Social commentator GHK Lall has launched a blistering attack on the Guyana Government over what he describes as the public humiliation of High Court Justice Gino Persaud at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), questioning how the government can deny involvement in the judge’s U.S. visa review while remaining silent about a subsequent airport incident under Guyanese control.
Persaud was prevented from travelling to Jamaica for the Commonwealth Magistrates’ and Judges’ Association conference after being informed that his U.S. visa was under review. The United States has not publicly disclosed the reason for the review. U.S. Ambassador Nicole Theriot said the Georgetown Embassy was not aware of the information prompting the review and explained that such reviews are handled in Washington.
Attorney General Anil Nandlall has emphatically denied any involvement by the Guyana Government, saying President Irfaan Ali, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo and he had no influence over the U.S. decision.
But Lall, in an opinion titled “Devious Government; Anxious Citizens; Dubious Motives; Rank Dishonour,” says the government’s denial does not answer what happened when Persaud subsequently attempted to travel.
According to Lall, Persaud had checked in for the journey through Trinidad and passed through other official checkpoints before his name was called over the airport’s public-address system.
He said the judge was required to return and have his baggage searched, with the process lasting about an hour.
“My fellow Guyanese: I plead for an honest examination of what occurred at Justice Persaud’s second attempt to get to Jamaica.”
Lall questioned why Persaud was permitted to proceed through the airport before being publicly recalled.
“Intentional or accidental? Simply procedural. I believe that it was deliberate.”
He went further, alleging that the incident was designed to embarrass Persaud and send a warning to others.
“The PPP Govt wanted to humiliate this citizen, this upstart judge. Send a message to all Guyanese. Before the largest audience, local and international; with the broadest brush that would tar and retar him.”
Lall then drew a sharp distinction between the U.S. visa review and what happened inside Guyana.
“Where is the U.S. Government’s hand in that setup? In the domestic arena, under the control of Guyanese authorities, Justice Persaud is allowed to move through the check-in counters, immigration and customs control points, and then publicly recalled to wring the knife.”
The circumstances have become more sensitive because Persaud has presided over cases involving the Guyana Revenue Authority and members of the Mohamed family. Businessman Nazar Mohamed has publicly alleged political influence behind the visa review, while the government has rejected that claim. No public evidence has established a link between Persaud’s judicial decisions, the Guyana Government and the U.S. visa review.
Lall nevertheless argues that the airport episode raises questions the government cannot simply dismiss.
“The PPP Govt has lied through its teeth before. It is lying through its nose, eyes, and ears now. It is caught in a lie. If no involvement, then why the extended effort days later. Why the harassment?”
He also praised Acting Chancellor Roxanne George-Wiltshire and Justice Courtney Abel for their public positions on the issue, while sharply criticising what he sees as the silence of Guyana’s legal fraternity.
“For men and women of words, where the hell is thy tongue? What happened to thine heart? Did it turn yellow?”
Lall said professional silence raises questions about whether individuals are calculating the consequences of challenging political power.
“Silence tells me that men are maneuvering, so that they don’t come out on the wrong side of those with the power to confer favors.”
His closing argument was broader than Persaud’s visa ordeal, portraying the episode as a test of judicial independence, professional integrity and governance in Guyana.
“Given that 44 countries are at that conference in Jamaica, it is the best and biggest forum for the deplorable state of governance in Guyana, and the pressures on its judiciary to be highlighted in neon lights.”
