The new bombshell allegations about government’s involvement with confessed drug trafficker Roger Khan warrant nothing less than a full inquiry by an independent international tribunal, according to AFC Chairman Khemraj Ramjattan.
He told Stabroek News yesterday that in the light of the allegations that implicate local government and law enforcement officials, any investigation should be conducted by independent tribunal that could be composed with the assistance of Caricom and Commonwealth with the involvement of some local persons like Chief Justice Ian Chang. “If we can spend $25 million on a reward, we can spend money to ensure that this aspect of our history accurately written by an international commission of men and women,” he said, while expressing doubt given the current posture towards calls for other investigations. He said the government’s recent attitude towards the international community indicates that it is laying the groundwork to rebuff international help as attempts to interfere in sovereign affairs. (Last week PPP/C MP, Gail Teixeira denounced what she described as donor countries’ interference in Guyana’s internal affairs, citing a letter from the donor community weighing in on local government reform.)
Ramjattan explained that the testimony at the trial of US attorney Robert Simels has provided “cogent, convincing and compelling” evidence of an alleged link between the government and Khan. What is more, he emphasised that even if Simels were found not guilty, the prosecution and the defence as well as an independent witness have presented “indisputable” evidence implicating the PPP/C government and Health Minister Leslie Ramsammy in Khan’s illegal activities here.
On Thursday, Peter Myers, the co-founder of UK firm Smith Myers testified in a New York court that the cellular intercept equipment used by Khan had been sold to the Government of Guyana, a contention that officials here had repeatedly denied. Meanwhile, another witness, Selwyn Vaughn, who claims to have been a member of Khan’s gang, has testified that Khan met the minister. Minister Ramsammy has repeatedly denied the claims, which have prompted calls for him to step down, while government spokesmen have dismissed calls for an investigation as premature in advance of the conclusion of the trial.
But Ramjattan said the government is employing delaying tactics to avert an investigation, since any conclusion to the trial would not challenge the witnesses’ testimony. In particular, he cited the evidence of Myers, whom he described as an independent witness. He added that while Vaughn might have an interest to serve, the veracity of his testimony would have been authenticated by the polygraph tests prior to his even taking the witness stand. “That three different sets of people have set out to frame this hardworking and poor minister is ludicrous,” he declared.
He added that instead of public denials the minister could also communicate with the court through a lawyer to give notice of his intention to refute the testimony given so far.
Ramjattan said too that the country had previously had a glimpse of what has emerged during the trial, which only serves now to provide further evidence of the government’s complicity with Khan. He said that the identification of the intercept equipment allegedly used by Khan for surveillance here suggests that both the government and the Commissioner of Police Henry Greene have been misleading the people. “It tarnishes the government,” Ramjattan said, “And their denials are natural because they have been caught with their pants down.”
To protest the government’s failure to address concerns raised by the trial, the parliamentary opposition withheld participation from the National Assembly on Thursday. They also staged protests. While the AFC boycotted the sitting entirely, the main opposition PNCR and GAP-ROAR walked out after Speaker Ralph Ramkarran disallowed an application by Opposition Leader Robert Corbin for an urgent debate on the recent testimony of Vaughn. Corbin also sought to have the Assembly approve a motion calling for Interpol to be invited to probe the allegations.
Ramjattan said there had been no talks with the PNCR but he did not exclude the possibility of a joint parliamentary opposition response in the light of the “extreme” implications of the allegations. However, he noted that the AFC executive would ultimately have to make a decision.
Stabroek News was unable to contact Corbin yesterday for a comment on his party’s plans.
Outraged at the allegations, the AFC has called on Ramsammy to immediately step aside to facilitate a full blown independent international commission of inquiry into the allegations, which also link Khan to the deaths of political activist Ronald Waddell and boxing coach Donald Allison. Further, in the light of the testimony the party has withdrawn its participation in the National Assembly. “The disclosures made by the self confessed murderer have revealed that there is more than adequate ‘prima facie evidence’ available upon which criminal charges can be instituted against persons in Guyana,” the party said on Wednesday, adding that Commissioner Greene has a constitutional duty to act as Chief Law Enforcement Officer to investigate the murders of Waddell and Allison.
