Attorney Khemraj Ramjattan says he never knew the late Gopaul Chowtie was a criminal and says the slain bandit had close and recent ties with the PPP. In fact, he says as far as he knew the man who was killed after a police confrontation two Sundays ago was a PPP comrade from a respectable background who maintained close ties with the party and its senior members up until a few weeks ago.
“Indeed, I did give the recommendation (in 1999),” the Member of Parliament told Stabroek News yesterday, confirming he did endorse Chowtie’s application for a gun licence, which was approved last year by Home Minister Ronald Gajraj. “But I did it in good faith. He was a very articulate, a very well-read person who wanted to go into aquaculture,” Ramjattan said.
“I don’t know what happened here... Had I known... I would never have done any recommendation,” he added. Chowtie was fatally shot in a confrontation with police during a robbery at Success, East Coast Demerara. Police said that Chowtie was charged for treason in 1991 and was known for piracy on the high seas. Despite his past he was still granted a licence last February by the then Police Commissioner Floyd McDonald on the approval of the minister. In fact, the divisional commander’s report on the 1999 application said nothing adverse was known of the man, who was also reported to be a well-known activist for the PPP/C.
Last week PPP General Secretary Donald Ramotar said Chowtie was a member of the PPP until 1989, when there was a mutual separation. But Ramjattan, who only returned to Guyana on Monday, said he was shocked by the entire saga, including Ramotar’s statement denying the man’s relationship with the party and the attempt to distance the PPP from Chowtie.
Ramjattan, who was recently expelled from the PPP, said Chowtie was still closely associated with the party and even up until recently was in contact with senior members. He noted the names of two prominent members of the party.
“I understood him to be a party comrade up to the point when I last met him there... I don’t know about any mutual separation. He was associated with the PPP long before 1989 and long after. There is no mutual separation. Either you are expelled like me, suspended for a few months or you are not a member.” Ramotar could not be contacted for comment yesterday, despite repeated efforts.
Ramjattan added he was not the only one who was stunned by the affair. “His brother in New York was very traumatised. He can’t believe what has happened... He was in shock,” Ramjattan said describing the reaction of Jewan Chowtie.
Ramjattan’s last formal contact with Chowtie was in 1999, when he sought legal advice to register his fish farming company.
He said at the time Chowtie mentioned that he wanted a firearm licence. “I knew him to be someone of a respectable background, I knew his family, his brother,” Ramjattan said. “I can’t recall that he was ever charged for treason. I can’t recall that he was ever charged for piracy,” said the attorney, who in the late eighties and early nineties did pro bono work for PPP members, against whom charges were often fabricated. “Even if [Chowtie] was charged for treason, a lot of the charges during that time were fabricated by the PNC. I did a lot of cases... but treason and piracy with Chowtie do not ring a bell.”
Nonetheless, he pointed out that even if Chowtie was charged for these offences it was the duty of the police to do a background check while processingthe firearm application. “Even if I wasn’t aware, why did they grant him the licence? Didn’t they do a background check? A background check must be done to see if he was ever charged for any offence,” Ramjattan noted.
Chowtie, who was described as a businessman/f armer on the firearm application, was licensed to use a .22, .25 or .32 pistol/revolver and a 12, 16 or 20-gauge shotgun.