Plot to kill President Granger was a hoax
The man who accused a businessman of offering him $7M to assassinate President David Granger allegedly offered to pay an associate to lie about being present when the deal was made.
Kaieteur News understands that the associate made the allegation during a confrontation police held between him and the so-called ‘hired assassin.’
Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum confirmed that a confrontation was held between “an individual” and the person who implicated the businessman, but declined to comment further.
However, Kaieteur News was told that the individual contacted police to refute the allegation that the alleged ‘hired assassin’ had made against the businessman.
“He came forward (to the police) and said that (the ‘hired assassin’) approached him, and said that he needed him (the associate) to corroborate his story and say that he was present when the proposal (to assassinate Granger) was made,” a source said.
During the confrontation yesterday with the two men, the associate also accused the ‘hired assassin’ of offering him money to lie about being present. The associate told police he rejected the offer.
The men were not detained, but police are to send a file on the case to the Force’s Legal Advisor. Prior to this, police had indicated that they were unable to locate the man who had implicated the businessman.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of the Presidency yesterday refuted a Demerara Waves story which alleged that the accused individual in the alleged plot attended the Presidential Advisor’s birthday party.
“The Ministry of the Presidency notes with concern the sensational and misleading Demerara Waves headline posted on April 24, 2017- ‘Man fingered in plot to assassinate Granger attended Presidential Adviser’s recent birthday party.’”
“The Ministry of the Presidency wishes to inform all and sundry that Mr. Basil Blackman AA, the individual mentioned in the sensational report, is not an adviser to His Excellency David Granger, President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, neither is he an official of the Ministry of the Presidency.
“The Ministry of the Presidency demands that Demerara Waves immediately retract the erroneous headline and all content of the above mentioned article, which stated that Mr. Basil Blackman is an official of the Ministry of the Presidency.
The alleged ‘assassination plot’ was reportedly revealed when a man whose name was not disclosed was interviewed by HGP TV and a section of the footage was released on Thursday.
During the interview, the man who had no problems with his identity being known, detailed a plot in which he was offered $7M to kill Granger near or at State House, the official residence of the president.
The man claimed that he went to borrow $6M from a businessman, said to be a gold miner. Instead, the businessman offered $7M.
The businessman allegedly showed the person being interviewed a long gun and said it was to be used in the assassination. However, the man claimed he turned down the offer.
The man was reportedly picked up and questioned.
It was claimed that police officers and a businessman with links to the gold industry were said to be involved.
The man, who insisted that he has never harmed anyone before, said he was threatened with death by the persons who attempted to hire him.