The lawyer for a New Amsterdam, Berbice businessman has written to Kaieteur News (KN) calling for the retraction of a news item where he was mistakenly identified as controversial Chinese middleman Su Zhirong.
In correspondence seen by Stabroek News, Sase Gunraj has written to KN stating that he had been retained by the New Amsterdam businessman Beian Cui who the letter says was mistakenly identified in yesterday’s edition of KN as Su Zhirong.
“Our client is not the person described in the article and the publication of our client’s photograph has harmed his reputation, brought him into public ridicule, contempt and odium”, the letter said.
The lawyer called for the retraction of the article failing which legal proceedings will be instituted.
There has been enormous interest in the whereabouts of Su since Stabroek News first reported over two years ago about explosive allegations he had levelled against Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo and Jagdeo’s subsequent vehement denial of these.
The matter recently came to the surface again on March 18th this year at the UN Human Rights Committee in Geneva when the Guyana delegation was asked about corruption allegations against Jagdeo.
United States committee member, Laurence Helfer inquired about public frustration over Guyana’s alleged failure to investigate reports of corruption involving Jagdeo.
“The committee… reiterates its request for information on measures to ensure prompt and effective investigations into allegations of corruption and the prosecution of perpetrators. The committee is aware of public frustration regarding, for example, the failure to investigate reports of corruption by Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo. Would the state party care to comment on these reports?” Helfer probed.
In response, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira explained that no formal police report had been filed regarding a Vice News broadcast containing allegations of corruption against Jagdeo. Without a formal complaint, she argued, law enforcement authorities were unable to launch an investigation.
“The issue of the Vice News’ accusation of a Vice News report article on the Vice President of Guyana and acts of corruption, there’s no follow-up on it. There was no police report made by Vice News or anybody else, and so the police cannot investigate without some form of report or complaint. However, the VP has answered this issue publicly several times in the same media that has carried these reports,” she stated.
Jagdeo had lodged a legal case against Su. At the time of the Vice News broadcast, Su had been a tenant in one of Jagdeo’s properties and living near to where the Vice President resided. Su later disappeared.
