“Holy Crap” – Ramjattan upset with police unwillingness to investigate Finance Minister
By Tracey Khan Drakes
[www.inewsguyana.com] – Leader of the Alliance for Change (AFC) Khemraj Ramjattan threw a tantrum, this morning, when contacted by iNews on the Police Force’s preliminary assessment on the alleged $4.5B illegal spending by Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh.
A clearly upset Ramjattan said the decision by the Police was “holy crap!”
“A criminal offense has been committed, you go as elementary English language student to section 46 and section 85 of the Constitution, what else but a criminal penalty clause those two provisions are, I cannot believe how Mr. Whittaker and his Commissioner can ever say that’s administrative or at the very least not criminal.”
The enraged AFC Leader says he is now awaiting the advice of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) in this matter, before the Party takes any other action.
“Because that’s the legal advisor of Whittaker and all of them, up to now the DPP after two months cannot advice that is why I came to my conclusion after getting some inside information that they are being interfered with,” Ramjattan added.
Even though Justice Claudette Singh was recently appointed by President Donald Ramotar as Legal Advisor to the Guyana Police Force, Ramjattan believes that advice on this matter should come from the DPP. He is also questioning who gave the Police this preliminary advice.
“It’s atrocious… that is why our Police Force is in the state of debacle it is in, clearly a criminal offense and you now coming and say it is administrative… what bullshit is that!” the practicing Lawyer exclaimed.
Yesterday the Guyana Police Force said it believes the alleged breaches to the Guyana Constitution by Dr. Singh, may not be a matter for its ranks to investigate.
The police explained that breaches of the Laws of Guyana can be criminal breaches, breaches under the civil jurisdiction, or administrative breaches; adding that the Police Force is obligated to investigate criminal breaches only and does not conduct investigations into civil breaches nor administrative breaches, except for those related to the Police (Discipline) Act Chapter 17:01 regarding the conduct of its ranks.
“The Guyana Police Force is of the opinion that the section of the Law that it is alleged was breached by Dr. Ashni Singh addresses administrative issues and is therefore an administrative breach,” a statement from the police pointed out.
To this end, the GPF says it has sought legal advice on the matter and is awaiting that advice.
Ramjattan had lodged a complaint with the police after it was discovered that the Minister spent the money without prior parliamentary approval; monies the opposition say it had disapproved during the 2014 budget.
Dr. Singh himself has defended his spending as constitutional; citing chapters of the law and Court ruling to support his claim.