Government welcomes CANA retraction of story
THE Guyana Government has welcomed the retraction by the Caribbean News Agency (CANA) of a story by one of its Guyana correspondents it published last month on allegations linking ministers, police and others to crimes by slain bandit Linden `Blackie' London. Information Minister, Mr Moses Nagamootoo, in a letter to CANA Executive Director, Mr Trevor Simpson, said although "it took a long time after the Government had urged rectification measures, the statement issued by CANA, which appeared in local newspapers (yesterday) is welcomed." "The Government of Guyana is pleased that you have caused an investigation to be made into the source, or lack of it, from which your story, captioned `Strong allegation in Guyana', had emanated. "More importantly, CANA has done the correct thing pursuant to that investigation by withdrawing the impugned story, and expressing regret to all those who have been offended by its content", Nagamootoo said. "This enlightened approach should augur well for the integrity of responsible journalism, and further the cause of promoting professionalism in our region. "Moreover, it is hoped that those who had exploited the CANA publication of a damaging story, and sought to justify its content, should now follow your lead", the minister told Simpson. The CANA response should also be "instructive to others who use the Guyanese media as a shelter from which they peddle falsehood with apparent impunity, and abuse Guyana's freedom of expression to routinely invent or manufacture stories to create political mischief", he suggested. "In this regard, your approach should inform your local correspondents to at all time act responsibly, and to file in a balanced and fair manner, stories that are rooted in facts." CANA Friday withdrew the March 19 story which it said contained "certain allegations against two government ministers, a public servant and two police officers in Guyana." CANA said: "That report, published in good faith, was based on a tape recording supplied to one of our Guyana correspondents. "In our investigations, we have been unable to verify the authorship of the said tape. "Further, we have found no foundation for the allegations contained in the tape recording. "We therefore unreservedly withdraw the said story and express regret to al those offended by its contents." According to the CANA item, a man who was part of London's gang said two government ministers, two cops, a public servant and a television station owner helped "mastermind heists which netted more than G$100M (US$556,000)." The story is believed to have been based on a mystery tape recording. President Bharrat Jagdeo said he had heard of the tape recording and had asked Home Affairs Minister, Mr Ronald Gajraj and Police Commissioner Laurie Lewis to look into the matter. He wants to determine whether there is any truth because this seems to be a "ghost tape" and the Police would have to do their work, Mr Jagdeo said at a briefing.
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