Dear Editor,
In a letter in the Stabroek News of March 26 with the title ‘Exercise in poor judgement,’ Mr GHK Lall had this to say about of my character: “I heard from reliable sources a few years back about the funding for Mr Kissoon’s house… he should have known better… he not only compromised himself, he contaminated himself too… yes he has deteriorated.” These are not only strong words but a pointed condemnation.
In 2006, I began construction of my home in Turkeyen. I wanted a better house than what I lived in at Wortmanville. I was now a parent and wanted better for my daughter. The issue of the funding came up when Bharrat Jagdeo and Donald Ramotar told their audience in 2006 at the Babu Jaan death anniversary of Cheddi Jagan that businessmen helped to build my home. Donald Ramotar repeated that in a letter in the Kaieteur News.
Around the same time, the head of the Guyana Revenue Authority, Mr Kurshid Sattaur referred to my home as a mansion in a published letter to the Kaieteur News. I replied and invited a representative group, both state and private, of the Guyana Press Association to visit the house to ascertain the interior contents. I have an upper working class home. And that can easily be verified. The marital bedroom and that of my daughter are not self-contained. So much for it being a mansion.
Since 2006, I have openly written about the accusations levelled by Messrs Jagdeo and Ramotar. I have publicly discussed the funding of my house and the class category it fell into several times in my columns and in letters to the press. Once more I will discuss it. I implore Mr Lall to show me in what ways I have deteriorated. His language was strong and I am assuming he has his proof. But this I can tell Mr Lall: his sources are not reliable and it calls into question his research competence.
The land and my home were secured from the savings that my wife and I earned over decades of hard public service work. Together we would have achieved over fifty years of employment in the public sector.
Three friends whom I have known for a long, long time, did what was natural for any human since civilization began – they wanted to help in small ways and they assisted in small ways. These were not controversial business people. These were people who earned their money the old-fashioned way. And humans with immense integrity who have no political connections.
They were and are my friends. The mutual fondness and respect live on. I know of nothing in their lives that they have done that has contaminated me and caused the quality of my character to deteriorate.
These are not rich and wealthy Guyanese who are rapacious people so when you take money from them, you are compromised. The total sum was three million dollars A fourth person, a professional, insisted that I take $50, 000 because he went ahead of me when we were friends and earned dozens of millions while I remained a poor academic. Sadly for me, he became enticed with power and our friendship withered away. Where did GHK Lall get his information from? Who compromised me? Who contaminated me? Since I moved into my home in 2007, in what ways have I deteriorated?
Assuming that Mr Lall has evidence (I am not aware that between 2006 and2007, Mr Lall lived in Guyana), he needs to show the ways in which I am contaminated and have deteriorated. There must be specific areas of sycophancy and compromise on my part that he knows about.
I will close by saying this. Mr Lall has no clue (maybe because he was out of Guyana for too long) about the nature of Guyanese society. His “reliable sources” may very well be contaminated people and in relying on them he became contaminated in the process. But this I will do for him. Since he knows who gave me the money then he can demand through the editors of SN and KN, that I answer his questions about the politics and morality of these business donors. I never back down from a fight. I will answer the questions.
Yours faithfully,
Frederick Kissoon
