No breathalyzer test was administered to Finance Minister Ashni Singh in relation to Sunday evening’s accident, according to a police source.
The source added that certain procedures have to be followed with regard to incidents that involve government officials. Calls to Singh’s phone went unanswered last evening.
The driver of the vehicle that Singh crashed into, Jageshwar Hira, said that he was interested in a “reasonable settlement”.
Hira had told reporters that Singh appeared to be under the influence of alcohol, and that after he exited his vehicle, he left the scene without rendering any assistance.
“I was coming down this street [west on Garnett Street, Campbellville] and this vehicle was coming out of this road [Delph Avenue] and just jump the major road, slam into me sending we into that gutter… The man come out then we see is the finance minister but he ain’t even offer help. He just jump into another vehicle and drive off leaving we hay …” Hira had told Stabroek News at the scene.
Parbattie Shivcharan, the passenger in Hira’s vehicle said she had to go back to the hospital yesterday for another checkup. “I went back to Woodland’s [Hospital] to the doctor and then somebody came there and covered my bill, the same fella from last night,” she said.
Businessman Brian Yong had gone to the scene and offered the driver compensation for his vehicle and to pay for medical bills incurred. Hira had said that he wanted to see Yong’s promise in “black and white” before agreeing to such.
Yong, when contacted yesterday, declined to give a comment. “Don’t call my phone ever again,” he told this newspaper.
