Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Mae Touissant Jr. Thomas has broken her silence on the seizure of her phone by US Authorities recently, confirming that her US visa was also revoked.

In a statement on the Ministry of Home Affairs Facebook page, PS Thomas said she learned of her visa was revoked on the 10th April, two days after her government issued phone was seized by agents at the Miami International Airport.

While conservative on details, the Permanent Secretary claimed that there was a misunderstanding with US Agents over her official cell phone.

She claimed that she advised that the cellphone be sent to the Minister of Home Affairs in Guyana, adding that she was given the choice to enter the United States or continue on with her trip to China for a political meeting. She chose to go directly to China.

“I remain open to engaging with US authorities on any possible travel arrangements to the USA in the future”, the Permanent Secretary said.

The statement from the Permanent Secretary came hours after President Irfaan Ali declared that there was no controversy over the incident which saw the Permanent Secretary in the country’s public security ministry being handcuffed by US agents and her official phone confiscated.

The statement by the Permanent Secretary has raised more questions that it has provided answers.

Sources familiar with US Immigration laws and procedures have indicated to News Source that once the Permanent Secretary’s name was flagged in the US system, she would not have been given any choice with regards to whether or not she be allowed entry into the US.

The source said it is clear that she was informed of her visa cancellation and refused entry as she was in-transit.

There are reports that the United States had already secured search warrants for the Permanent Secretary’s electronic devices long before her arrival in the United States.

The US authorities have refused to provide information to the Guyana government on the issue, and although the Permanent Secretary has released a statement on the incident, she has still not met with officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the issue.

The visa revocation may indicate a lost of confidence by the US authorities in the Permanent Secretary. With the US supporting Guyana in a number of security initiatives, the local Embassy could be forced to step around the Permanent Secretary when dealing with security matters with local authorities.

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President sees “no controversy” in Home Affairs Permanent Secretary’s incident at Miami Airport; PS still to submit report to Foreign Affairs Home Affairs Minister offers full support to PS Thomas after phone seizure by US authorities Home Affairs PS was handcuffed and interrogated at US airport; -US Embassy refuses to offer information on phone confiscation Government seeks information from US over confiscation of Permanent Secretary’s phone in Miami