GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC -Acting Chief Justice Roxane George will, on February 1, next year, hear a fixed date application filed by opposition legislator David Patterson, who is seeking damages from the State after he was prevented from leaving the country earlier this year.
Patterson, whom attorney Nigel Hughes is representing, is claiming damages for breach of his fundamental right to freedom of movement and unspecified sums for exemplary damages, costs, and other orders the court may see fit.
Patterson, a parliamentarian with A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC), said he had already cleared Customs and Immigration and was in the departure lounge when he was approached by an Immigration Officer and informed that he could not leave Guyana.
Patterson said that he experienced loss, shame, and embarrassment as a result of the occurrence on September 27 this year.
“The applicant was unable to attend and deliver the presentation to the Congressional Caucus at Capitol Hill as a member of the National Assembly on matters of concern to the citizens of Guyana. The applicant was forced to incur the expense of returning to Georgetown, paying a penalty for lost travel and accommodation expenses,” according to the lawsuit.
Attorney General Anil Nandlall has been named as the sole respondent on behalf of the State.
Patterson said his lawyer had reminded the immigration officers that several court rulings prohibit persons from being denied the right to travel without an expressed court order.
Patterson was, on July 28 this year, released on GUY$ 750,000 bail on charges related to an allegation of exposure of his genitals, which is an offense under the Sexual Offences Act.
The Guyana Police Force (GPF) has apologized to Patterson after he was prevented from leaving the country in violation of a judgment already handed down in a similar matter by the High Court Judge.
In its statement, the GPF said, “Mr Patterson’s name was placed on the watchlist in July 2023 during an ongoing investigation by the Police into an accusation of indecent exposure.
“The Guyana Police Force has internal SOPs to deal with such issues, and a full probe is underway by the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) as to why Mr Patterson’s name was not removed earlier from the list. Mr Patterson’s name has since been removed from the watchlist.”
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