President Irfaan Ali yesterday said that the accusations of bribery put to Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo by US-based media outlet, VICE News during an interview last week are just mere allegations and was done for sensationalism.
Ali made the statement when asked by the media for a response to the allegations on the sidelines of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Annual Officers’ Conference.
After initially saying that he was unaware of the reports being referred to by a reporter, Ali said his Government is “above board”. “My government is above board but I am just saying this to say how sensational…People are just doing things for sensational headlines,” he said.
“…This is what is happening. There is a lot of (sensationalizing) that is going on and I am not into that. I am into facts. Building one Guyana based on honestly, integrity, based on hard work, based on facts,” Ali added.
Jagdeo has vehemently denied the allegations put to him by Vice Media Group in an interview on February 1st at his office. The interview was uploaded to Jagdeo’s page on Monday with the tag that “he set the record straight on a series of misinformation”.
VICE’s claims will be developed into a programme for broadcast centred on the contention that Chinese businessmen here had been claiming that bribes were taken by Jagdeo in return for moving projects along.
Vice Media Group is an American-Canadian digital media and broadcasting company founded in 1994.
Ali yesterday told reporters that the Government has since received intelligence which raised questions about the VICE journalist’s credibility.
In fact, as he urged the journalist to respond, Ali said information suggests that she was sent here with “special interest” by a “special group”.
“That same reporter did not even know what the Amaila Falls project is about. Did not even know the name of roads but came here and I heard because we got intelligence gathering too. I heard that the reporter had certain special interest. An allegation was made, as President some people called me and said that this reporter was having a special interest and was managed by a special group….And I want the reporter to respond whether indeed this is true,” Ali explained.
“First of all the project, she said that the Vice President will change the constitution. What nonsense…Somebody can’t just wake up and change the constitution. There is a process. That alone and the misinformation discredits her and tells you that her only objective was in pursuing a special interest. Go and do the research on this news agency and research on the individual. So this person came, did not even know what she was talking about, the Vice President can change the constitution and he is planning to change the constitution to help some company out, which is absolute rubbish,” Ali further pointed out.
In presenting the “facts” on the project in question, Ali said the Amaila Falls project was publicly advertised and the necessary procurement procedure was followed.
“The Amaila Falls was publicly advertised. It was a public process. It was done in accordance with the national procurement system. It was evaluated. A recommendation was done after evaluation as to who was the best bidder. That is a separate process. Above board, beyond transparency,” he said.
He challenged the reporter who asked the question yesterday to present the “facts” in her article when it is published as a “good” and “excellent” reporter.
“….I want you as a good reporter, who I am sure you are, excellent reporter to go and outline…..I want you now to outline in great clarity for the world. The process that we embarked on for all these projects……As a good journalist, I am giving you facts. You asked me a question. I am presenting you the facts. I am presenting to you what occur. As a fantastic journalist, are you going to present the facts to the people in your article,” Ali added.
In the segment posted on Jagdeo’s Facebook page, various topics were discussed with the VICE Media interviewer before she settled on the matter of Guyana falling several points on the Transparency International (TI) index this year. Jagdeo criticised TI and then blamed the decline on acts committed by the APNU+AFC government following the 2018 motion of no-confidence. He also cited the five-month elections impasse among other things.
He said that he could not put his ‘head on the block’ that there would be no corruption in the country. The interviewer then asked about his government and asked him directly if he took bribes. He answered in the negative, at which point the interviewer said that she had spoken to a Chinese logger here who said that the only way to do business here was to pay bribes and as long as the Vice President was alright with this, everything would be cleared.
Jagdeo denied and rejected the claims saying it was done by someone anonymous and he could not say if it was made up by the reporter. He challenged her to provide a name.
Before doing so, she asked whether he knew a Mr Su. Appearing taken aback, he replied that it was his tenant and that the man and his father were known to him. “Oh Su? My relationship? Nothing. He is a tenant in my place, yes,” he said.
“And he is a friend of yours?” she probed, to which he replied, “Yes, ahm yes. Yes. He is a friend of ours, His father was here from many years ago,” Jagdeo said.
The interviewer then went on to say that Su had told them that through his broker and with the payment of bribes, deals could be cleared by the Vice President and there was no trace of money to Jagdeo. The Vice President ridiculed the allegations stating that anyone could make up allegations of that type.
