Dear Editor,
On May 7, a group of Chinese persons came into my store (Fazia Collection Sales Centre, America Street) taking photographs. I stopped them and indicated that that was not permitted.
Afterwards a group of Guyanese came into the store and identified themselves as belonging to the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC). Bishop Juan Edghill came up to me and accused me of discriminating against Chinese people.
I told him I could not allow the contents of my store to be photographed and that I believed trade secrets were at stake and I had to protect my business.
Bishop Edghill began to speak in a loud tone of voice. He came around to the cashier’s section where I was and ordered me to report to the ERC immediately, accompanying him.
I refused. He moved towards me, and my wife stood between him and me thus preventing him from ‘arresting’ me. He kept berating me, threatening me with closure.
A large crowed of customers gathered around and concern for the image of my business dictated that I should go with him. We went in his vehicle. At the ERC offices, he told me my licence could be revoked and the GRA would from hereon monitor me. On May 18, I received a summons from the ERC to appear before an investigation panel.
Yours faithfully,
Terry Anderson
Editor’s note
We sent a copy of this letter Chairman of the Ethnic Relations Commission, Bishop Juan Edghill, for any comment he might have wished to make, and received the following response from Mr Azeem Khan, Public Relations Officer, ERC:
“Thank you for your professional courtesy in allowing the ERC to respond to a letter written by Mr Terry Anderson.
“The ERC categorically denies the contents of this letter and sees it as a public relations stunt by Mr Anderson to ‘save face’ in the public over an investigation that the ERC is presently conducting and which is now in the public space.
“The Commission denies, as stated in the letter, ‘Bishop Edghill came to me and accused me of discriminating against Chinese people.’ It never happened.
“The ERC denies any noisy conversation or any loud speaking; any gathering of a crowd and any attempt to arrest anyone. The Commission further denies any conversation about a licence being revoked.
“The ERC admits attempting to contact the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) to verify the real ownership of the store since Mr Terry Anderson said that the owner was unavailable and refused to give the person’s name. (Please note: The entire conversation between ERC Chairman, Bishop Juan Edghill and Mr Terry Anderson at Fazia’s Collection on the day in question was recorded.)
“The Commission also denies sending any summons to Mr Anderson for him to appear before an investigation panel. However, the ERC, by letter dated May 17, 2010, invited Mr Anderson to a meeting.
“For the record, on May 7, 2010 in the presence of ERC investigators, Chinese nationals were refused entry to Fazia’s Collection at the junction of Longden and America Streets, Georgetown.
The ERC is conducting investigations into this matter for which the Commission has a signed statement from Mr Terry Anderson who has since claimed to be the sole owner of four stores belonging to Fazia’s Collection.
“Investigations are continuing and it is regrettable that a matter which could have been resolved using Alternative Dispute Resolution seems to be taking on monumental proportions.
“Please be reminded that the matter was brought to the public domain by Mr Frederick Kissoon, in his column dated May 21, 2010, in which he stated, ‘I addressed the meeting and explained that the businessman made a complaint to the media about Bishop Edghill’s behaviour in his store.’
“This is by no means a full explanation of all the details of the matter but simply providing a response to you, respected Editor and your readers.”
