For immediate release

Contact: Jevon Suralie, Director of Communications

Tel: 347-271-5600

Dear Editor:

The Guyana Kaieteur Newspapers is engaged in a dangerous game of narcissistic politics. When I first penned a letter to the editor revealing that Mrs. Joyce Hoyte, the wife of late former President of Guyana, Desmond Hoyte, was not receiving all of her late husband’s benefits to which she is entitled, the Kaieteur News made an editorial judgment not to publish my letter, as though this issue has no merit.

Subsequently, it made the strange editorial decision to publish two articles attacking me viciously for raising this issue.  At that time, the fundamental elements of journalistic integrity, fairness and professional responsibility to publish the other side, had no moral bearing on their judgment.  They never published any response or view from me on those articles which attacked me.

In the intervening period, the Editor of Kaieteur News, Adam Harris, whom I consider to be a friend, had some private exchanges with me on this matter, as I had also raised his being denied his pension as well, in my original letter on Mrs. Hoyte. In those exchanges, Adam appeared to convey to me the deluded opinion of some individuals in the government that this issue was about a favor to Mrs. Hoyte rather than her right to her husband’s benefits, which I rejected. The aforementioned exchanges also provided a  reasonable  basis to presume he could have been in contact, direct or indirect, with President Jagdeo on this matter.

Last Sunday, November 22, 2008, in the “Blame the Government Column, an article appeared in the Kaieteur News titled “When people confuse favors with rights,” under anonymous authorship. The premise and construct of parts of that column were in my opinion indistinguishable from the views Adam exchanged with me. Some sentences and expressions even appear to be verbatim.

Adam is the editor of the Kaieteur Newspaper. By virtue of that responsibility he will always be assessed to have vicarious liability for any damages caused by his publication. Further, the article’s striking similarity with his communication with me can lead one to attribute constructive authorship to him.

I was not particularly disturbed by the article’s attack on me. What outraged me was the author’s cowardly attack on Mrs. Hoyte; implying that she was confusing a favor with a right and wanted to fleece the State. That was revolting.   Consequently, upon consultation and counsel from my colleagues, investigation and careful consideration, I made the judgment to respond in the manner I did. I will always respond in like fashion when Joyce Hoyte is attacked in that way.

Since the publication of the Blame the government article and my response to it, Adam and I have communicated. He has indicated that he has been unfairly accused of being its author. If this is so then I regret it and he deserves an apology. I have assured him that if he provides me a credible guarantee that he is being wrongfully accused, I will offer a public apology as I have no “beef” with him and have always shared a good friendship.

Did I say friendship? But it is under my friend Adam’s editorial judgment that the Kaieteur News refused to publish my letter on this issue but published two nasty articles that seek to pillory me for trying to help an old lady. Today, the Kaieteur News again published an article in the “Peeping Tom” column titled In defense of a good man, again under anonymous authorship, attacking me in a vile, vicious manner.

Yet, they still haven’t published any of my correspondences on this issue. I wonder, don’t they find it unprofessional or perhaps dishonest to keep on publishing articles in response to something that was never published?

Did I say previously and did “Peeping Tom” say today that my friend is the editor? Talk about stabbing a friend in the back! Sorry, I take that back.