By FareezaHaniff
[www.inewsguyana.com] – General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Clement Rohee has accused Leader of the Opposition, David Granger of using the issue of narco – trafficking to distract attention from the 2014 National Budget.
Granger had alleged that Guyana is sleepwalking into narco-statehood and that narco – trafficking is the engine of growth in Guyana which is responsible largely for other criminal activities including murders and armed robberies.
The PPP’s weekly press conference on Monday, April 13, Rohee said “It is clear to all that the opposition Leader is using the issue of narco trafficking as a smokescreen to detract attention from the Budget which has attracted the attention of a broad cross section of the Guyanese people.”
According to the General Secretary, “What Granger has deliberately withheld from the Guyanese people are the strong endorsements of the great strides made by the Government of Guyana in the strengthening of the economy and in the struggle against money laundering and narco trafficking.”
Rohee, who is also the country’s Home Affairs Minister, challenged the Opposition Leader to provide evidence to substantiate his allegations.
“The PPP is of the view that rather than making wild and unsubstantiated statements, Granger should do the decent thing and provide evidence of those involved in narco-traffiking and provide names of those whose narco-money are being used to drive the Guyana economy.”
The Opposition Leader has since denied he said that narco – trafficking is the engine of growth for the country’s economy, and when told of this, Rohee dismissed the explanation provided, as he noted that the Opposition Leader was “caught with his pants down” thus why he is changing his original statement.
Only recently, President Donald Ramotar called on Granger to issue an apology for making the allegations.
“I think that is a big insult to all the people of our country who are working very hard in order to develop themselves as individuals and in the process developing our country,” Ramotar had said.
