Human rights activist Sherlina Nageer yesterday made a formal complaint to police against Health Minister Bheri Ramsaran, accusing him of threatening behaviour during an encounter outside the Whim Magistrate’s Court just over a week ago.
Nageer submitted a statement to Crime Chief Leslie James, who promised that the allegations against the minister would be investigated.
Nageer’s formal complaint comes amidst continuing protests over Ramsaran’s conduct during their encounter and afterward, including growing calls for his dismissal.
Nageer showed up at the Criminal Investigation Depart-ment (CID) at 2.20 pm yesterday, having previously made an appointment with James for 2.30 pm. However, at 2.25 pm she was informed via text by the Crime Chief that he would not be able to make it.
Speaking with reporters in front of CID, Nageer said she felt as if she was already being pushed around but added that she was “not daunted” and would still be attempting to lodge her complaint.
This attempt briefly proved futile when Nageer was stopped at the entrance to CID and was told “you can’t come in” by a female officer.
Several persons, including activist Danuta Radzik (an earlier version of this story had erroneously said it was Vanda Radzik), who were there to support Nageer, had already been granted access to the compound but Nageer was refused without reason.
Forty-five minutes later, James arrived and summoned Nageer and her legal representative Christopher Ram into his office. At this point, Nageer was able to lodge her complaint after which James promised to investigate the accusations.
Last week Monday, Ramsaran was recorded verbally abusing Nageer, saying he would slap her for the fun of it and have her stripped in a public place.
Ramsaran had journeyed to Whim to support former president Bharrat Jagdeo, who was expected to attend the court to answer a private charge filed against him by Ram. The confrontation occurred after the minister labelled Ram a “wife beater” while being interviewed by reporters. Nageer interjected and proceeded to confront him about the deaths of women and children in the health care system under his watch.
At this point Ramsaran could be heard calling Nageer a “piece of shit” and an “idiot” before asking her to get out of his face.
After the recording of the exchange between the minister and Nageer began circulating in the public, he issued an apology in which he claimed to have been provoked into anger and uttered harsh words which he regretted. However, the day after the minister was recorded calling Nageer a “miscreant,” accusing her of spitting on him and saying she was in need of psychiatric help.
In her statement filed with the Crime Chief yesterday, Nageer says that at no time did she raise her voice, spit at or otherwise threaten Ramsaran.
“M. Ramsaran, however advanced towards me, raising his hands. I moved back and put up my own hand defensively at this point. (Most of the rest of the time however, my hands were clasped behind my back). I felt threatened by Mr Ramsaran, as if he wanted to hit me,” Nageer charges in the statement.
Ramsaran’s actions have been condemned by the western missions and local civil society organisations. Members of the governing PPP/C have spoken out against him as well, although a PPP statement argued that his actions were blown out of proportion.
A brief statement from the Government Informa-tion Agency last Friday indicated that President Donald Ramotar had reprimanded the minister but did not suggest further action against him was imminent.
Meanwhile, the Women and Gender Equality Commission yesterday said Ramsaran must offer his resignation.
“Despite claims that he was goaded into such an outburst, he should have acted with restraint, recognising that he is a public officer. All Guyanese have a constitutional right to ask questions of public officers, as much as those officers have a right to answer those questions in an appropriate manner,” it said in a brief statement.
“His reaction was uncalled for. His remarks are unacceptable for any person – far more so coming from a Minister of Government. He must face the full consequences of his actions and offer his resignation as the decent thing to do,” the commission added, while noting that no woman, or any person, deserves to be treated in the manner of Ramsaran’s outburst.
The Guyana Human Right Association (GHRA) also commented on the case and noted that the PPP leadership is resisting universal condemnation and protecting the minister
“The continued presence of Dr Bheri Ramsaran as Minister of Health and candidate on the PPP/C electoral list is the direct result of the feeble levels of accountability in our electoral and political systems,” it said, while arguing that the case highlights “the real powerlessness of citizens and civic influence” in the political system, particularly over parliamentarians selected in their name by party leaderships.
“Ramsaran’s survival as a parliamentarian, much less as a Minister, rests entirely with the leadership of his party.
The only avenue for a voter wishing to signal their rejection of him as a candidate is to reject the entire party list, thereby rendering him a liability to all other candidates on the list,” it noted.
Noting that the current list system effectively denies electors scope to evaluate the qualities they want to see in candidates, the GHRA also called for a removal of the party monopoly over the system and re-establishment of the direst influence of voters over elected officials.
