Caribbean News Desk: Guyana govt to authenticate recording of Attorney General’s voice

Last Updated on Thursday, 6 November 2014, 21:36 by GxMedia

A visual display of the recording containing Attorney General, Anil Nandlall’s voice in conversation with a Kaieteur News newspaper reporter.

The Guyana government is moving to authenticate a telephone recording purportedly containing the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs , Anil Nandlall’s voice making a number of controversial statements.

Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon told a news conference that an entity in North America has been asked to verify the tape.

Vice Chairman of the Alliance For Chance (AFC), Moses Nagamootoo said that the issue was not so much about the authenticity of the tape. “It is really what the Attorney General himself has said by implication- I said those things but I said those things to my buddy- so he hasn’t said anything to distance himself from the content of the tape , of the conversation. He is saying it is in private,” he said. “This is an Attorney General  that is there for 24 hours a day so you have to own up to what you have said. Whether you are saying it to your friend, you are saying it in the capacity that you own.”

You can listen to today’s edition of Caribbean News Desk by clicking https://www.dropbox.com/s/wqwsy66o3u0q688/caribnews_06_nov_2014.MP3?dl=0 to download the programme.

The Attorney General’s voice is heard in a privately recorded telephone conversation with a journalist at the privately-owned Kaieteur News newspaper urging him to leave his job there because persons had planned an armed attack on that media house because they were aggrieved by a number of articles.

Mr Nandlall’s voice was also heard asking the reporter to facilitate sexual relations between a female reporter and a relative of that government official.

A number of civil society organizations including the Bar Association and Transparency Institute of Guyana Inc have called for the Attorney General’s resignation.

The government  has, however, defended the Attorney General, saying that the recording was obtained illegally and has been manipulated. President Donald Ramotar has already ruled out the tape being edited.

in an address to the sections of the staff of the Attorney General’s Chambers, Nandlall has denied being aware of any plan to attack any media house or media worker. He has also assured Guyanese that he has the greatest respect for women.

Also in today’s programme:

Dominica’s opposition says its ready for the December 8 general election

Trinidad to buy mosquitoes to fight those mosquitoes that are spreading Chikungunya and dengue

And we hear about how Grenada is breathing new life into agriculture

Brazilian Indigenous Indians demarcating lands

Britain’s Cable & Wireless Communications PLC plans to buy Barbados-based Columbus International Inc