Social media activist, Melissa “Melly Mel” Atwell.
GEORGETOWN (CMC) -Guyana’s Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has refuted allegations that a recent police raid on the home of the parents of a US-based social media activist, Melissa “Melly Mel” Atwell, had been undertaken at the urging of the government.
“I am sure that there was no plot by the government or anybody in the government to plant marijuana on this social media influencer. Because, although she may be critical of us, she has a right as a Guyanese citizen. We defend people’s rights all the time,” Jagdeo told a news conference.
Lawyers representing Atwell and her mother and grandmother, say the police carried out an “unconstitutional search” of the residence earlier this week in retaliation for her criticism of the government.
“Our clients have instructed us to request from you, as we hereby do, the factual and legal basis upon which your ranks purported to search our clients’ residence and their persons, in written form, inclusive of any documentary sources that informed your actions,” the lawyers said in a statement.
They said that earlier this week the police searched the home of Debbie Atwell, 56 and during that exercise, they saw a black plastic bag, with a zip-lock bag containing 27 grammes of marijuana in a nearby alleyway.
Police said in their statement that a gazetted officer led a team of police to execute a search warrant.
Atwell’s lawyers said in light of that matter they expect a response stating a justification for the search within 48 hours of receiving the letter dated September 19, or legal action would be taken.
According to the lawyers, no body cameras were being worn by the police conducting the search, nor was the search video-recorded, despite the capability of the Guyana Police Force to have done so.
Jagdeo told reporters that pursuing individuals for their political views is not characteristic of the current People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government, adding this is “old tactics” associated with the now opposition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) when it was in power.
“That is APNU’s old tactics. You don’t find that under the PPP…we don’t engage in that sort of thing, we have been very tolerant,” Jagdeo said, describing the current allegations as baseless.
“The people who wouldn’t say a word under APNU+AFC, because of fear, they can speak freely, and so, we defend ourselves but you’re not going to find this government trying to intimidate their opponents,” he said, adding “our work speaks for itself”.
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