Jagdeo and the PPP Mafia Sold-out Guyana’s Security Apparatus To Criminals

By Richard Millington, Research Assistant – George Washington University Law School

 

Outgoing President, Bharrat Jagdeo

Details are emerging about the contempt US government officials developed for Guyana’s President, Bharrat Jagdeo. Apart from his obvious criminal associations, officials were incensed by Jagdeo’s People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government’s 2006 audacious attempt to use US law enforcement to emasculate the role of then Police Commissioner, Winston Felix. “They aggressively employed draconian measures to undermine Mr. Felix to protect their criminal axis and sought our assistance to enable that subversion,” a US diplomat contends.

Jagdeo’s alleged criminal associations are so far-reaching and alarming that it motivated a senior official of the Colin Powell State Department (DOS) to regard him as a “Mafia” Head of State. Then US Ambassador to Guyana, Ronald Bullen, in a 2006 cable to DOS stated that Guyana was believed to be “a narco-state” and that “If Guyana is a narco-state, then Khan is its leader” – An indication that Jagdeo was compromised and had surrendered governance of the country to Khan’s criminal enterprise.

Felix drew the ire of Jagdeo over his aggressive pursuit of drug lords connected to Jagdeo’s ruling PPP, including now convicted criminal and accused murderer Roger Khan. Currently serving a 15 year sentence in the US for exporting and distributing narcotics in the US, Khan was Jagdeo’s ally and financier of the PPP. The Guyanese President has condemned his arrested in Surinam and extradited to the US, via Trinidad and Tobago, as “another US “rendition.”

Guyana’s Outgoing President Bharrat Jagdeo Accused Of Inciting Racial Violence

Submitted by CGID President Rickford Burke

Guyana's outgoing President Bharrat Jagdeo in a rambling tirade

NEW YORK: The Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID) Sunday launched a scathing condemnation of Guyana’s outgoing president, Bharrat Jagdeo. Accusing the Guyanese leader of stoking racial fears to incite violence and civil conflict as a campaign tactic in the run up to the November 28, general elections, the group charged that Jagdeo violated newly enacted “anti-incitement” laws.

Jagdeo triggered a deluge of outrage Saturday night when at a PPP rally at Bartica, a town in Essequibo county, he railed that if elected the opposition APNU coalition would give criminals guns to kill residents. Bartica is the hub of the gold and diamond mining community and gateway to Guyana’s natural resource-rich interior. The town, an APNU monopoly, suffered a robbery/massacre on February 17, 2008, which claimed twelve lives.

Exploiting the security angst of citizens, Jagdeo speculated that if the opposition wins the November 28 general election criminals would be armed with weapons from security forces. “You have had some theft of weapons from the army in the past but if they were to get into power… they will get the weapons to give to the bandits…“They have a track-record of supporting criminal gangs like those that killed 12 persons in Bartica on February 17, 2008.”

Media Threat Intensified By PPP Administration

Lincoln Lewis, General Secretary Guyana Trades Union Congress - Press Release

In the wake of an attack on the media by President Jagdeo and the recent threat by Gail Texiera of reporting certain media houses to the United Nations, GTUC urges government to go right ahead without delay. We are assured that the blanket control and domination of state media, restriction of broadcast licenses, suppression and intimidation of independent media, economic destruction of the media by targeting of advertisers to deny media freedom, use of the media as a wedge to divide society and create ethnic tensions and violence as well as disseminate PPP propaganda, will make for interesting analysis before an independent arbiter of the United Nations. Additionally the consequence of fear of expression forces media self censorship  in order to survive ;job losses and increased prices also result as media houses increase prices to offset advertisement suppression would make for interesting disclosures. These too relate to efforts and consequences of media suppression that the UN would be interested in.

GTUC has a direct interest in media freedom as this is foundational to free, fair, transparent and credible elections and forging a society where the rule of law and good governance can prevail. It is the media’s role as a pillar of democracy to protect the rights of every citizen and where necessary expose those who violate the laws of the land and the rights of others. The PPP government clearly does not desire that their activities be exposed for they would prefer that Guyanese live in ignorance of their misdeeds and corruption, their lies, nepotism and their criminal associations such as Roger Khan.

President Jagdeo’s Suspension Of CNS 6 Abuse Of Power And Violation Of Rights

Lincoln Lewis, General Secretary Guyana Trades Union Congress

The decision by President Jagdeo to suspend Mr. Sharma’s CNS 6 comes as no surprise to the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC). We were reliably informed some months back that a decision was taken within the political hierarchy to silence this station in the run up to elections to contain its exposure of injustices and prevent the opposition from getting their messages out. Mr. Anthony Vieira’s May 4th commentary was an excuse, not the cause for Jagdeo’s decision, which is the most vicious form of Machiavellian politics of the end justifying the means.

The charge brought against Mr. Sharma and the guilt pronounced by President Jagdeo is a flagrant disregard for the course of justice for it is still to be proven by the court of this land that Mr. Vieira’s statement constitute libel and in the instance where such is considered bad taste to President Jagdeo he must know that in this diverse society this is not a yard stick for his action. The question therefore remains: ‘has it been established that a crime was committed and does the punishment fit the crime?’

It is no accident President Jagdeo made himself Minister of Information. For he thinks he has immunity to violate the sacred right to freedom of expression by abusing Article 182 Constitution which grants the president protection from civil and criminal prosecution for acts committed during the stewardship in office when in fact he is violating his Oath of Office to serve the people, respect their rights and uphold the law without fear, favour or ill will. The PPP must hear from us for. They must be held accountable. They must know enough is enough.

Jagdeo Ally And Top PPP Financier Ed Ahmad Dragged Off Delta Flight By FBI

Submitted by Rickford Burke

 

Ed Ahmad, Guyanese-American Realtor and businessman

Brooklyn, New York: United States FBI Agents yesterday forcibly dragged Queens Guyanese-American Realtor and businessman, Ed Ahmad, off a Delta Airlines flight that was bound for Guyana, and arrested him on mortgage fraud charges.

Ahmad is a close political ally of Guyana’s President Bharrat Jagdeo and a top financier of Jagdeo’s ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP).

Ahmad, who owns major businesses in Guyana including, Building Materials and Appliances Depot and the entire Leonora Estate Management residence compound, which the Bharrat Jagdeo administration ostensibly sold to him below market value, is also a person of interest in at least one other ongoing FBI probe. Reports are that “Ahmad had already boarded Delta Flight 383 at JFK International Airport heading to Guyana when Federal agents boarded the aircraft and forcibly removed him in handcuffs.”

The US Justice Department in a criminal complaint filed in the Eastern District of New York alleges that “Ahmad conducted an extensive scheme to commit mortgage fraud; regularly lying about applicants’ income and using straw buyers to conceal his involvement.” He was released on $2.5 million bail.

Evidence Of Bharat Jagdeo And The PPP’s Racism Is Profound And Unassailable

Submitted by Rickford Burke

PPP General Secretary Donald Ramotar and President Bharrat Jagdeo, the PPP twin devils of racism and deception

Since the PPP government took office in Guyana in 1992, it has systemically promoted racism and ethnic division, and has established an ethnocracy which has an insidious noose around the neck of African Guyanese population with which it attempts to subjugate and render it servile.

They have opposed every African-Guyanese former PNC government official who has been nominated for senior international and/or local positions, but has without reservation supported and embraced East Indians who have been similarly nominated – a manifestation of an entrenched, congenital belief in ethnic and racial supremacy.

Here are a few examples: Jagdeo and the racist PPP opposed Carl Greenidge for Secretary General for the ACP as well as Caricom Trade Negotiator and Clarence Ellis as Director of the World Bank and IDB.

To the contrary, Jagdeo and the racist PPP have supported Sir Shridath Ramphal in every international or regional undertaking and appointment. They have also supported the appointment of Dr. Mohammed Shahabuddeen to the World Court and the War Crimes Tribunal.

GTUC Calls On President Jagdeo To Address Matters Affecting The African Community As Nation Marks ‘International Year for People of African Descent’

Lincoln Lewis, General Secretary Guyana Trades Union Congress

The Guyana Trades Union Congress in recognition of the United Nations International Year for People of African Descent this today delivered a letter to President Bharat Jagdeo, signed by Lincoln Lewis, General Secretary. The letter outlines 25 issues that are deserving of his administration urgent attention and which continue to negatively impact on the African community by virtue of the government’s action or inaction. The Congress embraces the view and aspiration of UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Ivan Šimonovic, that “The International Year must become a milestone in the ongoing campaign to advance the rights of people of African descent and it deserves to be accompanied by activities that fire the imagination, enhance our understanding of the situation of people of African descent and are a catalyst for real and positive change in the daily lives of the millions of Afro-descendents around the world.”

This is not a year for fun and frolicking; it is a year for seriousness and achievements!

According to the UN Release, “the General Assembly proclaimed the Year in December 2009 in a resolution citing the need to strengthen national actions and regional and international cooperation to ensure that people of African descent fully enjoy economic, cultural, social, civil and political rights, to advance their integration into all political, economic, social and cultural aspects of society, and to promote a greater knowledge of and respect for their diverse heritage and culture.”