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Home Affairs Minister Ronald Gajraj on Friday admitted meeting with two controversial figures, one of whom was recently shot dead.
Axel Williams, a former member of the police force turned bodyguard for members of the business community, was ambushed and shot dead in Bel Air.
Following his murder, a businessman told some sections of the media that the dead man had connections to a government official. But during an end-of-year press briefing on Friday, Gajraj denied the claim.
"The recent publications in the print and electronic press, with respect to this 'phantom businessman'... I am not aware that any attempt was made to speak with any police officer who might have been able to shed some light on it, or clarify some issues. And whatever the insinuations in those reports, to the best of my knowledge, no government official is involved in any such enterprise and whoever wants to make that statement, might have their own interests to serve," the minister said.
He added that the businessman might have been prompted to suggest that an official of the government was in league with the mysterious killers because of a situation he (the businessman) perceived to be out there.
"Whatever danger they might feel that they might be in, might have prompted them to make those statements... just because they might be engaged in what might be called CYA situations. But the administration does not condone anything like that to the best of my knowledge... Members of the administration are public figures, they are subject to scrutiny and some hints might be made, but let us be responsible, let us be constructive, the media, in dealing with issues that can have serious consequential positions," Minister Gajraj urged.
When questioned about his association with the now dead Williams, as well as another man by the name of Shawn Hinds, the minister stated: "Yes, I did know Axel Williams. He had come to see me on more than one occasion at the Ministry of Home Affairs. As a matter of fact, at the time he had had some problem. He used to be a taxi-driver and he had made an application for a licensed firearm... and as far as I am aware, his application was processed... and approval for a licence was issued to him. To the best of my knowledge, he was a licensed firearm holder... I have heard of Shawn Hinds, and I had cause to speak with him one time when there was some incident on Duncan street earlier, involving the use of [a] firearm, and a certain publication appeared in the Kaieteur News. I do not have any personal relationship with any of the individuals... I am advised that Shawn Hinds was a former member of the Guyana Police Force and, if not he, his wife was. But beyond that, there is no relationship."