Breaking: Jagdeo summoned to court for Babu John remarks
(NewsNow photo)
Former President Bharrat Jagdeo has been summoned to appear in the Whim Magistrate’s Court on April 20 to answer a private criminal prosecution that he uttered racially divisive remarks at Babu John.
A summons was issued by magistrate Charlyn Artiga and will be served on Jagdeo at his Sparendam address although it is understood that Jagdeo is currently in Canada. He will be required to appear personally in the court and plead to the criminal charge.
The private criminal prosecution was this morning filed by lawyer Chris Ram in his capacity as the informant in the Corentyne Magisterial District and reads that on Sunday March 8 Jagdeo made statements to the public at large at a public meeting held in Babu John Corentyne…”which can result in racial or ethnic violence or hatred among the people” as set out in Section 139 D of the Representation of the People Act.
Under the Act, if found guilty Jagdeo faces a fine of $100,000 together with imprisonment for two years. The Director of Public Prosecutions does have the power to withdraw the private charge, however it is understood that any attempt to do so would be met with strong legal challenges.
In his court filing Ram states that Jagdeo said: ” The opposition consistently shout about the racism of the PPP but they practise racism. The opposition beat drums at six in the morning and say let us throw out those coolie people.”
Yesterday GECOM’s Media Monitoring Unit in its first report chided sections of the media for publishing the comments because the unit “verily concluded that the remarks made by Dr. Jagdeo were racially divisive.”