The Ministry of the Presidency yesterday condemned the recent publication of false articles on social media, which it said appeared to be part of a campaign aimed at tarnishing the reputation of President David Granger as well as that of the government and its representatives.
In a statement, the ministry noted that a Facebook Page has been established under the name “Brigadier David Granger,” which reported that the president has intervened in a recent matter involving the Mayor of Bartica Gifford Marshall and a young woman of the same community. The site also purports to quote the president from a recent interview that was conducted. “The Ministry of the Presidency would like to categorically state that no such interview was conducted with or any such remarks made by the President. The Ministry, in the strongest possible terms, therefore, condemns and rejects these articles as a wicked falsification,” the statement said.
“The Ministry is therefore calling on all right-thinking Guyanese, particularly the Media corps, to be aware of the campaign being executed and advises citizens not to be taken in by the daily inundation of untruths, mischief and falsehoods, which have been emanating from the various Social Media platforms,” it added.
According to the statement, while the government respects the fundamental right of its citizens to freedom of speech as well as press freedom, it “condemns, in the strongest possible way, any impeachments.” The publishing of untruths, propaganda and misleading information, it further said, should not be considered a joke or a prank. “It is a serious act designed to mislead, create panic and division among the citizens,” it warned, while calling on members of the public not to be duped by misinformation, falsehoods and distortions consistently published by such sites.
