Dear Editor,
I refer to Ramon Gaskin’s letter in SN, ‘Kissoon has behaved like the rest of them’ (March 25).
I never had any respect or regard for Ramon Gaskin, and it goes back a long way.
Now for my interpretation of the accusation that I took money from businessmen to build my house: This is a very old story that goes back to 2006 when at the 2005 death anniversary at Babu Jaan, both President Jagdeo and Donald Ramotar said they knew businessmen helped to build my home.
Since then I have written about that story several times in letters to the press and in my columns. As late as last year, I mentioned a professional who was close to me who offered me fifty thousand as a gift to help. He was my friend at that time. He became very powerful with the PPP and we lost our friendship and I have been severely critical of his politics since then. People change. He did. Not me.
Three persons offered assistance and I accepted because they were my friends for donkey’s years. I have friends who are financially comfortable whom I have known when they had nothing. These are the people who stood with me. They are my friends. They do not dabble in politics. They are honest people with integrity. They do not belong to corporate Guyana. I have no friends in corporate Guyana. I will name these three persons if there is a change of government when they will be comfortable being named.
Mr Gaskin framed his accusation in such a way as to make it appear that the rich and wealthy assisted me in my construction and I am a recipient of hush money. That is untrue. I have no contact with rich and wealthy business people. I never did and at my age I doubt ever will. I am happy in being what I am. I have publicly written that I consider myself to be a Nietzschen anarchist (essentially existentialist). I have no interest in power and wealth. At my age I doubt I will ever change.
Mr Gaskin’s letter is confusing. I could understand the first part in which he questioned my fictional association with corporate Guyana. What I don’t understand is the last paragraph of his letter in which he is angry with me for publishing the connection between a quarry owner and the $3B contract President Jagdeo offered the businessman to pay off a $2B loan. What is the relevance of that in a letter in which Mr Gaskin is concerned about me losing my critical pen because of financial help?
Here is the relevance. Mr Gaskin has worked with that businessman for the past ten years as his financial consultant. But he chose not to name him. He declared the loan was false. One thought all these years that Mr Gaskin had a strong memory. Mr Gaskin failed to say that he knows this because he is an employee of the businessman. How strange that Gaskin hid his relationship.
I suspect that Mr Gaskin became victim of what Martin Carter said about the mouth being muzzled by the hand that feeds it.
Finally, I am willing to divulge to the management of the Stabroek News and the Kaieteur News who were the three friends that offered me assistance if Mr Gaskin can name the quarry owner and whether he is in the employ of the owner. God knows I have my faults and I am no angel, but I will never surrender my critical pen. People change. One day I might compromise my independent pen. But not for three million dollars to assist in the construction of my home. Three million won’t work. Three hundred million might (Ha! Ha! Ha!)
Yours faithfully,
Frederick Kissoon
