‘Disrespectful, silly’ – Jagdeo blazes Ramjattan over allegations that he spoke Russian to alleged election hackers

General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP/C) Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday blazed the former Minister of National Security, Khemraj Ramjattan for “disrespectful” claims that Jagdeo spoke to alleged Russian hackers in their language during the March 2020 elections.

At a press conference last week, Ramjattan, who was also the APNU+AFC coalition candidate for Prime Minister, said Friday that there were four Russians speaking to Jagdeo in 2020 as reported to him by members of the Guyana Police Force’s Special Branch.

The AFC member, reflecting on what he said were engagements with Jagdeo and four unidentified Russians claimed that the discussions centered on “certain things rather suspect that had to do with elections.”

He said Jagdeo and the Russians were not speaking in English but in Russian. Because of fears, Ramjattan said four Russians were later deported.

Jagdeo, who is now Vice President, expressed concerns over these utterances at a PPP press conference on Thursday.

“It is disrespectful to think that we will buy this stupid excuse that they will give,” he said.

And he said, “First of all, I never spoke with anyone in Russian or with Russians in Russian at the Marriott… and secondly, assuming there was a conspiracy to do this, would I be doing it in the lobby of a hotel?”

That wasn’t the only loophole he highlighted in Ramjattan’s utterances. Jagdeo reminded the public that Guyana’s elections are conducted via pencil and paper so it is unclear how the Russians could’ve hacked the elections.

He questioned also which rank of the Special Branch is proficient in Russian to discern what was allegedly discussed.

Because of these reasons, Jagdeo wondered why really the Russians were deported and what concerns the former administration really acted on.

“They deported four, maybe unsuspecting persons. They just picked them up and sent them off, that may be malfeasance in public office

“How can you be so silly?” Jagdeo said incredulously.