The man is expected to face charges at the Cove & John Magistrate’s Court today. The man’s home was also searched for a firearm but reports are that none had been found.
The man made the threat at the conclusion of a meeting the President held with farmers at the Mortice Primary School, Mahaicony.
However, in a statement last evening the Government Information Agency (GINA) denied that the President was threatened and it accused Stabroek News of being mischievous. GINA said the resident made a threat he was going to kill anyone who goes on his land and that “the man did not direct his threat to President Bharrat Jagdeo as promoted by Stabroek News.”
The statement said that during the meeting with the President and farmers of Mahaicony, a resident brought to his attention an issue whereby the community was being denied access to a shallow well on man’s land.
Further, it explained, the President suggested he may have to compulsorily acquire the land to ensure the community’s interest was protected if the resident was not cooperating with the community for which the well was intended.
The man, who recently bought a plot of land where a shallow well had been dug during the “Burnham administration,” fenced the land and prevents persons from using it.
Some residents told this newspaper that the state’s property is located on the land and the well was dug with “taxpayers’ money” so he cannot prevent persons from accessing it.
During the meeting, residents raised the issue of an inadequate supply of water in the area.
The president had told them that Minister of Water, Irfaan Ali, would visit the area shortly to deal with the situation.
A regional representative in the area told this newspaper that yesterday the Guyana Water Inc. (GWI) sent a truck with 1,500 gallons of water that was distributed to residents.
Seventy households from Kapeclare to Easu & Jacob benefitted.
The man had said that he bought the land for $750,000 and that government can either remove the well or pay him for his land. The President said that he was willing to purchase the land.
The issue of the land was raised again at the end of the meeting as the president was leaving and the man reportedly told the president that if he sends anyone onto his land he would shoot them and that if the president goes he would shoot him as well.
