Dear Editor,
The discontinuing of charges brought against the Ministers of this Government is a grave violation of our constitutional rights as citizens of this country. The total disregard for the charges is telling this nation that nothing, absolutely nothing this Government does can at least be questioned in a forum of fairness.
It further represents an assault on our freedoms as a people through our representative, to agitate on a platform that necessitates fair debates or arguments, we have no redress. It means that the excesses of this Government know no boundaries.
The sum total of it all is that we have no voice.
Now, the legal system in our country is very much under seige, held in a stranglehold by the People’s National Congress-led Government. Why can’t the Director of Public Prosecutions substantiate charges against these Ministers, why? The Constitution makes ample provision for it. But I think the DPP is under tremendous pressure to keep her job, as well as being extremely fearful of a Government under whom she serves.
What Mrs Hack is harping on is that she should not bring charges against a sitting Minister, or one carrying out his duties in a current Administration. In essence, she is saying that a “Minister of Government” cannot be tried in a court of law. Well, she is ever so wrong, a Minister of Government can be tried in a court of law as it is with those cases brought against former Government Ministers. Let them show me where the law states that charges can only be instituted against “former Government Ministers” and not Government Ministers per se. Then, if that were the case, Guyana’s laws are indeed bias and discriminatory where only former Government Ministers can be charged.
What the Constitution does make provision for is the Head of State, who cannot be tried in a court of law when he is dispensing his duties as President, whether in or out of office. Those courtesies do not extend to the Ministers of Government, therefore private individuals or Opposition can go after those Government Ministers who have violated the law.
Guyana is in a full-fledged dictatorship, where the Constitution is bent to serve only one set of individuals. As the lyrics of the good old song states “Heaven help us all.”
Respectfully,
Neil Adams
