GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – An opposition legislator says he has been blocked from leaving Guyana to meet with United States lawmakers and other officials on the political and economic situation in the country.
David 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, a former minister of public infrastructure, told the online publication Demerara Waves Online News that the officer told him “that Immigration made a mistake in allowing me to proceed” and that “there was a no-fly order on me in their system, and asked that I accompany them to speak to the officer on duty.”
Patterson said the Immigration officers were courteous and apologetic, but the instructions came from “town.”
Patterson said he spoke with his attorney, Nigel Hughes, who, after speaking with the Immigration officers, was told that there was no court order blocking his departure, but someone placed “a note in the system.”
Hughes has said he would be filing “legal proceedings” as a result.
Patterson said his lawyer reminded the immigration officers that several court rulings prohibit persons from being denied the right to travel without an expressed court order.
On July 28 this year, Patterson was released on GUY$750,000 (One Guyana dollar=US$0.004 cents) bail on charges related to an allegation of exposure of his genitals, which is an offense under the Sexual Offences Act.
He said his effort to leave Guyana was the first time since his arraignment.
Patterson was expected to be part of an opposition APNU+AFC delegation headed by Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton traveling to Washington to meet with the Congressional Black Caucus, including Democratic Minority Leader Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, on Wednesday.
“The meeting with Mr. Jeffries and his team is expected to focus on the opportunities and challenges confronting Guyana and on how political stakeholders in the country can work together to ensure that all Guyanese citizens, regardless of race or ethnicity, benefit from the country’s oil wealth,” APNU+AFC said.
Earlier this month, President Irfaan Ali and a team traveled to the US, where they briefed the Congressional Black Caucus, including Mr. Jeffries and other American decision-makers, about the governance of Guyana and other issues.
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