VICE News’ elaborate entrapment plan on corruption claims fails – VP Jagdeo

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has been vindicated from the attempts by VICE Media Group to paint him and the country at large for corrupted practices, with the entity failing in its bid to reveal that he had accepted bribes from Chinese investors.
This was the sentiment of Jagdeo on Tuesday during a press conference during which he expressed that even though he was unguarded in his personal space during the undercover act, the entity failed to provide any evidence of the sort.

“The framing of their report, one could clearly see that we’re vindicated…They came to my house. They tried to orchestrate Su to bring them to my house and could not, even in my house when they’re secretly recording me, get me to be involved in a hotel and casino deal, nor offer and show that I took a bribe. They’ve done this around the world with a lot of leaders who have actually taken the money and all of that. They couldn’t find that. That was the damp squib of it all. They had access to my home, secretly recorded me and this is it.”
The full interview had already been aired since February 5, following the almost two-hour interview with the Vice President by a journalist of VICE. However, VICE carried out an undercover sting at the home of the VP, using Chinese businessman Su Zhi Rong – who was also a tenant of Jagdeo.
Su, who operates in Guyana, was orchestrated to facilitate the ‘undercover’ conversation regarding a hotel and casino project. In the encounter, Jagdeo did specify that he can assist with investment deals on Government’s end but made it clear that he will not get involved in any financial dealings.
Then, Su Zhi Rong is heard referring to Jagdeo saying, “his hands are very clean”.
During the interview, after asking innocuous questions about the policies of the Government on investment in light of the massive oil find, the reporter suddenly alleged that based on “information” she had received, a Chinese logger named “Su” claimed that the only way to do business in Guyana was to pay incentives.
These allegations were immediately rebutted. The reporter’s line of questioning suggested that Guyana was taking financial incentives from the Chinese hence most of the contracts that are being awarded were given to Chinese contractors.
Moving one step further, Jagdeo highlighted that this plan to prove that Guyana is being dominated by China also failed. Jagdeo clarified that the only Chinese presence in the oil and gas sector is CNOOC, which is part of the consortium of companies, holding 25 per cent stake in the Stabroek Block.

“When I was pressed in the interview, that is the main two-hour interview, about China and its role in Guyana and the Western Hemisphere, I made it clear that we’re not going to participate in an anti-China hysteria, that we will look out for our country and what’s best for our people. In the almost two-hours interview that they had with me, just about a minute of it was used in the final product. This country has had a chance to see the entire two hours because I made it public,” the VP relayed.
He had also expressed in the interview that Guyana will not become a geopolitical pawn.
Nevertheless, it was opined that VICE Media has an agenda to sell stories of corruption around the world, or China dominating countries. However, attempts to depict such in Guyana has been unsuccessful and debunked.
Jagdeo positioned, “VICE News has to do a programme that sells. They’re into making money and what sells global. As I said in my interview, showing corrupt Third World leaders or alternately, showing China dominating the world…They had to show that Guyana is up for sale and to the Chinese particularly. China is not the biggest investor here. Many countries have overtaken China by far now.”
Meanwhile, amid calls for investigation into investor access to projects and contracts through monetary arrangements from a third party, Jagdeo noted that his assets are all declared and held locally.
“I don’t have any assets held abroad, whether in banks or in shares or in properties. All my assets are here in Guyana and they are declared to the Integrity Commission. The sources of my income are known to the bank…My sources of income are accounted for. That is as clear as daylight,” the former President underlined.
Meanwhile, amid his previous position if there was evidence that Su was using his name for financial gain, then he would have to take legal actions against the businessman, Jagdeo said he planned on pursuing this route.