The National Assembly yesterday reflected on the achievements of former parliamentarian Abdul Kadir, who died in a United States prison after being convicted of terrorism-related offences.
A motion, which sought to offer sympathy to Kadir’s sorrowing widow, children and relatives, was passed unopposed. The opposition PPP/C was not present in the House as it boycotted the sitting.
Kadir, who died on June 28th, 2018, served in the Eighth Parliament, from April 17th, 2001 to May 2nd, 2006 as a parliamentarian for the then opposition PNC/R. At the time of his death at age 66, Kadir was serving a life sentence for plotting to blow up fuel tanks at the John F Kennedy Airport in New York.
Minister within the Ministry of Communities Valarie Adams-Yearwood, who moved the motion, told the House that Kadir was “a great man, a stalwart, a bold and courageous man.”
She urged that the National Assembly records its deep regret at his death and pay tribute to his dedicated service to the Parliament of Guyana.
Kadir, a chemical engineer who previously worked in the bauxite industry, was sentenced by a US court to life in 2010 after being convicted, while his co-conspirator, another Guyanese Abdel Nur, who pleaded guilty, was sentenced to 15 years in 2011.
Prosecutors had said that the bomb plot was hatched in January 2006 by Russell De Freitas, a Guyanese who is a US citizen, and reportedly involved blowing up jet fuel tanks leading to the airport.
Born Michael Seaforth in Buxton, Kadir was convicted of conspiracy to attack a public transportation system; conspiracy to destroy a building by fire or explosive; conspiracy to attack aircraft and aircraft materials; conspiracy to destroy international airport facilities; and conspiracy to attack a mass transportation facility.
He had maintained his innocence and testified that he was not involved in the terrorism scheme but that he had feigned interest in the plan because he hoped its architects would help him raise money to build a mosque.
Trinidadian Kareem Ibrahim, who was charged and convicted in the same plot and was sentenced to life, died in a US prison in 2016 at the age of 70.
As a Member of Parliament for the then opposition PNC/R, Kadir served as the Regional Representative for Region 10. He had also previously served as Mayor of Linden from 1994 to 1996.
Current Region 10 parliamentarian Audwin Rutherford also spoke of his personal experiences with Kadir, while stressing that Linden, Guyana and the National Assembly is “lesser for his passing.”
