Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed was blocked from joining the National Assembly sitting yesterday virtually as it appeared he had not sought permission from the Speaker.
The Lusignan Prison had made arrangements for him to participate. However, during the sitting yesterday, Speaker Manzoor Nadir stressed that parliamentarians must first obtain his permission to participate remotely. He said the only request he had received came from Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Gail Teixeira. Nadir did not mention Mohamed by name. He said several people had tried to join the sitting online without authorisation and reiterated that no other member had sought his permission.
In a Facebook post, Hana Mohamed said her brother had called her from prison and asked her to make clear that prison officials were not responsible for his absence. She said his family had sent clothes for him and preparations for his virtual participation were under way when he was told the prison had received instructions from the State that his request had not been granted.
As Kiskadee Watch reported on Wednesday, We Invest in Nationhood MPs Dawn Hastings-Williams and Natasha Singh submitted a proposed adjournment motion to Nadir on Tuesday seeking arrangements that would allow Mohamed to carry out his parliamentary and constitutional duties while detained. The Guyana Trades Union Congress had also called for him to be allowed to take part in the sitting in person or virtually.
Mohamed has been on remand at Lusignan Prison since October 30, when Magistrate Abigail Gibbs refused him bail on a cybercrime charge concerning the alleged unauthorised disclosure of surveillance footage of the October 12 shooting in Kitty involving Police Special Branch Head Senior Superintendent Prem Narine. Mohamed has pleaded not guilty and is challenging the refusal of bail in the High Court. His lawyers have also sought interim bail pending the substantive hearing.
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