The General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Bharrat Jagdeo is deeply concerned about the allegations of molestation of women, particularly Amerindian women in Region 9 by the Regional Executive Officer, Carl Parker.
The issue was first raised in the media when a report surfaced that the REO had sexually assaulted a regional sofficial at the Yupukari Caiman Lodge, Region 9 in June 2016.
Since this allegation was raised, the REO has publicly denied the claims and issued a statement in this regard.
Jagdeo said he was informed that the first case was brought to Communities Minister, Ronald Bulkan, “the people of Region nine, over a thousand of them signed a petition and sent it to the President he received a copy of it, nothing was done about it.
In the second instance, the GS said there is an attempt by Government to cover up, “the President cannot claim lack of knowledge on these matters,” Jagdeo told the press.
According to him, “right now the President is getting a free pass.” He also pointed to complaints made by the District Education Officer regarding the REO’s conduct and yet nothing is being done.
With regards to the sexual assault allegation by the regional official, Parker said prior to the official being elected to the current position she had approached him for assistance in a shady deal to accommodate her contractor friends, a proposition which he refused.
He claimed that during an overnight trip to Yupukari himself and the female official shared a room and slept in two separate beds, which she agreed to and he maintains that at no point did she indicate any discomfort.
The REO is contending that if the official was indeed assaulted, then she would have filed a police report with the Lethem Police station rather than writing the President and other PNCR officials lobbying for his removal.
He believes that his refusal to influence the tender process to accommodate the official’s friends in her efforts to gain additional income is what is driving her false campaign against him. “If I am guilty of anything is for being careless with the use of my Facebook account, as I have the habit of leaving my computer and cell phone open and unsecured. This allowed someone to access my account, communicating with (the Regional Official), pretending to be me. She is now using the FB exchanges to support her claim that I sexually assaulted her, something that is furthest from the truth,” Parker said in the statement which was provided to the media on his behalf.
