Guyana recalls High Commissioner to India after video surfaces of him abusing Indian Professor and animal rights activist

Last Updated on Wednesday, 26 October 2022, 10:33 by Denis Chabrol

President Irfaan Ali on Wednesday announced that Guyana’s High Commissioner to India has been recalled, a day after a video surfaced showing him verbally abusing an Indian Professor who is also an animal rights activist while she went to him to enquire about a dog that she usually feeds.

“Notwithstanding all of this, Mr Charandass agreed with me that, in keeping with the best interest of Guyana and the image of Guyana, that he would return home from his posting in India,” the President said. His announcement came one day after the Foreign Ministry said a probe by the Indian authorities had cleared him and so the matter was now “closed.”

Dr Ali said Mr Persaud, during a conversation with him, stated that the incident occurred in August 2021 and that the video being circulated is “not a full reflection of what took place.”

Mr Persaud reportedly told the President that an investigation cleared him of any misconduct and accusation of sexual harassment. The President said Mr Persaud, an Attorney-at-Law, “has agreed that he takes full responsibility for his action and will return home from this posting.”

Dr Ali indicated that Guyana could soon appoint a new High Commissioner to India with which Guyana shares a healthy historical, cultural, business and diplomatic relationship. “We are, therefore, going to take all official steps and measures to ensure a smooth transition and to continue to strengthen our work with India and to work on advancing the cause of Guyana in every category,” the President added.

Mr Persaud was instrumental in the passage of a no-confidence motion against the then governing A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change , and after the People’s Progressive Party was voted into office in March 2020 he was dispatched to India as this country’s High Commissioner.

The opposition coalition on Tuesday called on the Guyana government to recall Mr Persaud, a one-time executive member of the AFC before he defected on the floor of the House by his no-confidence vote.

A man with a Guyanese accent was seen and heard in the video 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.