Recently elected PNCR Georgetown Chairperson, Volda Lawrence headed a picket outside Freedom House yesterday afternoon in a continued bid to press for an international i3
nvestigation into the alleged links between the Guyana government and confessed drug trafficker Shaheed Roger Khan.
“We have never marched down this street. We have never picketed in front the PPP head office,” Lawrence told the media yesterday as she stood outside the PPPC headquarters on Robb Street, Georgetown with a placard in hand, “Some of the persons who were recently paid to protest at Congress Place came to us…this [yesterday’s protest] is in response to that.”
Lawrence stated that if “they” are willing to send protesters to Congress Place then “they are looking for trouble”. The PNCR Chair-person held a placard which read “Vaughn + Simels = Ramsammy”.
Meanwhile, PPP General Secretary Donald Ramotar told the media from his Freedom House office yesterday afternoon that it is the democratic right of the picketers to express their views in such a manner.
Asked whether an investigation should be conducted locally now that the trial of former Roger Khan defence attorney Robert Simels has concluded Ramotar explained that “there were inquiries done” into some of the issues being raised by protesters. He declined to elaborate when asked to list those “issues” into which inquiries were done.
“You will remember that a major inquiry was done and it was headed by Chief Justice [Ian] Chang himself,” Ramotar told reporters.
The complaints raised by picketers yesterday, according to Ramotar, have no merit. There has never been any link between drugs and the party, the General Secretary stressed, adding that he does not know self-confessed drug trafficker Khan and had never met or seen him in person.
When questioned about the reported links between Khan and several government ministers Ramotar said that he would first need to read the case transcript before commenting.
“I am not an attorney,” Ramotar said, “and will need to seek legal advice before I can say anything else about this matter.”
Before the picket, the PNCR had issued a statement saying it was briefly picketed by 17 persons sent by the PPP.