Ali backs legal move over Facebook posts, slams ‘attacks’ on State lawyers

Last Updated on Friday, 13 November 2026, 23:06 by Written By Denis Chabrol

President Irfaan Ali on Friday defended his decision to hire Canada-based Guyanese lawyer Selwyn Pieters to go after Facebook posts that he dislikes.

“I believe that this guy has specific you know skill set that is necessary to combat the misinformation, the disinformation, the the lies that people are peddling on social media. So you want me to sit back and allow people to assassinate the character of myself, senior officials”,” he said when asked why he hired Mr Pieters instead of having the Attorney General or his chambers address issues that he considers libelous or slanderous.

In early October, Mr Pieters confirmed that he complained to Meta about a post on the then suspended Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed’s Facebook page.

Asked why he did not instead test his contentions in the court and have an order issued to Facebook, the President said “A lot is being tested in the court, but the the law and international system also provides for this, where you, too, …can write to Facebook,” he said.

Critics fear that the President or any member of the government can weaponise the process of contacting Meta/Facebook, resulting in the suspension or closure of certain pages, including legitimate news pages,  that  whose publications that they consider offensive.

The President said he nothing was wrong with hiring a “competent” lawyer like Attorney General Anil Nandlall. “When we utilize legal means, and we don’t determine whether it stays on or come off. That’s independently done. An assessment is done as to whether the content constitutes something that is untrue, something that cannot be justified and I see nothing wrong with that,” the President said.

The President also seized the opportunity of expressing concern that the media, rights organisations and women’s activists did not speak about against a Facebook post by Azruddin Mohamed’s sister, under the Facebook name Hana Khamelia. “What wrong have they done to be attacked in a manner that they were attacked in? And we all see nothing is wrong with that. We wouldn’t have a single question about that,” he said.

Attorney General Nandlall said separately in a statement that he has since advised Deputy Solicitor General Shoshanna Lall and Assistant Solicitor General of Guyana Ronetta Sargent to take legal action against Ms Mohamed for “serious and wholly unfounded allegations of professional misconduct.” “Public officers ought not to endure abuse as the price for serving the State. They are entitled to perform their duties with dignity, and fearlessly and without threats, intimidation or harassment from politicians and their families. This continuous attack must end now. Public officers are hereby encouraged to take the necessary legal actions against these attacks and their executioners. Ms. Lall and Ms. Sargent have been advised to do likewise,” he said.

Mr Nandlall said Ms Mohamed’s offensive post constitutes a scathing, defamatory and scurrilous attack on Ms. Lall and Ms. Sargent, falsely accusing them of professional misconduct and misbehaviour in the Court and within the precincts of the Court. “These publications have attracted large volumes of vitriolic comments, further vilifying and tarnishing the sterling standing and reputation of these professional women, who were simply discharging their legal duties in defence of the State,” he added.