Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan yesterday said that the police are seeking advice from an overseas expert for their investigation of former government Member of Parliament (MP) Charrandass Persaud.
“Well, the police have asked an expert on matters dealing with these issues to give some advice on all the statements so far taken and whether these can be tantamount to any violations of any sort,” Ramjattan told reporters yesterday following a press conference held in observation of the Community Policing Organisation of Guyana’s 43rd anniversary.
Ramjattan added that the consultation will not only focus on Persaud but also aims at determining what businessman Peter Ramsaroop was doing on the airside of the Eugene F Correia Airport at the time of Persaud’s departure from the country on December 22nd, 2018.
“It does not only include the Charrandass [Persaud] investigation but it also include an investigation as to how people like Peter Ramsaroop can find themselves on the airside of the airport and if there are violations there because we have the video that he was on the airside, which a private member like him ought not to be and what are the violations of conventions or laws and that is what we are investigating,” Ramjattan explained.
Members of the public are typically not allowed access to the airside area at airports.
“We do not want to see people who do not have the authority to be on airside being on airside because it could be an unruly horse if strangers are allowed to be there and that is all part and parcel of getting some expert advice on matters to deal with airports and all of that,” he added.
Ramsaroop was on Tuesday questioned by the police in relation to events leading up to the departure of Persaud from Guyana, one day after the former MP’s critical vote against the government on a motion of no-confidence.
He dubbed the investigation “political harassment.” However, Ramjattan yesterday said, “there is nothing political about that.”
“What was fascinating and appalling and disgusting today is the political involvement in an investigation. I was asked questions, such as ‘What is my political affiliation?’ And ‘What do I do for any political party in Guyana?’ ‘Who is Peter Ramsaroop?’ And ‘Why is Peter Ramsaroop doing what he is doing today?’ Many questions in relation to the Ogle airport events. What I told them basically is that that is political harassment. No questioning should ever happen and my political affiliation has nothing to do with any investigation,” Ramsaroop had said in a live video posted on the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Facebook page after he was questioned.
Since Persaud voted in favour of the opposition-sponsored motion against the government, essentially triggering its collapse, he has come under attack from APNU+AFC MPs, officials of the administration and others.
The motion was debated on December 21st and passed 33 to 32 after Persaud voted with the opposition.
Persaud, who said he voted according to his conscience, has denied being bribed for his vote.
He left for Canada the day after the vote.
Ramsaroop had previously explained to the media that Persaud had asked him for security assistance on the day of the vote in Parliament and he provided such.
He also accompanied Persaud to the Eugene F. Correia International Airport, at Ogle, from where Persaud departed the country.
Ramsaroop’s access to the airport had been the subject of investigation.
The police have said that Persaud is the subject of an ongoing investigation stemming from a report of bribery and possible plans to move gold out of the country.
“It’s a report of alleged bribery and perhaps some movement of gold from the state of Guyana,” Police Commissioner Leslie James told a press conference in January.
He also made the point of assuring that the police are conducting “an impartial investigation,” while noting that Persaud is innocent until proven guilty. “What we have are statements which embodied certain things that I would not disclose for obvious reasons. We cannot say about monies, we can’t say about this, we can’t say about that… the person we are investigating, he is innocent until proven guilty and I would not be prejudicial with this investigation. This is an impartial investigation we have undertaken,” he explained, before adding that at the conclusion of the investigation, the police will seek legal advice on the way forward.
