Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday said that the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) would have to reconsider filing more private criminal charges against sitting ministers and is yet to decide if reports will be made to police in the two previous cases. During a press briefing held at his Church Street office, Jagdeo expressed his disappointment at the decision of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to discontinue the two sets of charges that were filed last month.
Charges filed by attorney Anil Nandlall in the name of PPP Members of Parliament (MPs) against Finance Minister Winston Jordan, Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson, Public Service Minister Dr Rupert Roopnaraine, Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence and Minister of Social Cohesion Dr George Norton have all been discontinued.
The DPP discontinued the charges in keeping with Article 187 (1) of the Constitution. “In the interest of good governance in the State of Guyana such allegations ought first to have been reported to the Guyana Police Force for an investigation to be launched and the advice of the DPP sought,” statements from the DPP’s Chambers had said in announcing the withdrawal of the charges.
