DPI sincerely regrets misquoting Prime Minister Nagamootoo
DPI, Guyana, Thursday, July 11, 2019
The Department of Public Information (DPI) has noted its error in a story that was published on Wednesday, July 10, 2019.
The Honourable Moses Nagamootoo, Prime Minister of Guyana, was misquoted in the story;
‘Coalition has full confidence in Finance Minister – PM Nagamootoo’.
In this regard, we have retracted the narrative, and a correct version will be issued shortly.
Below is the entire quote from the interview that was conducted with the Honourable Prime Minister.
“Cabinet has looked at the situation and found that the president has done the right thing by granting a reprieve to the Minister of Finance, Honourable Winston Jordan. We believe that the action itself was frivolous, was vexatious, it has no merit. You do not go after a person in a matter where liability is against the State. You cannot enforce that position by going after that minister in person, it’s going to open all processes to abuse; it means anyone can go against a judge, you can ask the imprisonment of a magistrate, you could ask the imprisonment of the President, the Leader of the Opposition. The law presumes that the person who do certain acts in their official functions, they are not liable in person and therefore, to seek the imprisonment of a minister for debt that had been accrued or a decision that had been made against the State, smacks of vendetta. For me, it’s kind of a judicial wrath for us to talk about imprisoning a government official – a minister of the government who was exercising his function officially to penalise that person, in person, for liabilities that may not have been accrued to him personally. Cabinet, not only supported the decision to grant a reprieve until all judicial processes have been completed, but Cabinet reposed confidence, full confidence, in the Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan. We believe that the action against him had exposed him to contempt and ridicule. We believe that it was unfair and unjust and unprecedented that this should happen to a public servant – someone executing public policies and public functions. And, we believe that this attack on the integrity of the minister was unwarranted, it was unwelcomed, and we want to say very openly that all Members of the Cabinet, all his ministerial colleagues believe that he has done nothing wrong and that he is completely exonerated from any shadow of our doubt that he was anything other than honourable and he has received our full support.”
The full One and One interview can be viewed on the link provided. https://youtu.be/d0TM1QW55z4