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Apr 05, 2016 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon
From Saturday onwards I have been bombarded with calls and e-mails on two columns—my Saturday piece on a public speech Raphael Trotman gave in Bartica during the local government election campaign, and my article, yesterday, on Ramon Gaskin.
First, I was asked by numerous individuals for a copy of the Raphael Trotman tape. I apologize to readers for the use of the word “tape” in the caption of the article.
In common parlance “tape” has a totally different meaning. By having a tape, to the man in the street, has come to be understood by untold numbers that you have a secret recording or a recording that was made in private and not for public consumption. Mitt Romney’s presidential bid in the US was severely weakened when he was caught on tape saying half of the US population wants hand-outs.
He spoke at a private fund-raising event of the Republican Party. An American basketball team owner was secretly taped telling his girl friend not to socialize with team members and used race as the standard by which he judged people.
The Guyana Times called me about a tape I have on what Raphael Trotman said. I will not give the Guyana Times any material and through these words I hope the paper understands that. That newspaper carries very nasty things about me in its letters section and libel writs may soon follow. But I do not have a tape that implicates Raphael Trotman in any scandal. I have a copy of a recording of a public speech given by Trotman in Bartica in front of thousands of listeners.
Dozens and dozens of persons were recording it on their smart phones. The APNU-AFC that sponsored the meeting recorded Trotman’s speech.
There is no need to seek me out to get a copy of the Trotman tape. There is no secret tape on Raphael Trotman. He spoke in front of thousands of well-wishers and he was constantly clapped and cheered on. To put it in the most unambiguous way; there is a public speech out there by Trotman that any journalist can access if he/she wants to.
Several persons contacted me to say they didn’t know about those facts on Ramon Gaskin that I enumerated in my Monday reflections. They want a copy of my November 11, 1993 column on Gaskin in the Stabroek News.
A particular lawyer has called me twice for the article. I am typing this column on Monday afternoon and I plan to photocopy the article later in the day. So yes, I can share the Ramon Gaskin column but I cannot share the Raphael Trotman tape because there is no Raphael Trotman tape. I am being journalistically technical. I have a copy of Trotman’s Bartica speech and I can pass that along.
I will meet the requests for both of these materials from Monday afternoon onwards. I was really surprised how much public information goes unnoticed in this country.
I was asked if I am not worried Gaskin will sue me for libel for saying that he took a consultancy with the PPP Government to audit the financial records of the City Hall about four years ago. I simply said to that Stabroek Market vendor who spoke to me to go and Google it and he will see all the facts including a bold letter in the Stabroek News by Gaskin defending Carol Sooba in which Gaskin waxed lyrical about her professionalism.
You don’t get sued for facts. You get sued for mouthing off fictions. I was losing my patience when I was told that Gaskin would sue me for implicating him with Evan Persaud.
There is so much that this country does not know about. Gaskin cannot sue me for any kind of implications with his defence of Evan Persaud. UG charged Mr. Persaud for saying explicit sexual things in classes over a period of time. At the disciplinary hearing, Mr. Ramon Gaskin was the person who officially presented Persaud’s defence.
That lawyer who called me to say that Gaskin will sue because I confused his name, because Gaskin is not a lawyer does not know the facts. I honestly don’t know what Raymond Gaskin is and I don’t care to know but I know Mr. Gaskin was the counsel for Mr. Persaud at his hearing. What is libelous about that? That is a fact. UG will not deny that fact. Vincent Alexander will not deny that fact. Evan Persaud will not deny that fact. Gaskin will not deny that fact. I think this lawyer didn’t know this and he cannot believe it. But it is all factual.
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