AG Nandlall says Government played no role in Melly Mel's arrest in the US

Attorney General Anil Nandlall has dismissed claims that complaints by the Guyana Government triggered the arrest and detention of activist, Melissa Atwell-Holder in the United States.

Atwell-Holder has been a staunch critic of the Government and has used her social media platforms to highlight alleged cases of corruption within the Government.

The Attorney General on his “Issues in the News” television programme last evening said the Guyana Government was not directly or indirectly involved in Melly Mel’s arrest. He said her issue in the US is purely an immigration matter. He said the Guyana Government has no control over that issue.

“Low and behold a grouping of person in Guyana are protesting in Guyana, presumably based upon the utterances I am hearing, protesting the Government of Guyana and calling for the release, and for the avoidance of doubt, the Government of Guyana did not arrest Melissa Atwell, the Government of Guyana is not detaining Melissa Atwell, from all the information that is available, it is the US government that has arrested and is detaining Melissa Atwell,” Nandlall declared.

Scores of persons gathered at the Square of the Revolution last evening calling for Atwell-Holder’s release, while accusing the Government of playing a role in her arrest.

“It cannot be that they are protesting the government of Guyana, they have to be protesting the government of the United States of America. It is no secret, that President Donald Trump on an immigration policy, it is no secret that since inauguration he has vigorously launched a campaign to enforce the immigration laws in the United States of America, targeting specifically persons who are in the United States in violation of the immigration laws,” Nandlall noted.

The Attorney General said although Melly Mell had taken a hard line against the PPP Government, her freedom of expression was guaranteed. He said the lawsuits which were filed against her were for libel and had never intended to silence her or take away her right to express herself.

“I don’t know on what rationale basis, they are protesting the government of Guyana, and the other dimension to this is that they are marketing and projecting it as it is some freedom issue and freedom of expression issue. How is this a freedom of expression issue? This lady was allowed to express her opinion for years and no one during that period interfere with her right to express herself,” the AG stated.

The Attorney General said while Melly Mel will enjoy her right to express herself, she will still have her day in Court for the allegations she made against him. He had filed a lawsuit against the activist after she claimed on social media that he was one of her sources who had repeatedly leaked information about a number of Government officials to her.