The Foreign Affairs Ministry yesterday denied a Kaieteur News (KN) report that claimed the recent allegations linking the Minister of Home Affairs to a death squad was the reason why the Canadian High Commission revoked his visa.
The report, which was headlined `Killing Squad allegations prompted Gajraj visa ban' appeared in yesterday's edition of Kaieteur News and quoted an unnamed source at the Foreign Ministry as saying that the revocation of the minister's visa was routine in light of the allegations.
"The story does not speak for the Foreign Ministry," Minister Rudy Insanally was quoted yesterday as saying in a Government Information Agency (GINA) news report.
"Officially, we have not speculated about the cause or issue surrounding the revocation," he said.
Insanally said his Ministry received a notification last Friday from the Canadian High Commission about the intended revocation of the Minister's visa. In a letter in response, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote to the Canadian High Commission, seeking to have the reason for the revocation of the Minister's visa made public.
"Otherwise the measure may be seen publicly as a sanction (on) some wrong doing on the part of the Minister. The Government of Guyana believes that the provision of such information would serve to discourage any further speculation and to achieve an understanding and resolution of the matter," the Ministry noted in a press statement that was issued afterward.
But Insanally said he only subsequently learned that the Canadian legislation does not provide for an explanation unless if asked for by the person directly concerned. As a result, the Home Affairs Minister, Ronald Gajraj has signalled his willingness and this will be communicated to the Canadian authorities. The Ministry however said it has still to receive a reply from the Canadian authorities.
Acting Canadian High Commissioner Murray Kam had told Stabroek News on Tuesday that Canadian privacy laws prohibit the release of consular information unless authorised by the individual in question.
"We hope that this will come to a point where the speculations and rumours will be put to some rest," said Insanally, who noted that the current rumours are causing the unnecessary creation of a negative image internationally for Guyana.
Although likened to the recent delay by the US Embassy in granting a visa to Foreign Trade Minister Clement Rohee, Insanally said the two instances bear no similarities.
He also said no further communication has been received from US authorities about Rohee's application which was referred to Wash-ington DC for approval since the first week of December. It had been surmised that tighter security measures internationally was behind the delay in the granting of the visa.
Insanally acknowledged the need for improved security in the international scenario to reduce instances of trans-border crime and drug-trafficking, but pointed out that there are unintended restrictions these new measures put on small countries like Guyana.