Issue not easily dismissed by appropriation of blame

Dear Editor,
It is not my intention to heap opprobrium on the Patterson family due to the alleged actions of one member at this time; however, the statement of the Minister of Public Infrastructure, Hon. David Patterson, on the issue included a scurrilous statement about the previous administrations of Guyana run by the People’s National Congress and The People’s Progressive Party. Minister Patterson of the Alliance For Change says, ”As a Minister of Government, I would like to assure the Guyanese public that I have not, and will not, attempt to influence the outcome of these serious allegations made against my brother in any way whatsoever. This is the principled position which I firmly embrace, and ought to be a lesson to many under a previous dispensation who, it is widely known, regularly interfered with the course of justice in matters involving their family members, friends, and even acquaintances.”
This issue is not easily dismissed by appropriation of blame. Minister Patterson, by his statement, has transformed the issue from personal to political; and as a Citizen of Guyana, I ask that the Minister share his ‘widely known’ information and evidence to back such a serious charge. A sitting Minister of Government is expected to be more responsible with his word.

As of now, our national image has been tarnished by his statement in a week wherein the USA issued a higher level crime alert for Guyana, which included the warning that law enforcement personnel are often perpetrators of crime.
Editor, Minister Patterson will have to answer questions about his brother’s alleged activities, including his source of finance and transit through our international airport, which is currently undergoing construction and falls under his purview. His statement now taints that straightforward activity with the odium of politics. No one is above the law or the process of investigation.

I await the Minister’s response to my questions on his allegations, but I will not hold my breath, for I know an attempt at deflection when I see one. Our national treasure, Martin Carter, famously wrote: “All are involved! All are consumed!” We seem doomed to this political reality, no matter how hard we try to avoid it.
Sincerely,
Robin Singh