Men in Anil Nandlall’s vehicle terrorize Kaieteur News staff
Attorney General, Anil Nandlall
The approach of a black Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) and the slow lowering of the dark tinted windows sent some staff members of Kaieteur News taking cover behind parked cars. Some in the building peeped out from behind posts.
The incident brought back memories of two horrific attacks on Kaieteur News in the past—the firebombing of the printing press at Eccles in 2002 and the killing of five Kaieteur News pressmen in 2006.
The black SUV turned out to be the vehicle used by Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mohabir Anil Nandlall.
It was shortly after 13:00 hours on Monday when some staff members saw the vehicle approaching from the south along Saffon Street. When the vehicle neared the newspaper office both the left front and rear windows were lowered. The people saw hands going up and did not wait to see the result. One man was certain that he saw a gun in one of the hands.
Two minutes later the vehicle returned and the procedure was repeated. This time the vehicle stopped. The closed circuit television cameras revealed that the men appeared to be photographing the building and the vehicles parked outside.
It seemed that during the first pass the photographs were not good. The men appeared to be using camera phones. That was why they had to stop the second time around, a staff member said when he saw the video footage.
On receiving the report and verifying the number of the vehicle, Publisher Glenn Lall telephoned Mr. Anil Nandlall to complain about what he described as an act of terrorism. He then sent a text message to Mr. Nandlall protesting the intimidation of his staff.
Editor in Chief, Adam Harris, also called Mr. Nandlall who claimed ignorance of the affair. He said that he was attending an EID function on East Coast Demerara and that he was using a white Range Rover. Mr. Nandlall said that the Range Rover was hardly ever used and that he chose to do so on Monday.
In response to a query about who would use the vehicle when he opted to use another, Nandlall said that the Permanent Secretary could use the vehicle. He promised an investigation.
Up to Wednesday, there was no report from Nandlall. But the incident has left some staff members nervous. Glenn Lall said that he sees this latest incident as part of the scare tactics to silence this newspaper.
However, he said that he is not intimidated; that he will not be silenced.
He said that he has been critical of so many things that have been happening in the country, that he has attracted hostility from Government elements. In fact, former President Bharrat Jagdeo, President Donald Ramotar, People’s Progressive Party General Secretary Clement Rohee and other political types have resorted to describing the newspaper as the opposition media.
Some of them, including the Attorney General have resorted to suing the newspaper, which is another form of attempting to silence the newspaper. “I am surprised that the Attorney General has resorted to suing the newspaper and then terrorizing its staff.”
There are still staff members on roll who recalled facing two gunmen who had barged into the newspaper offices a few years ago, enquiring about the boss. At the time Mr. Lall was out of the country.
