Attorney Glenn Hanoman, President David Granger
By Leroy Smith
The ongoing report by the State newspaper on aspects of the recommendations made following the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into an alleged plot to assassinate President David Granger, is not sitting well with at least one senior attorney who is of the view that President Granger may be the one who caused the contents of the report to be leaked.
Speaking with the News Room this morning, Attorney Glenn Hanoman stated: “The fact that the findings of the report has now found itself in the state-owned newspaper, I can only imagine that it is the President of Guyana that has caused it to be published in that manner.”
Hanoman represented Commissioner of Police, Seelall Persaud during the sitting of the CoI, which was chaired by retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, Paul Slowe.
He made the assertion after pointing out that when he asked Slowe for a copy of the report; the chairman told him that President Granger is the only person who has the authority to make the report public.
The lawyer said he finds the leakage of the report “unfortunate and unprofessional.”
“It is typical of what propagandists do rather than professional people, if you notice, the stories are coming in a very piecemeal manner and its almost as if the primary interest is selling the Chronicle newspaper rather than any professional approach, so this is very distasteful and low class,” Hanoman told the News Room.
According to the Attorney, the reports in the Guyana Chronicle suggest that there is a clear disconnect in government. He made reference to the fact that Public Security Minister, KhemrajRamjattanhad stated that Crime Chief, WendellBlanhum has done a fantastic job and that he enjoys the confidence of the government.
“And you have a lot of mixed signals too because of how it is being done. Because you have the subject Minister saying that Blanhum has been doing a fantastic job and then the report is saying he should be sanctioned because he has no leadership skills and all of that very mixed signals and it tells me that all is not right. You would expect the subject Minister to be aware of everything,” the lawyer said.
The State media has reported that the COI recommended the replacement of the Crime Chief and his Deputy, that the Commissioner of Police SeelallPersaud be sent home, Deputy Top Cop David Ramnarine be sanctioned and the Assistant Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken be disciplined for failure to properly investigate the alleged assassination plot.