Go-Invest had slammed Stabroek News and Fitzpatrick over an article regarding the sale of Buddy’s International Hotel.
Da Silva at a press conference earlier this month said he was seeking the GPA’s assistance to investigate the reports by this newspaper on the sale of Buddy’s International Hotel. He said then that the reports should be investigated since some of the information contained within was inaccurate. His most damning comments however were reserved for a May 13 article in this newspaper headlined: ‘Turk paid US$25M for Buddy’s’ written by Fitzpatrick who resides in Saint Maarten. Da Silva, speaking at a news conference on May 14 deemed the report as erroneous and indicated that he would be seeking the immediate assistance of the GPA to investigate who conducted the ‘supposed’ interview, when it was done and where.
“I question very seriously who actually did this interview, when it was done, and where it was done. I don’t want to go beyond that at this time. I would like to ask the GPA to investigate it, to find out who is Judy Fitzpatrick in St. Maarten…I do question whether an interview was carried out with Mr. Sudi Ozkan.” Da Silva told reporters. He was adamant that no interview was conducted with the hotelier and that the hotel was not sold for US$25M, but instead US$15M.
Ozkan, President of the Princess Group of Companies later in a statement confirmed that both he and his wife were interviewed by Fitzpatrick. He said that while he told Fitzpatrick about the “US$25 million investment” no distinction was made indicating that the purchase price was in fact US$15 million and that the US$10 million would be used to upgrade the property. He called this unfortunate.
In a statement issued yesterday calling on Da Silva to apologise, the GPA said one would have expected him to have a greater appreciation of the media’s role as a check on the excesses of government and a conduit of unearthed facts and truth as far as possible to the public. “Let it be known to Da Silva and his likes in and out of government that the repository of truth does not lie in the bosom of the government and so journalists must be allowed to enjoy the unfettered right to perform their role as the Fourth Estate in a democracy or in furtherance of the goal of a truly democratic state that is not limited to numerical representation,” the GPA said.
The press body said having given Da Silva ample time to apologise voluntarily, the GPA is duty-bound to point out that the statement by the new owner of Buddy’s International Hotel clearly vindicates the investor himself, the St. Maarten-based Fitzpatrick and Stabroek News, while dismantling Da Silva’s imputations.
