The Government Information Agency (GINA) has accused employees of the Kaieteur News of impersonating its employees in an effort to gain information, a claim vehemently denied by the newspaper’s Editor Adam Harris.

“It never happened,” he said when contacted on Monday over a statement issued by GINA, which in a statement said that Kaieteur News reporters have been impersonating its Communication Officers. GINA condemned the action, saying it goes against the principles of journalism. As a result, GINA advised that its officers are easily identifiable by way of an official badge issued by the agency.

It also advised the public if they encounter any attempts to impersonate GINA employees to inform the agency.

Meanwhile, Harris said he believed that the accusation stems from his newspaper’s investigations into contracts, since it felt that some of the costs were exorbitant. He said the incident being referred to is a visit by two of his reporters to West Coast Demerara.

He said he challenged the persons making the claim since the reporters referred to, Mondale Smith and Fareeza Haniff, both wore their identification badges. “Neither of them would think of impersonating GINA. Who in their right mind would go on the streets to represent GINA?” he queried.