Prime Minister wants police to follow leads to uncover “criminal syndicate attached to PPP”

Jul 27, 2015 News

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– Implies that former Home Affairs Minister sent a warning during election campaign

By Abena Rockcliffe

Prime Minister, and first Vice-President, Moses Nagamootoo has indicated that he has reason to believe that there was a “criminal syndicate” attached to the People’s Progressive Party which ruled Guyana for 23 years.
As he spoke to the media on Saturday about a perceived breach of security at his home, the Prime Minister also indicated his belief that one of the suspects held by the police for the murder of political activist, Courtney Crum-Ewing—Rajput Naraine—attempted to infiltrate the Alliance For Change (AFC).
The Prime Minister said that Naraine, a former bodyguard to then Attorney General Anil Nandlall, had “expressed interest” in him.
Nagamootoo said Naraine “came to my office during the campaign and offered his service as one of my security…he said he was going to watch my back.”
Nagamootoo said that he was taken aback by Naraine’s “nervousness.”
The Prime Minister claimed that Naraine told him that he had provided security for him sometime in the past.
“I could not remember him  but I now recall that he told me he was working at CANU or with GRA and said that he was working with them but still wanted to protect me.”
Nagamootoo questioned, “Did he (Naraine) know something? Did he hear something? Was his nervousness anything to do with me being a target of some sort?”
He said that he could not recall exactly whether this meeting with the murder suspect was before or after the assassination of political activist Courtney Crum-Ewing.

The Vice President said, “I probably believe it was after that (Crum-Ewing’s assassination) he came to me and said that he would like to be a member of the AFC. I do not recall well but I think he collected forms to sign up for the AFC and he probably might have secured membership because I had a desk outside where people coming into my lawyer’s chamber could ask for membership.”
Nagamootoo said that with all that is being revealed now, including Naraine’s arrest, he is beginning to see a bigger picture of a plot that had his assassination at the climax.
“I am connecting the dots. His name is being called in relationship with criminal elements and he found a person like me leading up to the elections as a person of interest, saying he want to help to protect etc, etc,” said Nagamootoo.
He added, “So I think there might have been a wider conspiracy which we do not know of and this is where I would expect that the police should follow all leads to see whether there was a criminal syndicate attached to the PPP. I have a suspicion that there might have been because why would the former Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee  go  public to say during the campaign that ‘those who ain’t dead will be badly wounded’.It is a matter for him to explain.”
Nagamootoo had also told the media that two weeks ago, Tuesday, July 14, the security detail attached to his home noticed a strange car parked close by. Sean Hinds was identified as the occupant of the car. As the security approached, the car sped away.
A check of the car’s license plate number revealed that the particular number belonged to a car with a different colour.
Nagamootoo is convinced that the surveillance was for a possible hit.
“We have information that some days ago Sean Hinds had been parked in a car in the vicinity of my residence and neighbours were alerted, the police were summoned and the vehicle drove away very fast,” he told reporters.
The Prime Minister believes that based on the information provided, Hinds was allegedly on “some kind of recce.”
Nagamootoo added, “If I was an asset or I was a target, I believe that Sean Hinds would have to come and explain.”
Nagamootoo said he was informed that another vehicle, a black automobile believed to the property of Anil Nandlall, was also seen near his house.
He said that he previously confronted Hinds at City Hall and told him, “I understand he has interest in me and he laughed and he didn’t say much on that occasion.”
When contacted, Hinds expressed total shock at the new development.
He said, “Wha? What? Is wha I hearing here man? Me and these people don’t have a problem and I ain’t deh pon dem thing. Nobody from no side of de fence can’t get me to do dem things no more.”
He stressed, “I ain’t deh pon dem thing.”
Hinds acknowledged that he is a popular figure and “If I want to do something, I won’t mek me presence known like that. I know that a man must know that is me lie down by the house. Come on, pick sense out of nonsense.”
He said that he cannot understand “what they really want with me.”
“If they wanted to find out the truth they could a send a man to me house to seh well look you wanted fuh questioning.”
Hinds continued, “I am not like that… nobody cannot put me up to anything like that. I done been down that road, not me again.”

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