I will never agree that Jagdeo stole money
- Irate Rohee says at PPP press briefing
General Secretary of the Peoples Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Clement Rohee during his weekly press briefing held yesterday became vociferous when questioned if the assessment that his colleagues were involved in corruption based on their apparent movement from rags to riches was a fair one.
PPP General Secretary, Clement Rohee
Rohee responded that the opinion was by no means fair.
Using himself as an example, Rohee said that he has been working since the age of seventeen and is currently earning approximately $300,000 a month.
“As a Minister it is true that I get certain fringes to come along with it, but I know some people who work for more than 300,000 dollars a month and some have never worked and still they manage to accumulate things.
“I know most of my colleagues who have been working all the years of their lives; maybe they didn’t start out at my level, maybe because they had a university degree and they were highly qualified. I never had a university degree.”
Rohee was then asked by a senior reporter, “When you look at some of their earnings it never tickled your head to say well how did they earn this, knowing them so well?”
Rohee replied: “You have to tell me like whom, because I can’t make a generalized statement.”
To that the reporter said, “Take the former President (Bharrat Jagdeo) who according to the Attorney General [Anil Nandlall] had nothing prior to his accession to office.”
“When he said nothing what do you mean?” Rohee asked. He also asked the reporter whether Nandlall knew what his (Jagdeo’s) bank account was when he worked at the State Planning Department.
According to Rohee, “When Bharrat Jagdeo came back from Moscow and was looking for a job, he had a difficult time getting a job, and he eventually got a job at the State Planning Secretariat under Mr. (Haslyn) Parris and that’s where he actually started out earning.
“He was still a bachelor; he wasn’t married, and he was still living with his parents.
“I don’t know how his money was earned, but I assumed he was saving money. I assumed that he had some savings… Then the PPP came into office, he became the Junior Finance Minister under Asgar Ally and he was earning money there as well. He still remained a bachelor living with his parents; he obviously was saving. If people could do that and save now, how come Jagdeo couldn’t do that? Because he was Jagdeo?”
The reporter then questioned Jagdeo’s ability to build a duplex like he has now, plus the house before that which he sold for $120M.
“How can you build those things bearing in mind where you came from? I don’t care how much he saved.”
To that Rohee vociferously exclaimed: “So what are you saying is that Jagdeo is a thief? If you want to say that, you say that. You (must) say that Jagdeo stole, who he stole from, what he stole. Let’s be frank here, if you want to say that Jagdeo build that house as a result of corruption, theft, and so on… Whatever the case may be, you say that.”
The reporter then replied “I am not saying that, I’m asking your opinion.”
Former President, Bharrat Jagdeo
“You can’t ask me. I am not Jagdeo. I’m Jagdeo’s colleague; I am his comrade and I will not agree; I will never agree that Jagdeo stole money; that Jagdeo engaged in corrupt practices where he siphoned off money from Government to build that house. I will never agree to that. And then again if there is anyone who has evidence, bring the evidence,” Rohee stressed.
To that the reporter agreed and went on to the Natural Resources Minister Robert Persaud, where the reporter claimed that the Minister reportedly sold a house in Eccles to a relative for a large sum.
Rohee wanted to know where he (Persaud) announced that and the reporter said that it was publicly announced some time back.
The seemingly irate Rohee said, “You are asking the General Secretary of the ruling party of this country, I am also a sitting Minister of Government. I am not available to answer speculative questions and I am not available to answer questions that you say are from one source or the other. I have to be very responsible in what I’m saying and whatever I do.”
To that the reporter reminded Rohee that he was asked “If from your perception you look at some of the movements of some of your colleagues from rags to riches if something didn’t go off in your head to suggest that all isn’t right here.”
Rohee responded: “Well let me tell you, if something wasn’t right it would have already been discovered and exposed and trust me, Kaieteur News would be the first to expose it…But Kaieteur News ain’t got a damn thing; Kaieteur News has nothing.
“All it has is tracking this man from one thing to the next and Bobby Ramroop full page coverage, centre spread.”
Rohee further proceeded while gesticulating, “If Kaieteur News has something, publish it. I am challenging the Kaieteur News to do that. It has nothing! If it has something, publish it…Who they thief from, how they thief and what they do with the thieving money?” He then banged his fist on the desk and exclaimed “You publish it.”
The press conference ended shortly after.
