Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday refused to state whether he was satisfied with explanations provided by PPP/C Member of Parliament Nigel Dharamlall regarding threats the parliamentarian allegedly made against a man who was communicating with his ex-wife.
On May 31, it was reported that Dharamlall allegedly threatened to shoot an employee of the Inter-American Development Bank after he saw the individual talking to his ex-wife. In response to the allegation, Dharamlall through his lawyer Glenn Hanoman had denied “unequivocally any involvement in any criminal act.”
Subsequently, Jagdeo said that the MP would have to give “believable” explanations to the executive of the party. He added that the matter would be addressed “when it is not in this delicate stage where it can influence what the DPP has to say.”
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has since advised the police that no charge be laid after the parties involved settled the matter privately.
Yesterday, at a news conference at Freedom House, Stabroek News asked Jagdeo if, after receiving the explanations, he was satisfied that the actions of the MP was not in any way untoward.
In response, Jagdeo said he had spoken with both parties namely Dharamlall and his ex-wife, both of whom gave their version of the matter. “Their versions don’t diverge totally and so that’s why we are at this stage, we are just moving on from the matter,” Jagdeo said.
According to him, this opinion was his own and not that of the party as he was absent from the executive meeting where Dharamlall was called to give his explanation.
Pressed to say whether he was satisfied after “seeking [his] own clarification” that there remains no area for concern, the former president responded: “Satisfaction is one word. I have said that the versions don’t divulge. There are always issues for concerns in everything.”
