President Donald Ramotar on Wednesday said that he has a vague recollection of his response to an Aishalton teacher and scoffed at media reports of the incident where it was alleged that he said that former President Bharrat Jagdeo might have slapped the heckler.
“I vaguely have a memory of what took place. A few people were there and were heavily drunk. One of them had been making derogatory remarks towards me and I responded to him because he was obviously sent to make mischief,” Ramotar said to reporters on the Essequibo River island of Wakenaam.
The recording was released 27 days after Aishalton Secondary School teacher John Adams alleged that he was slapped at the same event by a presidential guard after he heckled while the president was making a speech. The recording was released by Adams and others.
In the recording the president could be heard bashing the opposition. There was a brief gap before he was heard saying “you don’t know anything bout Jagdeo, if he been hey he might have slap yuh cause yuh stupid”, before continuing with his speech.
Adams insisted to Stabroek News that Ramotar was speaking to him. It would appear as though that the president’s comments came after Adams had heckled him about Jagdeo.
The Office of the President (OP) later released a statement saying that the tape’s contents will have to authenticated.
“Efforts are being made to authenticate the integrity of this recording”, OP said.
The Press and Publicity Unit of OP said that it has noted sections of the media reporting on what is purported to be a recording of an engagement between Ramotar and a hinterland resident.
“The specific incident being referred to involve the hinterland resident who attempted to disrupt the President’s public meeting using invectives, insulting and disparaging language towards Former President Bharrat Jagdeo”, the release said while adding that “the tenor of the engagement represents the cut and (thrust) of public meetings”.
OP said that the highlighting of this incident “some three weeks after it is alleged to have taken place, smacks of desperation on the part of the political opposition and its media outfits, and is no doubt an attempt to remain relevant particularly since Guyanese recently rejected the opposition’s calls to disrupt the Christmas season.”
According to the Press and Publicity Unit, as the New Year beckons, particularly with General Elections pending, “the Administration can expect many more such attempts at sensational reporting”.
There had been no word on the investigations into the alleged assault committed on Adams by the presidential guard.
On December 3rd, Adams had reported that as he was making his way through the crowd after saying his piece at the meeting, he felt a hand collar him from behind and when he swung around, he saw that it was one of the president’s guards.
“The man ask me, ‘Weh de other two that went with you?’ And I told him I don’t know what he talking about, it was just me.
The man said I lying and as I continued to explain to him that it was just me speaking my mind, he hand me one slap to the left side of my jaw,” he recalled.
“The slap numb my face and like I get dizzy because I can’t tell you how many other slaps I got after that if it was one or two or five… I start begging… I say, ‘Boss what wrong with you? Boss, ow boss,’ but he tell me I disrespectful,” Adams added.
The man said after the assault he ran home, escaping through the crowd and used his motorcycle to go to the police station to lodge a complaint. However, when he got there no one was there.
He believed he was targeted because he was outspoken about issues affecting residents in the community.
Head of the Presidential Guard Rohan Singh has since said that when interviewed the officer and ranks denied having any knowledge of Adams’ allegations and only that they moved closer to an individual in the crowd who appeared drunk.
Adams has dismissed claims that he was drunk. As untrue.
According to Singh, Adams had a beer bottle in his hand and was shouting questions at the President. In noticing his demeanor and the fact that he was armed with a potential missile, two ranks positioned themselves closer to him.
The President said on Wednesday that he was taken aback that from all that happened at the meeting the media would choose to focus on the Adams incident.
