Dear Editor,
With reference to the Anil Nandlall prosecution for alleged “theft” of law journals, the prosecuting attorney asked the Magistrate for time to gather evidence to support the charge against the former Attorney General. Is it not the law in Guyana that evidence must first be gathered supporting criminal conduct and then a charge filed? That is the law in democracies like the US, Canada, India, UK, etc. It is the same worldwide.
How come Nandlall was first charged and then the prosecution is now seeking the evidence to support the charge. Nandlall is claiming the journals are his as part of a contract he signed with the Ramires Government. It is for the court to determine if the contract is legal and binding. Clearly, Nandlall acted in good faith believing that since he signed a binding contract, the journal belongs to him. The Government has to prove that the contract was illegal and even if so proved, Nandlall cannot be charged because he did not knowingly “steal” the journals. He claimed them on the belief they were his based on the contract.
Since the prosecutor stated in court he needed to gather evidence to substantiate the larceny charge, the Magistrate should have thrown out the charge when the prosecutor asked for time to gather evidence. Nandlall may not be the nicest bloke in Guyana. But like everyone else, he enjoys fundamental rights which are being violated by the Government in what is now clear is political vendetta and ethnic persecution.
Where are the reasoned voices of ambassadors of the ABC countries in this and other rights violations? Only in Guyana are basic laws violated and the violators get away.
Yours truly,
Vishnu Bisram
