Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall has expressed his displeasure with recent statements from United States Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, on the state of affairs in Guyana and the detention of Guyanese activist, Mellissa Atwell-Holder in the United States.

The U.S Congresswoman appeared on Mark Benschop’s Straight Up programme recently and condemned the arrest of Ms. Atwell-Holder. She also went further to state that she fears Atwell-Holder will face political persecution if she returns to Guyana and called the situation a travesty.

But Mr. Nandlall has fired back at the US Congresswoman and said her making statements in the public without the Government having its say is the real travesty.

“So how did Ms. Clarke Come this conclusion? She spoke to Ms. Atwell and she spoke to Mr. Benschop. Benschop and Atwell are known critics of the Government and listening to two critical voices without expressing any doubt or extending the facility of hearing to the government, she has come to the conclusion that it is a travesty. What is a travesty is the way that she has concluded a particular matter and has arrived at a judgment call by only hearing one side”, he said.

The Attorney General said while he has no issue with the Congresswoman mounting the platform to speak about US policy, he felt compelled to respond to her statements since she involved Guyana.

“Where I part company with Ms. Clarke, is when she condemns the Government of Guyana, and is critical of the government of Guyana, without being equipped with the material fact and without offering the government of Guyana the facility of a response or even a hearing,” Mr. Nandlall noted.

Nandlall questioned whether the Congresswoman was properly briefed on the work of Melly Mel, stating that in his view she went far beyond activism and destroyed the reputations of many persons with her social media postings.

Atwell-Holder was arrested by the US Homeland Security Department two weeks ago from her New York home. She was transferred to a detention centre in Louisiana and is currently awaiting a hearing before a US Immigration Judge on Friday.

Related posts:

Detained activist “Melly Mel” to now appear before new US Immigration Judge next Friday AG Nandlall says Government played no role in Melly Mel’s arrest in the US Norton calls on Guyanese in US to lobby political representatives for Melly Mel’s release AG Nandlall says no backing down in lawsuit against Melly Mel