Those Honorary Doctorate$…

As could have been predicted, Yesu Persaud’s recent sucker punch to the PPPP’s free speech image could not be allowed to go unanswered.  While the government itself has had to awkwardly smile and play nice in the wake of his comments, the party has resorted to the usual ghost writer in the taxpayer funded state paper its official organ.  As recently acquired shill Shaun Michael Samaroo first time letter writer ‘Pat Hanuman’ writes:

“It’s a well-known fact that money influences all sorts of decisions, including the decision to award an honourary degree. Presumably this must have been the case with Persaud and Warwick University.”

While this is not precisely an unwarranted line of enquiry, the letter-writer goes into potentially libelous territory when the suggestion of financial impropriety gets thrown into the mix via partial regurgitation of an anonymous previous letter from four years ago.

“1. Has DDL or Demerara Bank ever made donations or any form of financial contributions to Warwick University and if so, how much in total, and over what period?

2. Were shareholders ever consulted, or informed of these donations?

3. Have these donations been treated as a tax deductible expense in the accounts of those companies?”

If we are to consider that the previous letter drew no consternation from shareholders, then it is reasonable to assume that this falls into the usual PPP tactic of hoping fecal matter eventually sticks.  As is not uncommon, the issue of dollars for academic honours actually has the proverbial four fingers pointing back at the PPP/government itself.  We can get into more detail but our meme sums it up pretty nicely.