Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, has denied that he was questioned or interrogated by US Authorities upon arrival in New York on Thursday evening. However, he has stated that courtesies were extended to him when he arrived in New York and he chatted with the agents “about Guyana’s development”.

Contacted via WhatsApp, the Minister who posted photographs on Facebook this afternoon outside a US Hospital where his father is hospitalized, told News Source “I was not detained or interrogated…no questions either, it was courtesies and we were chatting about Guyana’s development”.

Further questioned about whether the US officials who were seen escorting him through the JFK Airport identified themselves as Federal agents, Minister Bharrat did not respond.

However, in a post on Facebook, he offered “special thanks to the US Authorities for the kind courtesies and professionalism”, while wishing his hospitalized father a speedy recovery.

Contacted by News Source and asked about whether the Government Minister offered any explanation to him about what might have taken place at the JFK Airport, President Irfaan Ali said there was “nothing to explain”. The President pointed to the Facebook post by his Natural Resources Minister.

Reports surfaced early on Friday morning about the Minister being escorted from the flight and questioned by US Federal agents upon his arrival in New York on a Caribbean Airlines flight.

While some Government officials have stated that there was nothing out of the ordinary about the escort of the Minister after he arrived, News Source has learnt that Guyanese Government Diplomatic officials in New York were unaware of the Minister’s travel arrangements.

In Guyana, airport officials were alerted to his travel after receiving a request for him to use the airport’s VIP lounge along with three members of his family and his driver.

When the Minister arrived in New York aboard the Caribbean Airlines flight, he was met by two US Federal Agents dressed in plain clothes and a uniformed officer. The three were seen escorting him through the airport.

Officials familiar with US protocol said active US Federal Agents and uniformed officers are never used to greet or escort a Guyana Government official at the level of a Minister. They said that post is considered low key, and as such mostly retired protocol officers would be used if there is such a need. One official stated that the presence of two plain clothes Federal Agents and a uniformed officer would indicate that there was a serious issue or an ongoing investigation and questions were likely asked by those agents.

As Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat overlooks the gold mining sector, which has come under special scrutiny by the US authorities over smuggling concerns.

Just recently, two Guyanese businessmen, Nazar and Azruddin Mohamed, were sanctioned by the US Treasury Department in relation to allegations of under-declaration of their gold exports and the non payment of more than US$50 Million in taxes to the Guyanese authorities. A Permanent Secretary in the Government, Mae Thomas, has also been sanctioned by the US over her alleged role in a bribery scheme that involved the same businessmen.

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