Andre Branch Dolphins Jersey Senior Counsel Bernard De Santos

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Former President Bharrat Jagdeo has been summoned to appear before the courts to answer criminal charges over racially divisive statements he reportedly made at Babu Jaan, Port Mourant last month.Former President, Bharrat JagdeoJagdeo, who had served as President from 1999 to 2011, is slated to appear at the Whim Magistrate’s Court on April 20, on the charge which was filed by Attorney-at-Law, Christopher Ram yesterday.The former President is being accused of making statements to the public at large, at a public meeting held in Babu Jaan,Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping, Corentyne, Berbice, on March 8,NFL Jerseys Cheap China, last. The charge reads that the comments “can result in racial or ethnic violence or hatred among the people.”A summons was issued by recently appointed Magistrate Charlyn Artiga for service on Jagdeo. He will be required to appear personally in the court and plead to the criminal charge.Jagdeo came under fire after his delivery at a Memorial Ceremony held for former President and founder-leader of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Dr. Cheddi Jagan.Jagdeo had said “…consistently, they shout about racism of the PPP, but they practice racism. They whisper campaigns. In the last elections they went to some of the Afro-Guyanese villages and beat some drums at 6 o’clock in the morning and say let us throw out these coolie people.“Get up, go out and vote; throw out the coolie people. That’s the kind of language they use. Anybody from our party who uses that sort of language, we will kick them out. This is our approach.”These remarks had caught the attention of the Media Monitoring Unit (MMU) of the Guyana ElectionsAttorney-at-Law, Christopher RamCommission (GECOM) who on Tuesday made public its first report on the media coverage of the election campaign.Addressing the public outcry over Jagdeo’s delivery, the MMU noted that after it reviewed a broadcast of the speech made by Jagdeo at Port Mourant last month,Brad Richards Red Wings Jersey, it found his remarks racially divisive.The MMU chided sections of the media for publishing the comments, because the unit “verily concluded that the remarks made by Dr. Jagdeo were racially divisive.”The MMU made it known that Jagdeo’s Babu Jaan speech was the first time such details were ever publicly disclosed by anyone from the ruling PPP/C, the Opposition political parties, local civil society,China Jerseys Cheap, international elections observers,NFL Jerseys From China, or the media.Mere hours after the summons was issued yesterday, Senior Counsel Bernard De Santos, who has been retained by Jagdeo, said that the charge was filed by Ram, “a known critic who seems to have an unnatural obsession with my client.”Ram responded,Cheap Jerseys Free, “Jagdeo attracts unnatural obsession. Over the years his name has been linked with unnatural acts.”De Santos said, “I have examined the statements allegedly made by Mr. Jagdeo and which form the basis of the charge. I have examined the section of the law under which the charge has been laid and in mySenior CounselBernard De Santosview the charge is frivolous, vexatious, and an abuse of the process of the court in which it has been filed.”The Senior Counsel is contending that the charge is a “gross misinterpretation and colossal misuse and abuse” of the section under which it is filed.”I will not speculate in relation to the motive which inspired the institution of the charge. I will say, however, that it constitutes an abridgement of the constitutional right and freedom of my client to speak and express himself freely.”De Santos claimed it is an unprecedented use of a criminal charge to “muzzle speakers at public political events. (It) is an assault on the democratic right of political leaders to speak freely on matters of national interest as well as a violation of the democratic right of the citizenry to receive such information.”De Santos said that he can only imagine the “devastating consequences which can flow if the criminal justice system will be used in such a manner and across the political divide. This is nothing more than political sensationalisation and mischief.”The lawyer expressed hope that the matter would be speedily reviewed by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).The DPP has the power to withdraw the private charge. However Ram is adamant that any attempt to do so would be met with strong legal challenges.Ram emphasised that the charges were not political in nature. The attorney insisted that Jagdeo committed a criminal offence. He said that De Santos’ “indirect and not so subtle” reference to the DPP in the matter is wholly inappropriate. He said that he will look at the case and what the DPP does, to which end he will respond appropriately.Asked what steps he will take in the event of an intervention, the attorney said “I will rule out nothing.”The charge against Jagdeo is set out in Section 139 D of the Representation of the People Act. If found guilty, Jagdeo faces a fine of $100,000 in addition to imprisonment for two years.Additionally, he shall be deemed incapable, during a period of five years from the date of conviction, of being a member of the National Assembly or of being a member of any local democratic organ or holder of any constitutional or statutory office. He could also be subjected to action by the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC).