Latest update April 25th, 2024 12:59 AM
Feb 18, 2014 News
Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee said, yesterday, that he is contemplating taking legal action against A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) executive member Joseph Harmon for identifying him as being a subject of criminal investigation hence the reason why he is not aware of Guyana’s links to drug trafficking.
Harmon was at the time referring to a previous announcement by Rohee over the issue of Guyana being identified within an international coke smuggling mafia ring in which he said that Rohee must have known the details of investigation “unless his along with his colleagues are subject of the investigation.”
Rohee had said that he was awaiting a report on the matter and is hopeful that it will provide the administration with information that will help to dismantle connections between foreign drug lords and Guyana.
According to Rohee, at a press briefing yesterday at Freedom House, “I intend to take it up with my lawyers where he [Harmon] said publicly and it was on TV, Prime News, where he said that I must have known about the investigation because it was going on for two years.
“I must have known about it and maybe the reason why I have not been told about these investigations by the DEA or whoever is investigating it is because I myself am being investigated. That’s what he said, so I’m going to take that up. I’m going to take it up because Harmon is not going to make statements like that and get away with it. I’m afraid that I can’t accept that.”
Rohee added that with respect to the drug fight, they are doing what they can. He said that he found “disgusting”, the approach the Opposition is suddenly taking with this matter.
“It appears as though they are the only ones who are serious because I saw Mr. Granger saying that the government is not serious about fighting drug trafficking.
“It appears to me that from a statement like that, APNU appears to be the only serious ones in Guyana about fighting drug trafficking.”
According to Rohee the members of the task force would find that “extremely revolting” because he feels that APNU is not the only body of persons in Guyana who are serious about fighting crime and drug trafficking, he said that there are a lot of persons who are making contributions.
“I don’t expect any magic even if APNU were to assume the reins of power in this country, they will face the same challenges this administration faces in respect to priorities, is it better hospital is it better schools…
“I’m not saying that procurement of helicopters, boats and planes are not a priority of the state but it all boils down to a question of affordability at this point in time. Can the country afford all these things which these people are calling for to happen at one fell swoop,” said Rohee.
Meanwhile APNU’s Harmon in response to the threat of legal sanction by Rohee said that he has no fear of a lawsuit from the Home Affairs Minister since he has been a practising attorney for 19 years and is familiar with the Court.
According to Harmon while Rohee is contemplating taking legal action against him individually for making a statement, he (Rohee) “will have to prepare himself to answer to the more than 800,000 people of this country on whose behalf he acts as the Home Affairs Minister to explain why after an international investigation has gone on for two years involving Guyana that up to now he is still asking for information from the law enforcement agencies.”
Harmon cited the statement where Rohee said in his Feburary 5 press conference that the Opposition was protecting drug lords because the Opposition party is withholding support for the Anti Money Laundering Bill to protect drug lords and money launderers.
Harmon said that when Rohee was asked to provide proof of his allegations “all he would say is the evidence was the Opposition’s resistance to further the Money Laundering Bill and then he went on to say further that the Opposition parties in the National Assembly are protecting the vested interest of a few whose operations, perhaps survival, will be affected if the bill is passed. These are persons engaged in illicit activities and trafficking in drugs and who need to launder there proceeds of their ill gotten gain – that is what he said about us.”
According to Harmon, this is a much clearer imprint “so he can proceed with the law suit but it must be rest assured that his tenure as the Minister of Home Affairs and his failure to act on all of these security matters including drug related matters should not be the subject of his reprimand by the citizens of this country, so what I have to say to Mr. Rohee, lets go to Court.”
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