People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary Clement Rohee says “What’s in the cup stays in the cup,” in response to a question on whether the matter involving PPP/C Member of Parliament (MP), Nigel Dharamlall over threats he allegedly made, has been explained to the party’s satisfaction.
On May 31, the MP had allegedly taken out his firearm and threatened to shoot an individual, who is an employee of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) office in Guyana, after he saw him communicating with his ex-wife. Observers say a full explanation is critical for the PPP/C considering that Guyana faces serious issues related to the treatment of women and firearms.
The question was asked at the PPP’s press conference at Freedom House yesterday and at first Rohee retorted “If it was settled with the party? Nigel Dharamlall had a problem with the party?”
When the question was repeated about the alleged unlawful use of a gun, he responded, “I would refer to the PPP campaign slogan, ‘What’s in the cup stays in the cup.” The cup is the PPP’s symbol.
At a previous press conference, Rohee had promised that the party would continue to engage Dharamlall over the alleged threats.
He had said too that the MP had presented members with a report outlining his version of what took place during the incident. At a subsequent press conference, Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo had refused to state whether he was satisfied with explanations provided by Dharamlall. Dharamlall through his lawyer Glenn Hanoman had denied “unequivocally any involvement in any criminal act.”
Shortly after the incident Jagdeo had 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 would be laid after the parties involved settled the matter privately.
At a subsequent press conference, Jagdeo had said in response to a question that 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 had said.
According to him, this opinion was his own and not that of the party as he was absent from the executive meeting of the party 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 had responded: “Satisfaction is one word. I have said that the versions don’t divulge. There are always issues for concerns in everything.”
