Dear Editor,
Forgive the delayed response as I was concluding my exams. I refer to the article printed in the state newspaper, the Guyana Chronicle on the 30th April, 2017, captioned `Corruption probe deepens’ which placed a picture of me along with the Registrar of Deeds and followed with a defamatory report that the police have opened another probe into allegations of corruption and cited an “anonymous source” along with comments from unnamed “top legal sources” which questioned my professional integrity and competence. This story, carried only by the Guyana Chronicle, comes days after I released publicly information of President Granger’s extravagant spending for the use of private planes for international travel (instead of commercial) to The Bahamas and St Vincent and the Grenadines.
For the sake of clarity, corruption is the use of one’s position of authority for personal gain/benefit other than by means of prescribed terms of service. I held no position of authority at the relevant time so unless it can be shown by the Guyana Chronicle that the Registrar of Deeds has gained personally from me or my client vis a vis the execution of her duty then the attempt to establish a nexus between me as an Attorney at Law making an application to the Registrar of Deeds as corruption simply exposes the Guyana Chronicle as a political tool besmirching and defaming the character of members of the opposition who are openly critical of the government. This, ironically, coming from the APNU+AFC which promised a state media which was free from political slant and/or interference.
For the sake of completeness, the application in question on behalf of my client involved the interpretation of the word “undertaking” for the purposes of calculation of a penalty pursuant to the Companies Act CAP 89:01. My submission was that the word “undertaking”, for the purposes of the Act, ought to mean “trading” which the company had not done for well over twenty years and the requested audited financial statements by certified chartered accountants were duly provided evidencing such. The Registrar of Deeds proffered a different interpretation which resulted in a penalty determination so clarity on the matter was sought from the then Chief Justice (ag) Ian Chang SC CCH who advised that a penalty ought not to be ascribed when a company was not trading but that the determination and calculation was within the discretion of the Registrar of Deeds. Having duly advised my clients on the options available to them my clients instructed the course of action adopted. End of story!
As a consequence of the Guyana Chronicle’s report, I have instructed my attorney at law to institute defamation proceedings forthwith.
Guyanese are not stupid. It’s been two years since the APNU+AFC has taken office and these incessant politically directed investigations which lead nowhere just destroys the government’s credibility every day, along with the claims of the PPP’s corruption and manifestly evinces their witch-hunting endeavour. In addition, the APNU+AFC’s many undelivered promises, incompetent governance, corruption, and lavish spending on themselves while continuously citing excuses and begging for more time to deliver the nebulous “good life” means that more and more Guyanese, not just members of the opposition, will continue to voice their disapproval. The obviousness of the Guyana Chronicle’s march of folly is that it will not be able to besmirch every person who is critical of the government. If the APNU+AFC government and its defenders want to avoid criticism then the APNU+AFC should just be a better government. Have they ever thought about that idea?
Yours faithfully,
Charles S. Ramson
