The PPP “has taken note” of the rum shop brawl and the firing of bullets in the air in which Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Kellawan Lall was involved more than three weeks ago.
Asked what action the PPP was taking in relation to Lall, who is a senior member of the party, for bringing it into disrepute, PPP General Secretary Donald Ramotar told Stabroek News that “the party has taken note of the incident.”
Pressed as to whether the party intends to take further action apart from noting the incident, Ramotar said that “that was all he had to say.”
Lall has declined to speak to the media on the incident and has reached an out of court settlement with the teenager involved in the matter.
Meanwhile GAP-ROAR MP Everall Franklin told Stabroek News that GAP “expects that the PPP would make the correct decision in dealing with the issue.”
Franklin said had such a situation occurred within the GAP leadership, the matter would not have been prolonged and would have been settled almost immediately. GAP, he said, believes that if the Guyana Police Force’s quest to gain the confidence of the people is to bear fruit, the police have to be seen as impartial in upholding the law.
He said that in the past the party of Dr Cheddi Jagan has always been grounded in discipline and if the party upholds these tenets, GAP expects the PPP to do what is deemed fit and right.
Both the PNCR and the AFC have condemned the actions Lall took, with the AFC indicating that it was looking at tabling a motion in parliament to have Lall either censured or reprimanded for bringing parliament into disrepute.
Trotman has said that the AFC was prepared to support any initiative led by the main opposition PNCR to have the minister censured or sanctioned by the National Assembly.
However, when contacted, PNCR Leader Robert Corbin, had told Stabroek News that “the people of Guyana would have to censure” Lall. He had said that the PPP continually ignored the criminal acts being committed by its members then used its majority in parliament to stifle any motion condemning such acts.
Meanwhile, President of the Guyana Bar Association (GBA) Kashir Khan told Stabroek News that the incident in which Lall allegedly gun-butted the teenager and subsequently fired his weapon, was engaging the GBA’s attention.
Khan said that the association was concerned about the possible implications for the rule of law. The GBA, he said, was hopeful that investigations undertaken would be concluded quickly so that the issues could be dealt with definitively.
Lall is alleged to have first accosted the teen, Joseph Doodnauth and cursed him. Lall then left, returned and continued with a stream of expletives.
He continued with his expletives after Doodnauth said he rebuked the minister for his behaviour. An argument ensued at which point Lall is alleged to have taken out him firearm and struck the teenager on his forehead, causing a deep wound and leaving him bloodied. Doodnauth then left the scene. The minister then followed in the vehicle and allegedly jammed him with the vehicle. Doodnauth said the minister then emerged from the vehicle and allegedly fired several shots in the air and also threatened him.
