Russians accused of meddling in Guyana’s Elections; Ramjattan gets upset at key questions
The APNU+AFC Coalition through Alliance for Change Leader and Prime Ministerial Candidate for the APNU+AFC has accused Russians of attempting to influence the just concluded National and Regional Elections.
This was done today at the party’s Campaign Office in Lamaha Street during a press conference which Ramjattan shared with party member Catharine Hughes.
However when grilled extensively on aspects of his claims and the actions are taken, which included the deportation of three of the four individuals, Ramjattan became very hostile.
He was asked about the rationale behind deporting the individuals against keeping them in custody for questioning given the fact that it was the country’s election and democracy that they reportedly attempted to interfere with.
“I did not want to release it, now the press had it I have to report it, I did not think it was important to let the nation known,” Ramjattan who served as security minister prior to last Monday’s elections told the press conference.
From all indications, the Ramjattan, the Commissioner of Police, Catharine Hughes were all aware of this development on elections Day but according to the two-party officials, they did not see the need to release the information to the public on election day.
“I want to say that we are still somewhat hazy on the position indeed we had three persons who were speaking to leading members of the PPP at the Marriott Hotel one out of Libya, one out of Russia and one out of America with Russian background that came into this country and we had to deport them on elections day after our intelligence realized that there was some conspiracy to tap into GECOM computer system, they were immediately deported a fourth one who was not found at his Marriott room, he is on the run somewhere we are not finding him.” Ramjattan further stated
It is unclear how the men attempted to tap into the GECOM systems and to influence the country’s election which is usually called and declared following a manual counting and tabulation process.
Catharine Hughes in one of her bouts of comments during the press conference stated that the attempt by the Russians also had to do with the suspected hacking of the country’s telecommunications system.
“Let me bring in different perspective but this has telecommunications implications, anyone can be interfering from anything as simple as a smartphone I think one of the things Ramjattan has not mentioned is that the basis on which they entered into Guyana was false one of the individuals entered as a nanny. Why in Guyana today do we need a foreigner to come and work as a nanny is questionable” Hughes noted
The press conference was told that flash drivers, computers and other electronics were seized from the persons. Ramjattan was however not keen on suggestions from the press that the items be placed on display.
Khemraj Ramjattan said that investigations into the matter are ongoing. Given the confidence he spoke with, he was asked if he was confident that the investigations would not end up like the Charrandass Investigation and he said that he cannot assure that.
