The PPP’s insistence that mortgage fraud-accused businessman Ed Ahmad has not contributed to the PPP’s 2011 elections campaign “has to be taken with more than a pinch of salt,” the Alliance For Change said on Wednesday.
The AFC, in a press statement, accused the PPP/C’s presidential candidate Donald Ramotar of trying to divert attention away from the PPP’s established connection and relationship with Ahmad, by saying that the AFC presidential candidate Khemraj Ramjattan had introduced Ahmad to him.
“Mr. Ramjattan’s introduction of Ahmad more than a decade ago is totally irrelevant to Ahmad’s subsequent … practices and more importantly is totally irrelevant to the PPP’s present close relationship with him,” the release said.
It added that the ploy by the PPP has been “egregiously overshadowed by the revelation that Ed Ahmad sent 29 tons of building materials to State House and Ahmad’s attorney asserting that ‘He’s personal friends with the current president…’ In fact, we have learnt that Ahmad’s close ties with the PPP were among the objections raised by the Assistant US Attorney Alexander Solomon in opposing Ahmad’s request o be allowed to travel. The Judge agreed citing the fact that Guyana has no extradition treaty with the US and Ahmad, if granted the permission to travel could very well choose to remain in Guyana to avoid the New York fraud trial,” the AFC said.
President Bharrat Jagdeo on Friday said that he has been friends with Ahmad for around 15 years but would not condone any wrongdoing on his part. Jagdeo said that while Ahmad has helped the PPP support group, the Association of Concerned Guyanese (ACG), he had not contributed any money to Ramotar’s campaign.
“I know this gentleman well. I considered him all these years, a friend but if he does anything illegal, it doesn’t mean that I will condone this. No, I will not condone him,” Jagdeo said. “If Ed Amhad broke the law in New York, then he must face the consequences but I can’t deny knowing somebody, I know him very well,” he added.
