Dear Editor,
Does a certain segment of this nation suffer from debilitating moral sickness? A blogger responding to my letter said that whatever Ed Ahmad did in America is his business and suggested that if Mr Ahmad did not break any laws in Guyana, he is fine and it is futile to link the PPP to his actions in America. No one is trying to link the PPP to Ahmad’s actions in the USA. They are linking Mr Ahmad to the PPP, which is a known fact. Plus, Mr Ahmad was reportedly trying to flee to Guyana when he was recently arrested. If Mr Ahmad is a friend of the President of Guyana and had allegedly sent 29 tons of building materials to this same President at State House and obtained former GuySuCo lands at Leonora, Mr Ahmad’s links to the PPP are this country and its citizens’ business.
In addition, Mr Ahmad’s legal troubles in the USA are this country’s business because of these links and because of his business interests in Guyana. To adopt the position that someone who allegedly committed transgressions in a foreign country must be completely absolved or forgotten the moment they set foot in Guyana is nonsense. It would make this country a safe haven for all manner of criminals and suspected criminals.
Mr Ahmad is innocent unless proven guilty. However, when persons with links to the President and the PPP are accused in a foreign country it is this country’s business. So is Mr Ahmad’s big box store built next to the Mirror.
Mr Ahmad’s links to the President and the PPP must be placed under public inspection. It is the way democracy works. The questions are asked and the government responds. To adopt the safe haven mentality and bury our heads in the sand is to commit a serious assault on whatever little decency, dignity and morality is left in this country. The absence of a sense of moral culpability within the Guyanese people is already obvious. After the nature of current allegations against Mr Ahmad along with the fact that he had previously paid $69,000 in restitution to the New York State Banking Department to settle mortgage fraud claims against him (NYT, Aug 17, 2010), investigation of Mr Ahmad’s links to the PPP is the people of Guyana’s business. Moreso, it is the people’s business to know in an election year who’s friends with whom.
Yours faithfully,
M Maxwell
