Dear Editor,

Isn’t it strange that some prominent individuals who were law-abiding and dynamic citizens and morally righteous souls in Guyana are suddenly being implicated as alleged criminals in other jurisdictions?

Why is it that the wonderful men and women who are the epitome of moral rectitude and societal goodwill in one land find themselves with the sudden fate of alleged crimes in another? It has to be that the USA, Canada, Trinidad & Tobago, Suriname and other nations simply dislike Guyanese and are taking the opportunity to target innocent and decent-minded Guyanese.

Could it be that the good old Guyanese hospitality that is more prominent at some levels of society encourages moral correctness and prosecutorial immunity in these individuals and such moral rigidity and immunity disappear when they leave the comfort of that society? Then it must be that every place other than Guyana is a corrupting den that encourages our prominent citizens and even our so-called freedom fighters to lose their moral compass. These are reputed well-respected Guyanese who provide jobs, save lives and offer charity to the suffering poor of a nation.

How could they go from men who bring the criminals to justice in one land to having justice delivered to them in another? Something about Guyana of the last decade gave some men the licence to walk too freely throughout this land. It is that same thing that provided the opportunity for some to act as judge, jury and executioner. Now these powerful citizens are being arrested and sometimes convicted in foreign nations. Freedom fighters, outstanding businessmen, paragons of charity and others who have never experienced the reality of arrest and prosecution in Guyana now have to endure this horrible experience in a foreign country. Imagine the indignity and affront.

From embrace by the elite and the upper echelon in Guyana to downfall in a foreign land, the question remains why were these men decent upright citizens in Guyana suddenly being branded as criminals in seemingly everywhere but Guyana?

Could this be some absurd conspiracy between the powers in Guyana and the first world nations where these respected individuals are being targeted and charged to ensure they are deported home and Guyana does not permanently lose its wonderful citizens? Now, it most certainly looks like similar citizens will never leave Guyana again. I don’t blame them − nothing beats the wonderful air of immunity and the security of freedom in your homeland.

Yours faithfully,
Michael Maxwell