Government maintains Nandlall’s recorded conversation was “private”

Government maintains Nandlall’s recorded conversation was “private”

In a lengthy Sunday night statement, the Government of Guyana reaffirmed its confidence in and support for embattled Attorney General Anil Nandlall.

The Government again ignored the contents of the recorded conversation but rather focused its attention on whether the recording was legal or not, although it has not been established who may have made the recording.

During the conversation, the Attorney General Anil Nandlall who has admitted that the voice heard in the recording is his, could be heard warning a Kaieteur News reporter about possible violent retaliation that could be heading the way of the Newspapers because of its reporting on some persons.

“When you continue attack people like that and they have no way of responding they gun just walk with their weapon into that same f***king Saffon street office and wha come suh do and innocent, Peter gun gah pay fuh f**king Paul in deh one day, me ah tell you innocent, me a tell you honestly man to man that will happen soon”, the Attorney General could be heard saying in the recording.

The Government maintains the conversation was a private one and is being taken out of context. In its statement, the Donald Ramotar administration said “this conversation was private; it was illegally recorded, distorted, manipulated and taken out of context to reflect a different dialogue. The Attorney General has since filed legal proceedings and the matter is currently sub judice. Any further commentary thereupon may be interpreted as at attempt to prejudice those proceedings. The matter is also being investigated by the Guyana Police Force”.

Last week President Ramotar said he believes the conversation was taken out of context but he does not think that the recording was doctored.

Several local and international groups have called for the Minister to step down from office. The Guyana Bar Association and the Association of Women Lawyers in a joint statement said “as leader of the Bar, the Attorney General mindful of the honour, dignity and integrity of his office should resign immediately. If he does not resign he should be removed. Any other result would be an endorsement of the Attorney-General’s conduct and an admission by the Executive that the highest moral and legal standards are not applicable to the State”.

File: 3rd November 2014

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