PNCR leader David Granger has confirmed that member Vanessa Kissoon was temporarily suspended before a disciplinary committee was appointed to investigate a complaint against her but he says the seriousness of the altercation between her and General Secretary Oscar Clarke warranted the action.
“It was of my view that the incident was of such a serious nature that it warranted her temporary suspension until a disciplinary committee, which is accordance with the constitution, could be convened,” Granger said at an APNU press conference yesterday.
Kissoon was informed of her suspension via an e-mail from Granger last Tuesday, following an altercation between herself and Clarke at the party’s Congress Place headquarters, in Sophia. The altercation was fueled by differences over the use of the PNCR office in Linden. Apparently, locks on the facility was changed, leading to the altercation involving Kissoon.
Kissoon has alleged that she was assaulted, while Clarke has refused to comment on the altercation.
Granger yesterday stated that the issue was brewing for over three months and was provoked by a request from Clarke for the keys to the Linden office.
He indicated that he had asked the Chairman of Region Ten and party executive Sharma Solomon to recommend one person for the disciplinary committee and other agencies within the party. Once the committee is convened, hearings will be held, he said.
He further stated that he received statements from the persons involved and is expecting that once the committee is established the matter will be quickly resolved. Kissoon, in an official statement, has said she was not the aggressor in the incident but was later suspended before a meeting of the party’s Central Executive Committee was ever summoned.
She said she was sent an email by Granger, dated June 24th, notified her of her suspension in light of “credible complaints” about her conduct toward Clarke.
Kissoon expressed alarm by this course of action, arguing that judging credibility is best determined by a disciplinary committee.
“This act of ascribing “credibility” without due process conveys an unwillingness to arrive at the truth. I am disappointed that any source of “credible complaints” is sufficient to suspend me without a hearing, more so, used to violate my party’s constitution,” she said, while adding that the proposed suspension is in itself “a disciplinary act.”
She charged that “any act of taking away my [her] rights without proving me [her] guilty” is a transgression of her rights and the desecration of the party rule.
Kissoon said she has since responded to Granger’s correspondence detailing her concerns.
When Stabroek News spoke with Clarke on Tuesday, he refused to answer any questions in relation to any investigation being done by the disciplinary committee and if he thought would it not be more appropriate for him to recuse himself— considering he was the other party involved in the incident.
Recently, at a meeting held in Linden on Monday, PNCR members questioned the decision to suspend Kissoon while no action was taken against Clarke.
Party members were vocal when questioning why Clarke was tasked with assisting in the investigation of the incident, considering his personal involvement in the altercation.
But Granger, responding to these claims yesterday, indicated that Clarke would not a member of the disciplinary committee since he was involved in the incident. He stated that the episode was not affecting the party’s preparation for congress or its Linden operations.
