Opposition Member of Parliament, David Patterson is seeking $25M in damages from the state after being barred from leaving the country last month.

Patterson was on his way to the United States when he was blocked from leaving the country by Immigration Officers who claimed that his name was flagged in their system as someone who should be prevented from leaving the country.

Patterson’s Attorney, Nigel Hughes, has dispatched a letter to Attorney General Anil Nandlall, stating that Mr. Patterson’s fundamental right to travel out of Guyana was breached by the Chief Immigration officer when he refused to permit him to depart Guyana.

According to Mr. Hughes, the actions of the Chief Immigration officer were intended to and did frustrate the official visit and presentations of Mr. Patterson at a Washington DC Conference.

Consequently, Mr. Patterson is seeking, $25M in damages from the state for his troubles.

“We are instructed to request, as we hereby do, the sum of $25,000,000.00 (twenty-five million dollars) as damages for the breach of our client’s constitutional rights, loss and damage. We are instructed to give you notice, as we hereby do, that in the event of your failure to respond within five days hereof our instructions are to proceed to have a judicial determination of the breaches of our client’s rights,” Mr. Hughes told the Attorney General.

Mr. Hughes said given the gravity of the intentional violation of Mr. Patterson’s protected right, the occasion which he missed as a result of the actions of the Chief Immigration Officer and the clear flouting of the order of Magistrate Daly, Mr. Patterson is entitled to substantial damages.

“We are further instructed that in the light of the expressed admission of the Chief Immigration Officer that the immigration officers had breached our client’s protected and guaranteed constitutional right to travel out of Guyana as provided in Article 148 of the Constitution of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana our client is entitled to vindicatory damages,” Mr. Hughes reminded the AG.

The Chief Immigration Officer, Acting Police Commissioner, Clifton Hicken has since apologized to Mr. Patterson and he was eventually allowed to leave the country.

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