Government stands by threat warning Attorney General

The Government of Guyana in a late night statement on Monday threw its full support behind Attorney General Anil Nandlall in wake of a recorded conversation between the Attorney General and a Kaieteur News reporter in which the Attorney General warns the reporter to get out of the Kaieteur News environment since men with weapons could be visiting there soon and “Peter will pay for f%$king Paul”

In its late night responde, the Donald Ramotar administration sought to downplay the statements made by the Attorney General in the recorded conversations while lashing out at the Kaieteur News for releasing the contents of the recording. At no point in the statement did the government deny that the Attorney General was the person on the recording issuing the warnings and threats in less than elegant language.

“We stand by the Attorney General, as the Government of Guyana goes out of its way to foster peace and goodwill. We believe in the integrity and professionalism of the Minister of Legal Affairs, Mr. Anil Nandlall, and stand by him. The Government of Guyana cherishes freedom of the press, but when private media operatives use the power of the mass media to manipulate public opinion, our nation suffers from the negativity”, the statement noted.

During the recording, the Attorney General could be heard telling the reporter that “everybody just have a newspapers to use as a weapon. I told Adam people got weapons. They don’t have newspapers to use as a weapon, they have weapons and when you continue to attack people like that and they have no way of responding, they will just walk with their weapons into that same f%$king Saffon Street office and what comes to do and innocent and Peter will have to pay for f%$king Paul in there and I tell you honestly, I telling you man to man, that will happen soon and the quicker you get out of there, the better”.

The Government believes the conversation was distorted and manipulated although it does not doubt the words coming out of the mouth of its Chief Legal Advisor. As far as the government is concerned, the conversation was a private matter, although the Attorney General could be heard enquiring about reports carried in the Kaieteur News about his family.

“It is abhorrent that someone would be so indecent and immoral to manipulate a loose private conversation, in such a dastardly way. The Attorney General serves the people of Guyana as part of a Government that cares. We respect the ideals of integrity, professionalism and moral decency.These vicious enemies of the Government of Guyana so distorted an illegal recording of the conversation. It is shocking to witness such disgusting behaviour, obviously aiming to manipulate public opinion”, the Government of Guyana.

SEE FULL GOVERNMENT STATEMENT AND TRANSCRIPT OF RECORDED CONVERSATION BELOW

Listen to the recording here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pp8qTHm2-5Y

Press Statement by the Government of Guyana

The Government of Guyana condemns in the strongest possible language the despicable act of a national newspaper to distort and manipulate a private conversation of a Government Minister, whose conversation was illegally recorded, and distorted, and broadcast.

We stand by the Attorney General, as the Government of Guyana goes out of its way to foster peace and goodwill. We believe in the integrity and professionalism of the Minister of Legal Affairs, Mr. Anil Nandlall, and stand by him.

The Government of Guyana cherishes freedom of the press, but when private media operatives use the power of the mass media to manipulate public opinion, our nation suffers from the negativity.

The Kaieteur News has sustained an intensive, vicious attack on members of the Government of Guyana, using its media power to distort even private conversations that it illegally records.

Today, to our utter consternation, the public listened to a voice recording and was shocked at what the nation heard. Broadcast on social media, the recording contains a distorted, manipulated conversation between a Minister and Leonard Gildarie, a reporter from the Kaieteur News.

It is abhorrent that someone would be so indecent and immoral to manipulate a loose private conversation, in such a dastardly way.

The Attorney General serves the people of Guyana as part of a Government that cares. We respect the ideals of integrity, professionalism and moral decency.

These vicious enemies of the Government of Guyana so distorted an illegal recording of the conversation. It is shocking to witness such disgusting behaviour, obviously aiming to manipulate public opinion.

We in the Government serve this country, fostering peaceful development, goodwill, and respectful relations. Every Guyanese could see this in how we harbour a free and fair national media landscape, where anyone could publish or broadcast their views and opinion. But we as a nation cannot condone this privilege being manipulated to distort and manipulate public opinion.

There are many ways for a keen listener to discern the said manipulation. For example, a listener to the manipulated conversation would easily recognise that on many instances the person’s voice at the other end of the conversation was inaudible.

Fortunately, the Government’s priorities will continue to be the further development of Guyana and our people. The Government will not be distracted from this agenda by Kaieteur News or anyone else.”

TRANSCRIPT OF RECORDED CONVERSATION

LG: Hello

AG: Hey Gildarie

LG: hey wha happening

AG: is who been by me amm cousin and interview he, you?

LG: yes dem sen me dem send me

AG: But how you misquote the man suh man

LG: How the fuck I misquote the man, we got the man pun record and is not me alone they had other staff there too

AG: who, who is the other staff, some nice girl dem sen

LG: man me cant give you the name man oww

AG: De man wan fuck de girl man, the man tell me seriously he wan knock de girl

LG: how he gun fuck de girl

AG: no but still chief (inaudible) de man say he wan knock de ting, you can arrange

LG: man wha happening what alyuh got this thing going so far fuh man, me got me fucking job

AG: well glen nah use he…eh

LG: me got me job fuh lose

AG: no no me nah quarrel with you but all I am saying half wha he never tell you, de man say he never tell you that he didn’t know that he got to live in Guyana, the man said he live here but he got fuh travel

LG: the man said duh, we got it on record

AG: wha record the man say you nah tape nothing yuh nah write nothing

LG: the man nah know bout smart phone, of course we does be taping these people there anil

AG: anyhow me ah tell you man say cuz me aint been dey, but me driver been deh

LG: no but whatever it is because I had to, of course I had an input I had to do it because dem send me and the other reporter and is not me either remember is the editors dem to, I don’t see why

AG: yea but who is the girl

LG: me gun tell you a cant tell you on the phone man oh skunt you wan fuck me up

AG: whaaam glen nah a tap me phone man he nah got dem technology

LG: no no man nah do dah, dem got people

AG: uh

LG: ah cant do duh but a cant tell you who that is but is one of we staff hey

AG: oh oh some (inaudible)

LG: is a reporter dem woulda send dem wouldn’t a send me alone, you know I don’t do much

AG: eh hey

LG: amm

AG: anyhow me nah know..wait no

LG:ammm

AG: but hear nuh gildarie you do a story on duh , what is he gotayhing, if me uncle

LG: yea but

AG: hear nah, if me brother, leh we say, you got brothers

LG: eh hey

AG: if you brother murder somebody, wha duh mean you a go jail, me na…leh we assume that me uncle do something wrong I am not responsible me aint understand what the what the theory is, I am trying to figure out what is the end game what’s the plan

LG: uh huh

AG: by publishing ah ah, the AG uncle the AG uncle, if me uncle do something wrong me uncle is liable to face the consequence of it

LG: Right Right

AG: so me aint understand why why is he putting that

LG: (inaudible) me say leh alyuh talk to the man direct and alyuh see wha alyu can do because this thing cant continue continue we as staffers get caught up in it because we gotta wuk

(inaudible voice in background)

AG: Hear nah, reaz is he brother, reaz use to put cocaine in shrimps and prawns and (inaudible voice in background) smuggle it all out (inaudible voice in background) ya’ll aint publish, I got details of how glen threaten fuh back track me know bout all duh budday, me nah wan disclose dem things duh but I could do it if he want fuh go down dah line (inaudible voice in background)

LG: boy me aint know wha fuh tell you boy except that I decide that i..

AG: you know wha reaz do, you know reaz full a container of apple and grapes off de fucking wharf eating and go and put it at Melanie pon the side of the road and hook it up pun a GPL container, ah GPL lantern post and freeze a container of apple and grapes free for nearly three months (inaudible voice in background) you nah know and people a pass up and down pun de road and dem think dat the container just fall off the road and it full with apple and grape

LG: but hear hear wha (inaudible)

AG: the president already spoke, not glen but to bhena, right

LG : I just (inaudible)

AG: I am telling you boss how every effort has been made, glen lall is mad, he run mad

LG: (inaudible) sattaur deh going at a set of newspaper and talking he skunt whole day he cant continue doing that

AG: yea but if glen got to understand that we cant, look he never read nothing from sattaur, he refused, he was asked to, to just behave good for one week, he couldn’t fucking do that

LG: no but deh man run to to ting everyday, ah just telling you wha how we seeing him because I cant I cant (inaudible)

AG: now glen go an manufacture a fucking whole story about the man going an get ban from ACCA and all kinda madness

LG: Because now everyday single day it just continuing continuing, Sattaur running till to guyana times he running to chronicle we deh pun

AG: wheh, wheh,anyway wheh you deh now

LG: me just deh at the back, I deh at the back of Kaieteur News

AG: whah you doing deh

LG: ah just come fuh tek dis call heh

AG: hello

LG: boy me nah wha fuh tell you but alyuh just sort it out because I don’t know how long I gun able (inaudible)

AG: so why you don’t come across and come work with we

LG: wha deh fuck you gun offer me

AG: better than Kaieteur News

LG: man we gun gaff man but alyuh need to stop (inaudible)

AG: send me a proposal of what you working for and um

LG: ah gun have to discuss it with the wife

AG: no discuss it with your wife because the president and I clear on something we are building an elitist press team right

LG: yall do something man because I getting lil tired but alyuh stop this fucking thing nah alyuh stop because the country..

AG: no hear nah you know how it gun stop somebody gun go into kaieteur, you see everybody nah gat as I told adam today I said adam everbody don’t joust everybody, wait hold on…everybody doesn’t have a newspaper to use as a weapon, I told adam, I said adam people got weapons right, is not newspaper they gonna use as a weapon they got weapons and when you continue attack people like that and they have no way of responding they gun just walk with their weapon into that same fucking saffon street office and wha come suh do and innocent, peter gun gah pay fuh fucking paul in deh one day, me ah tell you innocent, me a tell you honestly man to man that gun happen soon

LG: I don’t know (inaudible)

AG: so the quicker you get out of deh, the quicker you get out of deh the better

LG: Amm hear hear

AG: this thing is ah hear, you cannot use your newspaper like that boss, you get charge, whether you feel, whether you feel you get charged wrongfully or not you can’t use yuh newspaper to drag a set of fucking innocent people in this, if and de people (inaudible) money, you know who is kamal mangal, the man look stupid, one bald head fucking poor man, you know who da man is

LG: (inaudible)

AG: but but alright must find out wha da man own and what he could do with one phone call, alyuh nah know who alyuh a deal with, I had to hold back that man

LG: but is why alyuh don’t stop it ya’ll (inaudible)

AG: uh hmm

LG: (inaudible)

AG: anyhow, the man, the man view is that he is above everybody else that he is above the law and that he own this newspaper and he could buse comrade no society works like that, none none, there is a simple way of dealing with a situation yuh know , I tell glen already he knows my capacity and I know his, me nah got to go to court everyday and issue press statement I don’t have to revert to those methods

LG: I like how yall (inaudible)

AG: there are far more effective methods to which I can resort right

LG: ammm wha wha wha whats the reason (inaudible)

AG: I told, I told glen I meet with glen I sit and down and talk with him (inaudible) I use some money from the government and glen mek and issue of it I pay back deh fucking money long before he even mek de issue and he know about it because wha it pay fuh

LG: which issue is dat

AG: remember you were going to publish something (inaudible) about my wife and so on

LG: (inaudible)

AG: (inaudible) months ago not now months ago (inaudible) but I just, I am not worried about what he gun publish, me I am a fucking thoroughbred , I I just don’t want him to publish things about me wife that is all I don’t want you understand because she is innocent

LG: it goes beyond (inaudible)

AG: yea but boss there’s two to tango one man cant tango

LG: yea but but how, who are we interviewing how do we because (inaudible)

AG: I already, I sent a message already and I bhena has been in contact with the president, they are very close right but glen is not keeping up his end of the bargain, the things them that bhena spoke, they work out an arrangement

LG: but anil, but anil (inaudible)

AG: uh huh, uh uh

LG: (inaudible)

AG: well I Sankar a he man in law (inaudible) all of that

LG: (inaudible) but Sattaur started..(inaudible)

AG: me aint know bout all a dat but I know what I know , wait chief, I am clean, I am clean right I never take a dog from any fucking body and what he is doing to get at me through me family cause he cant find nothing on me I never thief, you understand me nah other people you know what wha he can (inaudible) thing pun, you understand, I never tek a

LG: (inaudible)

AG: Gildarie me a wan rich man me tek fucking government and become poor you understand and glen knows that, me I achieve everything I wuk in life before I tek government, I retire, I retire at age 38 when I became attorney general I don’t have to work

LG: tell me so wha you wan me fuh do (inaudible)

AG: I think that you should, my first advice to you is that you should move out of there it is a dangerous fucking place to work, is a dangerous place because that, I am telling you, read between the lines this thing not going to go on for long, people not going to tek this thing just so is a lot of powerful people that this man, wait nobody never used to bother with he before right and he used to getway, get through with all wha he publishing but people get, people get sensitive now, they were chatree coolie rass, you know what is chatree

LG: (inaudible)

AG: you don’t engage a chatree in fucking war and that is what he has done when he start fuh publish that I go and spy pun he and all kinda fucking madness you nah see deh fucking tempo change after that, right

LG: I

AG: me nah Jagdeo and bobby yuh know and Brassington (inaudible) we come from a higher breed of people, you understand

LG: all right let me talk, a gun mek some calls fuh you cause I aint know (inaudible)

AG: anyhow nobody nah gun listen to you man nah worry with da stupidness the thing is that amm they should, we have some things we are doing on this side

LG: uh huh

AG: and you should think about your, boy me and BJ does talk about you and we believe that you does still fucking leak back information but amm you will have a review

LG: alright must give me a call

AG: you should come up with us (inaudible) but you see how (inaudible) but you see this thing go down this road it nah gon end good right, ego, this is share ego happening hey, this man is lynching my family for no reason at all, no reason at all, just because he want to get at me and why he want to get at me because he believe that in can withdraw these charges against him I can’t me nah file dese charges boss

LG: but why dem went ahead and charge this man knowing that dem nah get nothing

AG: because nobody is above the law boss, you cant, hear nah man, you cant put youself up as St Peter

LG: no but hear I is no lawman but I was looking at the Act and they couldn’t a find a better way Skunt because (inaudible)

AG: No, no that’s not necessary, he got eyewitness, sattaur tell you he got eyewitness accounts of where the vehicles are parked, the vehicle dem don’t ever park at the people house the people dem don’t even have fucking driver’s licence boss, sattaur must know that

LG: I was looking at some of the reports if the vehicle them are no longer (inaudible)

AG: did what what, I didn’t hear you

LG: I am no lawyer but if the vehicle (inaudible) am looking at the reports and its not appropriate (inaudible)

AG: you know them got some (inaudible)nuances in the law, you know on the face of it I agree with you

LG: Right Right

AG: but when you deeper, when you go deeper into the law you just cant, you see the law, the law looks at substance and not form, you can’t by not transferring your vehicle but giving a man the vehicle fuh use everyday, defeat the whole purpose of the thing, the law is not an ass, you understand

LG: (inaudible)

AG: the process, the people them (inaudible) hear we can end this tomorrow and all he gah do is go pay the duty and I could have worked out a reduced duty for him and the story done, anyway don’t give yourself too much liberty and say I talk to you and all kind of thing you know, let them believe that I you know cowering (pause) but eh man who is the girl man tell me who is de girl you a move away from you (inaudible)

LG: (inaudible)

AG: (inaudible) you cant give a girl name over de phone

LG: (inaudible)

AG: but who who is it me nah gun do nothing more wha de rass me gun do with the girl I just want know is who because the boy give a description and the girl is nice

LG: (inaudible)

AG: nothing wrong with that e nah got nothing wrong with that me just wan know is who me nah got no ulterior motive, hai boss, me nah got no ulterior motive me nah (inaudible)nobody

LG:(inaudible)

AG: hmmm

LG: (inaudible)

AG: is Queen’s college people does run this country, you nah realize that (inaudible)

AG: Hmm, alright good eh hey