Govt sticks by Guyana’s High Commissioner to India but remains silent about embarrassment

Last Updated on Tuesday, 25 October 2022, 21:10 by Denis Chabrol

The Guyana government on Wednesday relied on an official investigation in India that cleared this country’s  High Commissioner to India Charandass Persaud of “allegations of sexual abuse words” against an Indian animal rights activist near his residence.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation sought to shut down the emerging controversy, but stayed clear of questions about whether the video recording, if true, being circulated is becoming of  a diplomat especially one who represents Guyana overseas and if the Guyana government has since reprimanded him for misconduct or indecent language.

“This matter, brought to the attention of the Ministry of External Affairs of India by High Commissioner Persaud, was fully investigated by the relevant authorities and a formal response dated September 3, 2022  indicates that “allegations of sexual abusive words to complainant (sic) not been substantiated. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation therefore considers this matter closed,” the ministry said.

The Foreign Ministry admitted that there was “an incident which occurred on August 1m 2021 on the premises of the High Commissioner’s residence. Further the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it was High Commissioner Persaud who had brough the matter to the attention of India’s Ministry of External Affairs.

The opposition Alliance For Change has since called on the Guyana government to recall the Guyana High Commissioner from India. “The Alliance For Change disassociates itself from this individual who holds office as representative of our nation and urges his recall. This would save us a diplomatic embarrassment and forcing a friendly and ally nation to label the diplomat, “persona non grata”,” that party said.

The Foreign Ministry made no specific reference to the video in which a man with a Guyanese accent was seen and heard verbally abusing a woman who was enquiring about a specific dog that she usually feeds but was told that the man had chased away. “I don’t need a dog in my yard alright. You want a dog? Take it and out between your leg. You probably want the dog to …. you. That’s what you want. I don’t care who the hell you are. F… you,” the man said.

The man then turned to a man and cautioned him against allowing any woman entering his yard bef0re  he suggested to the person who was video recording the altercati0n that “you like your camera?”.

But a police reply to the woman’s complaint revealed that that three other persons denied that the Indian High Commissioner ever committed such an offence. “During the enquiry, three persons…were examined who denied the allegations of complainant,: the document states. “So in these circumstances, allegations of sexual abusive words to complainant have also not been substantiated,” the report states.

Further , the document states that no one is allowed to enter the High Commissioner’s premises “without his permission.”

Mr Persaud, a former Alliance For Change member and then governing coalition parliamentarian, had risen to prominence in December 2018 when he had voted in favour of an opposition-sponsored no-confidence motion which triggered general elections in March 2022. He was whisked out of Parliament Building by several persons into a waiting car and taken to the Ogle Airport early the next morning to board a flight with connections to Canada for which he has citizenship.

The A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change coalition lost that election, Mr Persaud later returned and was appointed Guyana’s High Commissioner to India.