Vice president’s absence from this case is startling

Dear Editor,

History does repeat itself. I squint my eyes, why is there a sense of déjà vu? It came slowly. The Commission of Inquiry into the Mahdia Dorm horror that killed 20 of Guyana’s young. Its degraded and destitute young that came from certain parts of this country. Governments have abused them. Politicians use them. Never had any idea that what happened in a COI that insulted its name could make a reappearance in a Guyana Court.

In the COI about 20 young Guyanese who burned to death (in some respects, it could be said they were set afire), there was the strangest of attitudes. A suspect attitude is one thing, but it grows in strength when there are actions that complement it. One that struck Guyanese as baffling, was when the principals were not called to give some kind of statement about what went wrong, and who was responsible. To be subjected to polite inquiry to get closer to some semblance of truth, justice for victims. A building burned down. A score of persons died. But the chiefs were given an exemption.

Not even called to go through the motions. To present some testimony; however brief. Almost as if to do so would reveal too much, disturb the peace. Another way to think of that arrangement, that crafty management of the horrible business at hand, is to assess it as more than an exception. It seems to be a grant of immunity. Everyone went their way, breathed sighs of relief. Enough space was given. Another bullet was dodged. Twenty Guyanese in the prime of their lives, now dead, never had any such option. By god! Is this country in a mess!

From that background, I reach the present and visit the Anand Goolsarran defamation suit against Vice President Jagdeo^[1]. There is regard for Hon Attorney General Anand Nandlall. But there had to be more than his representations. In a case as high-profile as the Goolsarran defamation suit, the surprise development was the absence of Dr. Jagdeo, the man in the crosshairs.^[1] Was he given some special consideration through unpublished circumstances? On what grounds was he exempted from making an appearance in that courtroom? Has the vice president developed some phobia that, a la Howard Hughes, he gets allergic reactions when dealing in the public space? There are germs everywhere, but Dr. Jagdeo is not of a fearful man. What exactly does he fear, or he was shielded from facing? Whatever it was, the man who should have been in court was nowhere in sight. Intriguing how systems work in Guyana. I now have a greater appreciation of why Vice President was so confident that he would prevail on appeal. Plus, a quarter million dollar fine to teach a lesson to those who dare to challenge the status quo and its major godfathers. Lose once, through the outcome. Lose twice, with a punch in the pocket.

The vice president’s absence, or granted the privilege to be absent, is startling. He’s the star. What was even more mind-boggling was that decision and the verbiage justifying it. Jagdeo’s statements harboured some degree of defamatory content, and John or Jane Doe would interpret them accordingly. But there are also facts in the VP’s statements that Mr. Goolsarran himself acknowledged, and which are part of the official record. By my thinking, the reasoning is that it’s half of one thing on its face (defamation) and half of something else. It’s the equivalent of having it both ways. I’m still trying to come to grips with this. A bit of a mystery. The bottom line is that Jagdeo is richer, and Mr. Goolsarran is a quarter million lighter. Mr Goolsarran’s and his team are weighing an appeal. Guyanese get another opportunity to observe how Guyana’s justice system works.

References

1. High Court dismisses Goolsarran’s libel claim against Jagdeo with costs – NCN Guyana — ncnguyana.com ↩