People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) executive Aubrey Norton yesterday accused Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo of bribing former government parliamentarian Charrandas Persaud to vote in favour of a PPP-sponsored no-confidence motion, a charge that Jagdeo last evening rejected.
With the APNU+AFC government examining its legal options and amid a growing debate about the validity of last week Friday’s passage of a no-confidence motion against the David Granger-led government, Norton, at a press conference at Congress Place yesterday, claimed that Jagdeo has “taken his criminal actions to a new level by bribing a sitting Member of Parliament.”
“He colluded with forces in Trinidad and mobilised resources to bribe a sitting Member of Parliament in pursuance of his hunger for wealth and power with the hope that APNU+AFC government will not be able to prosecute him and his former Ministers who have criminally pillaged the Guyana treasury,” Norton, a PNCR Central Executive member, said, reading from a prepared statement.
Contacted by Stabroek News, Jagdeo labelled the accusation “another desperate act” noting that the party has failed to present evidence to support the claim.
“They are running scared. They are in full panic mode, having failed to garner mass support to oppose the no-confidence vote using the traditional lies, they now hope to mobilise people on the basis of this new falsehood. This lie was first mentioned in a letter that PNC apologist Rickford Burke published a few days ago,” he said. According to Jagdeo, he “noticed when asked by the reporters to provide evidence of this false accusation, the low-level PNC team hosting the press conference refused to do so.”
Persaud had previously said that the only money he received was from Parliament Office for his “travelling” and told reporters on the night of the vote that he “can’t be bought.”
Meantime, senior members of the PNCR including Chairperson Volda Lawrence and General Secretary Amna Ally were absent from yesterday’s hastily-called press conference. Challenged on the absence of the more prominent leaders, Norton stressed that the PNCR is not a “one-man show.”
“The PNC has a plethora of leaders and the party has decided that this group of leaders will deal with the press statement,” he responded. The group included Norton, Minister of Public Affairs Dawn Hastings-Williams, Region Three representative Ganesh Mahipaul and Executive member Christopher Jones.
Norton refused to be specific about what proof his party holds to support the accusation but claimed that its evidence can stand in a court of law.
“We have done our groundwork. The police are the people who have to do the investigation and even if we had the incontrovertible evidence, why would we tell you so that they can prepare…We do believe that what has occurred, once provided, will stand up,” he said, adding that he can’t say if this evidence was provided to the police but assumes that it will be.
Norton further indicated that he “could not say if it will be provided by the party.”
Stabroek News reached out to head of the Criminal Investigation Department, Deputy Commissioner Lyndon Alves to ascertain if a criminal complaint had been lodged but up to press time was unable to make contact.
Asked if the party believes the Government should resign in keeping with the provisions of Article 106(6) of the Constitution, Norton pointed to Article 106(7), saying that it makes provision for government to be there in the time leading towards elections.
He accused Jagdeo of attempting to create panic and “ensure government doesn’t exist so that the illegalities they committed wouldn’t be dealt with.”
Speaking about the way forward for the party, Norton stressed that “all legal options will be explored” and while they are always in campaign mode, they will, by necessity, accelerate or accentuate their efforts.
