APNU+AFC Region 5 Councillor giving Govt ‘a bad name’

Dear Editor,
This letter is not about politics, it is about exposing the lack of virtues of those who hold public office and still have the audacity to criticise others.
While most public figures avoid putting themselves in embarrassing situations, a few are known to thrive on reckless behaviours that contribute to their own self-destruction and fall from grace. Such is the case with the APNU+AFC Region 5 RDC Councillor Abel Seetaram.
While I have been using in my letters adjectives like “despicable” and “bad-boy” to describe Abel Seetaram’s general demeanor, I am doubtful that AFC Leader Rafael Trotman knows the character of the person who represents the Alliance For Change (AFC) in Region 5. I am equally convinced that Minister Trotman will not condone his behaviour.
Seetaram’s latest scandal is so gross that, had he not been arrested, charged, and placed on ,000 bail, there are some in the APNU+AFC leadership who will denounce my condemnation of his behaviour as purely political, and may choose to ignore it.
On Saturday, June 3, 2017, the APNU+AFC Region 5 RDC Councillor was taken to the Fort Wellington Police Station on allegations made against him the night before by his neighbour, Mrs. Meenawati Jainauth — threatening behaviour and indecent exposure. In a letter that was published on May 30, I wrote that Seetaram was put in charge of the Enhancement Workers at the RDC, who slash public space and roadsides. I also reported that some of those enhancement workers were seen slashing the yard of his private residence at Number 11 Village/Woodley Park, using Government resources for private use.
The night of June 2, Seetaram got home drunk, and launched a verbal assaulted on his neighbour, accusing her of snitching on him. After reading my letter, Seetaram was apparently convinced that his neighbour was the one from whom I had gotten my information, and he got into a tirade with her.
This is unfortunate, for I had never met this lady nor knew who she was, until a few days after this incident was brought to my attention by a reliable source. But during an interview, she recounted how terrified she was that night by Seetaram’s vulgar and threatening behaviour. She accused the irate AFC bad-boy of urinating in his yard in full view of her 16-year-old daughter; then after she complained about it, he dropped his pants and exposed himself to the teenager.
She also alleged that he threatened to bring back the enhancement workers to violate the two of them and to burn down her house.
What kind of a low-life would disrespect a woman and her 16-year-old daughter by saying such vile things is beyond comprehension, and must be condemned.
The neighbour said she made a report at the Fort Wellington Police Station shortly after midnight, and Seetaram was brought in to the station for questioning the following day. While there, she said, Seetaram became hostile and out of control, and had nothing but disdain and disrespect for the police. At one point, in the presence of two police officers at the front desk, he said he would beat her up and pay for her.
When the case was first called, on June 14th at the Fort Wellington Magistrate’s Court, Seetaram was a no-show. The magistrate threatened to have a warrant issued for his arrest, and scheduled the next court date for Wednesday, 28th of June. It is not clear whether he was arrested or he just “smelled the rat”, but he showed up for his court hearing, to answer two counts of assault and threatening language. He was placed on ,000 bail, and has to return to court on July 12.
Amazingly, Abel Seetaram was never charged with the more serious offence of indecent exposure, or endangering the welfare of a minor. I wonder who is watching over him.
In his letters to the editor, Abel Seetaram portrays himself as a hard-working, dedicated APNU+AFC RDC Councillor whose sole objective is to faithfully serve the people of Region 5. But in reality, he’s viewed as nothing more than a drunk who exploits his position for selfish gains, and is an embarrassment to himself and those who rewarded him for adding to the AFC vote-count at the expense of the PPP/C during two election cycles.
He has now put himself in yet another embarrassing situation, which begs the question: why is the Granger Administration tolerating this behaviour from an AFC supporter hell bent on giving the Government a bad name?
Abel Seetaram has a history of complaints lodged against him at the Fort Wellington Police Station dating back a few years now. This is all public knowledge.
A discussion with police officers there would confirm he is a notorious character who is known to disrespect and make false allegations against the police. In fact, Abel Seetaram often brags that the police can’t do him anything because he’s well connected with the Minister of Public Security. To avoid the perception of protecting his drinking buddy, Minister Khemraj Ramjattan must do what the Prime Minister has already done… cut him loose!

HARRY GILL
PPP/C Member of
Parliament