President Donald Ramotar on Wednesday explained to the media that when the government said that the recorded conversation was ”distorted and manipulated”, it did not mean that the recording was “doctored” but rather, the government believes what the Attorney General said was “taken out of context”.

The President brushed aside questions about the calls for Nandlall to step down from office. The President said the first matter to be dealt with would be how the recording was obtained and since it is in his view “an illegal” recording, that matter should be dealt with.

But before Nandlall became Attorney General, he had written a detailed letter to the press about recorded conversations and their contents. He declared in that opinion piece that there was no right to privacy under the laws of Guyana.

Back in 2006, he wrote “having regard to the nature of the matters contained in the recorded conversation, and the status and standing of the persons allegedly engaged in that conversation, that right to privacy would have had to bend and bow to the constitutional right to free expression.”

Speaking to members of the media on Wednesday in the corridors of the International Convention Centre, embattled Attorney General, Anil Nandlall also dodged questions about whether he intends to resign from office in wake of the recorded profanity laced, threat warning conversation between him and a  reporter of the Kaieteur News.

Mr. Nandlall who promised that he would be releasing a detailed statement on the issue before the end of Wednesday, when asked about any possibility of him resigning, said “I serve as Attorney General at the pleasure of the President and People of this country”.

While the President and his government have indicated their decision to stand by the Attorney General’s side, the political opposition parties which represent 51% of the voting population, have called for Nandlall to step down from office immediately.

 

The Attorney General Anil Nandlall is adamant that in the recorded conversation he “threatened no one” and it is for that reason that he has dragged the Kaieteur News before the courts over a report it  carried on the conversation. The Government Information Agency announced late Tuesday night that the Attorney General had filed a $30 Million lawsuit against the Publisher and Editor of the Kaieteur News.

 

Filed: 29th October, 2015